Week 4 Results 2026

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Grace Prep (40-6) -- Correct
--Maybe a little closer than the score, but a dominant win for the Chargers. Lions season opening road trip continues at Lake Country next week. 

Dallas St. Mark's over Dallas Covenant (52-6) -- Correct
--I guess I'll count it even though I picked a much closer game. Knights with a lot of work to do before the Week 10 district showdown with DC.

Bryan Brazos Christian over Boerne Geneva (49-23) -- Correct
--Brazos with a big district opening win. They will be a contender in the Division III playoffs.

League City Bay Area Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross (56-19) -- Correct
--Broncos continue to look the part in 2026 and the offense posts another 50+ point performance. Knights with barely any path to the playoffs the way things look now, and no path if their form doesn't improve.

Wellington @ Lubbock Trinity Christian (40-6)  -- Correct
--Lions dominated in this one, but still look to be the prime contenders for 2nd place behind Lubbock Christian in District 1 of Division III.

Austin Regents over Bellaire Episcopal (62-38) -- Correct
--Regents with a very good win and will be a factor in the Division II playoffs.

Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (36-7) -- Correct
--The Eagles defense wins the day. Could definitely see these two rematch in the SPC 3A playoffs.

Week 4: 7-0
Season: 19-15 

Quick Hits

Rio Hondo over Brownsville St. Joseph (60-21) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (52-7) -- Correct
Hitchcock over The Woodlands John Cooper (21-14) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Central Catholic (56-0) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Lucas Lovejoy (28-30) -- Wrong
Paradise over Fort Worth Christian (49-28) -- Correct
New Boston over Tyler Grace Community (48-55) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over West (49-14) -- Correct
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Hill County Christian (24-30) -- Wrong
Lubbock Christian over Bushland (49-69) -- Wrong

Tyler All Saints over Fort Worth Mercy Culture (36-18) -- Correct

 

Week 4: 7-4
Season: 35-15 

 

Week 4 Picks 2026

Another week approaches as the games that count draw near. We even have a couple of districts kicking off their round robin slates this week. It feels like things are little more open this year, but maybe that's just my dismal record so far. Still a top tier of contenders but those groups appear a little bigger this year. We'll see what twists and turns happen this week as we head out for another scorching Friday night.

This Week: (Season: 12-15)

Arlington Grace Prep @ Dallas Christian -- Its not the most historic rivalry in TAPPS but its also not far off. The Chargers dropped a pair of state title contests to the Lions in the early 2000s. Grace Prep won a 3OT semifinal game in 2004 with DC taking the most recent playoff matchup in 2012. The Chargers have won the last three meetings but the two have not shared the field since 2013. The Chargers dominated HSAA 56-21 a week ago thanks to a 42 point 2nd quarter. The DC defense always gives its opponents trouble but if you turn it over its going to be a very long night (or short night I suppose with a running clock). The Lions are 2-1 after Prince of Peace opted to forfeit last week. Grace Prep is in the middle of 6 straight road games with just two district home games to come in October. Their loss was a 44 point drubbing by Dallas First Baptist. This creates a big pile of mystery for this one. The Lions finished 2025 at 6-4 being ousted by the eventual champions, All Saints. Grace Prep should keep this one interesting and if they avoid the turnover bug they have a shot for sure. The Chargers appear to be the stronger squad but getting the offense moving early would be good to see for their chances at claiming the crown in November. DC wins handily, 33-16.

Dallas St. Mark's @ Dallas Covenant -- Looking ahead to the district campaigns, the Knights have a Week 10 showdown with Dallas Christian that we expect to be for the district title. So this space will look toward that for much of the season. Covenant is off to a 2-2 start to the season and lost to Dallas First Baptist last week. The Knights acquitted themselves well against the favorites of Division IV, losing 45-32. That offensive output can keep Covenant in the mix for Division III. After this one the schedule looks very favorable for the Knights. The Lions come in off a 27-13 loss to ESD last week. With two SPC wins so far and Covenant having played four TAPPS teams there is a lot of unknowns surrounding this matchup. Best I can tell, this is the first ever meeting between these two. The Knights did not even play an SPC squad last year. Much like DC-Oakridge two weeks ago, this will tell us a bit about how these divisions stack up against one another. The Covenant offense givens them a shot, but I think the Lions inch by in a shootout. St. Mark's wins, 48-42.

Boerne Geneva @ Bryan Brazos Christian -- The always feared Eagles vs. Eagles clash to open district play in Division III District 3. Brazos dropped the last two Division IV Championship games for their lone loss each season. This alignment they are in Division III, which looks to have a few contenders including these Eagles. Its been an extreme 2-1 start for Brazos, having wins by 48 and 56 and a loss by 31. BCS has a favorable schedule after this one given Holy Cross struggles so far this season. The winner of this one will have a leg up heading into October and its needed given the crowded playoff bubble in this district. Geneva has been a regular outsider in the Division III mix. After winning the 2019 title, they've been in the playoffs but not really battling for a title. A 4-0 start has these Eagles scoring 48, 49, 49, and 50 so far. So the Brazos defense should be on alert. This will be the closest game either team has seen so far and the offense should win the day. Which offense is the question. Home teams always a lean so that's where we land. Brazos soars past Geneva, 49-42.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ League City Bay Area Christian -- Sticking in District 3, the Knights travel to the coast to start district play. Holy Cross had a pair of title game losses to Dallas Christian before an earlier exit last season. That form is on the ropes early on with just 12 points scored in their first three games. They did manage to win the one they scored in, but having 0 points in September is a concerning sign. Particularly, the 4th place finisher in this district has to qualify with wild card points means the Knights are way behind in that race and will need to finish ahead of two of Bay Area, New Braunfels, Geneva, and Brazos. The Broncos are off to a much better start at 4-0 and have already posted 2 shutouts. Can the Knights reverse that trend? Seems like a tall task, particularly on the road. Bay Area Christian wins comfortably, 30-7.

Wellington @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- Play fun mascots and you get in the picks. The Lions had a difficult alignment in Division II, winning just 7 games in two seasons. They won 19 the 2 years before. So sliding back down certainly engenders a bit of hope for Trinity. However, the season is off to a 1-2 start after allowing 108 points to Seagraves and Post. Last week was a better outing in a dominant over Albuquerque Legacy (the Silverbacks by the way, I should have done them last week). The Skyrockets make another appearance in this space but the first against Trinity rather than Lubbock Christian. They are 3-0 on the season after winning two low scoring home games in which neither team reached 20 points and then dominating Sunray on the road. That defensive form will be tough for the Lions to overcome. So Skyrockets win the football and mascot game, 30-8.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Austin Regents -- Somehow I found a battle of Knights for the picks as well this week. Regents has not had the top contender status since winning the 2020 title but has always been in that next group. With the All Saints win streak broken and two title on offer in Division II there is an opening for Regents to get back on top. They were soundly defeated by SPC 4A foe Kinkaid two weeks ago so their Knights opponents will get to measure themselves for the Conference slate. Episcopal is also 2-1 having lost a 3-point decision to Parish. They won by 7 over St. Thomas and by 26 over Fort Bend Christian. The Regents offense is the most impressive of the units so far this season and with the game deep in the forest of Austin we'll lean that way here. Should be a good one though. Regents wins 36-28.

Fort Worth Trinity Valley @ Episcopal School of Dallas -- The Trojans are the upstart of the season in SPC 3A. The schedule though just has them at 2-0 so far with an out-of-state win and a rivalry win over Southwest Christian. It doesn't give us much to go on, but suggests they could be trending upward. They will almost certainly be in the SPC playoffs with its expanded field this year. The Eagles are 3-0 on the season and set up well for a run in SPC 3A this year. Remarkably consistent so far with outputs of 24, 24, and 27 on the scoreboard. Based on the preseason expectations, ESD should be favored here but its seems like just the game that surprises you in a Conference opener. In the MaxPreps era its a 7-6 series in favor of the Eagles. Notably, ESD has won the last three with TVS scoring just 2 points across the streak. So I think the Trojans are closer this year, but Eagles move to 4-0. ESD wins 28-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 28-11)

Rio Hondo over Brownsville St. Joseph
Frisco Legacy Christian over Addison Trinity Christian
Hitchcock over The Woodlands John Cooper
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Central Catholic
Fort Worth All Saints over Lucas Lovejoy
Paradise over Fort Worth Christian
New Boston over Tyler Grace Community
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over West
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Hill County Christian
Lubbock Christian over Bushland
Tyler All Saints over Fort Worth Mercy Culture

Week 3 Results 2026

The committee of one is struggling a bit in the non-district this year. Hopefully with a few more common opponents across the district slates we can rally as the weather get cooler. 

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas HSAA (56-21) -- Correct
--Chargers with a flurry of points in the 2nd quarter scoring twice on defense and once on special teams. Hard to say where things sit in Division III given the varied schedules of the contenders.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Fort Worth All Saints (14-42) -- Wrong
--Lions seems to be well behind their District 1 brethren right now, but they always seem to be there come playoff time. Saints respond well after the loss to Liberty and probably still lead the pack in Division II.

Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. Thomas (28-31) -- Wrong
--Good win for the Eagles over the SPC favorites. Prestonwood's struggles tonight and this win suggest they may not be as far from contention as we expected. Falcons will regroup and are sure to be there at the end in SPC 4A.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over San Antonio Cornerstone Christian (16-42) -- Wrong
--A disapointing night for the Panthers. They'll need to improve quite a bit to claim another state title, but I also wouldn't rule it out. 

Temple Central Texas Christian over Waco Live Oak Classical (20-49) -- Wrong
--Falcons ascending Division IV rankings as we speak.

Atlanta over Bullard Brook Hill (21-24) -- Wrong
--A close one as expected, but the Guard claim a 3-0 record. Brook Hill and interesting up and comer in Division II.

Waco Reicher over Arlington Newman International (51-12) -- Correct
--Cougars at 3-0 after losing every game for 3 full seasons is a great story. Next week's game with Muenster Sacred Heart will feature the two smallest 11-man enrollments in TAPPS.

Week 3: 2-5
Season: 12-15 

Quick Hits:

Frisco Legacy Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (43-7) -- Correct
Austin Regents over San Antonio Antonian (56-20) -- Correct
Dallas First Baptist over Dallas Covenant (45-32) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Carrollton Prince of Peace -- Zonk (No counting forfeits in this space)
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Country Day (24-14) -- Correct
Episcopal School of Dallas over Dallas St. Mark's (27-13) -- Correct
Houston St. John's over Houston Lutheran South (19-49) -- Wrong
Lampasas over San Antonio Central Catholic (30-28) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Shiner St. Paul (50-0) -- Correct
League City Bay Area Christian over Danbury (49-14) -- Correct

Week 3: 8-1
Season: 28-11 

Week 3 Picks 2026

Not sure why you want to read these after last week's 7-10 performance. However, we get right back on the horse and try to find some fun games and fun mascots. Even a couple of Thursday contests this week to get things started early. Good luck and safe travels, maybe it will get cooler soon...

This Week: (Season: 10-10)

Dallas HSAA @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers offense is off to a slower start to the season, particularly to start games. They've scored just 10 first half points in their first two outings. The deficit last week proved to big to overcome but they did close a 22-3 gap to 22-17 before running out of time. Will that late offensive form be more the norm going forward? We'll have to wait and see. The Angels have the same 1-1 record as DC, having dominated a Cincinnati homeschool orginization before a 33 point loss to Blue Ridge. Historically the Chargers are the stronger side here, leading the series 4-0 all time. Last season DC took a 45-7 victory and I don't see this being a ton different. Getting the offense going though is critical for the Chargers title plans. DC wins comfortably, 40-8.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The marquee matchup among the northern private schools is a big one. The Saints seemed unbeatable at a 29 game streak but fell to Argyle Liberty last week. In the last 4 seasons, All Saints has lost 4 games and 3 of them have been to Liberty. After dominating Parish in the opener this provides a great comparison point for Division I. The Lions piled up points last week in a 49-35 win over Fort Worth Christian. They did not need the late heroics of their opening win but still needed almost all of 40+ points. In the last two seasons, the Saints have scored 31 and 28 in two wins over Prestonwood. So if the Lions offense can get going they may be able to hold off the Saints. If Prestonwood can score like they have in the 2-0 start it will be a 3-00 start. That is the rub as the Saints defense projects as the best of the bunch so far. Lions win a close one at home, 35-31.

Houston Kinkaid @ Houston St. Thomas -- The Falcons win streak was 9 after claiming the SPC 4A title a season ago, but started 2026 with a pair of losses. Their 3rd game a season ago was a 21-6 win over the Eagles and they did not lose the rest of the year. For 2026, Kinkaid notched an impressive win over Regents, 51-28. A huge number of points to post on the Regents defense. The Eagles are off to a 1-2 start and allowing over 40 points per game. Now they are also scoring over 40 per game so perhaps a unmovable object vs. unstoppable force situation here. In recent years the Falcons have been the stronger side and should score enough to win this one. Will be interesting to watch the Eagles offense to see if they can threaten the Division I District 1 powers in the postseason. Kinkaid too strong right now though. Falcons win 48-30.

San Antonio Cornerstone Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers were largely wiped out by All Saints to open the season starting with a loss to the Saints for a 3rd straight year. They responded with two very good wins over Kinkaid and Episcopal who will compete for the SPC 4A title. Particularly with Kinkaid scoring 51 on Regents the next week that win looks even better. A season ago Parish went to San Antonio and got a 43-38 win. The Warriors though will be a tough test on the blue field. Cornerstone enters off a 6-4 season with a 1-2 start this year. Very difficult group of opponents to compare in this one. The Panthers were better last season so we'll go that way. They need to stay away from the offensive struggle they had against All Saints and if they do so they'll stay in the win column. Parish wins 35-27.

Temple Central Texas Christian @ Waco Live Oak Classical -- The Lions had a dud of a trip to the coast with a 54-21 loss to Bay Area Christian. After a 10-2 season last year, they are still one of the contenders in Division IV and likely to finish high in District 2. These two played twice last year with Central Texas winning by a combined 97-7 aggregate. The Falcons finished 6-5 a season ago and have made some quick roads into 11-man. The 2-0 start is impressive, but we'll have to see some games against contenders to see where they stack up. I think Live Oak is still below that top tier of Division IV, but a win here would give some notice to FBA and Tyler All Saints to be on the lookout. Lions win this one handily, but closer than last year, 35-14.

Atlanta @ Bullard Brook Hill-- The Guard continue to schedule the fun mascots of East Texas and thus make the picks. The Rabbits make their 3rd appearance in this space, all against Brook Hill. These two split a pair in 2022 and 2023 and are both off to 2-0 starts in 2026. So this should be a good tilt. Atlanta played two different Arkansas squads from Ashdown and Arkansas High to start off. The Guard have dominated Brownsboro and San Augustine to start the year, allowing just 9 points so far. I think the Rabbits win over Arkansas High is the best of the four between these two so I lean that way. However, Brook Hill is at home and appears to be a candidate for making some noise in the split Division II playoffs depending on who winds up in each bracket. Big unknown here, but we don't get to pick the Rabbits very often. Atlanta wins a tight one 30-27.

Arlington Newman International @ Waco Reicher -- I promised if they won two in a row I'd include them, so the Cougars are in the top section for the first time since the 2020 State Championship Game. After going 3 years between wins it was just 7 days between wins for Reicher's 2-0 start. They've already scored more points this season than they did last season. To say the Cougars have improved would be an understatement. Big props for those that stuck with it. The opponent this week suggests that it could be a 3-0 start for the Wacoans (Wacoites? Wacoians? Wacos?). The Warriors dropped their opening pair by a combined 106-6 margin. and also failed to secure a win in 2025. Nothing to expect that changes with the Cougars clear progress this season. Reicher wins 42-6.

Quick Hits: (Season: 20-10)

Frisco Legacy Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Austin Regents over San Antonio Antonian
Dallas First Baptist over Dallas Covenant
Arlington Grace Prep over Carrollton Prince of Peace
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Country Day
Episcopal School of Dallas over Dallas St. Mark's
Houston St. John's over Houston Lutheran South
Lampasas over San Antonio Central Catholic
Boerne Geneva over Shiner St. Paul
League City Bay Area Christian over Danbury

Week 2 Results 2026

A little slow getting the results up this week. Not because the picks were so bad, I promise. However, they were ugly. We have a wind open season ahead of us it looks like. Should be a fun run to the titles. 

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Oakridge (17-22) -- Wrong
--Chargers left it too late on offense. When they got going in the 4th there was not enough time to catch the Owls. Oakridge undefeated streak continues.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Dallas Covenant (12-50) -- Wrong
--The battle of Covenant did not go the way I thought. Knights barreling toward the Week 10 game against DC.

Celina over Argyle Liberty Christian (35-34) -- Correct
--Warriors very game but just miss in a big public vs. private showdown. Liberty just 4 points from a 3-0 start but instead are 1-2.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Bellaire Episcopal (31-28) -- Correct
--The Panthers win a close one and are rounding into form since being dominated in Week 1 by All Saints.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Fort Worth Christian (49-35) -- Correct
--The Lions offense claims a big win. Cardinals a bit of a mystery heading toward district play. The split playoff brackets of Division II may leave a title open for the taking depending on where everyone winds up.

Austin Regents over Houston Kinkaid (27-51) -- Wrong
--A disappointing showing by the Knights, but they'll be in that mix for the two titles in Division II. Falcons put SPC 4A on notice here with 50 points on a typically tidy Regents defense.

La Jolla Country Day (CA) over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (28-49) -- Wrong
--Trojans with a fun win on the road and may be Oakridge best challenger in SPC 3A.

Week 2: 3-4
Season: 10-10 

Quick Hits:

Slaton over Lubbock Christian (28-45) -- Wrong
San Antonio Holy Cross over Addison Trinity Christian Academy (0-42) -- Wrong
Dallas First Baptist over Arlington Grace Prep (53-9) -- Correct
New Braunfels Christian over San Antonio Christian (34-10) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Episcopal School of Dallas (20-24) -- Wrong
Little Rock Catholic over Plano John Paul II (50-13) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Jarrell (31-36) -- Wrong
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over The Woodlands Christian (65-6) -- Correct
Temple Central Texas Christian over League City Bay Area Christian (21-54) -- Wrong
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word over Waco Reicher (22-61) -- Wrong

Week 2: 4-6
Season: 20-10 

Week 2 Picks 2026

Another week is upon us and I think we've found some great games and some great mascots for the picks this week. Maybe a hint of things cooling off across the state as the seasons heats up. Big shout to Waco Reicher for breaking their 34 game losing streak last week. They make the Quick Hits section this week but I'm still picking against them. Two in a row and we'll have to move them up to the top section. Have fun as we head down the road of the 2026 season and we'll see what twists and turns await us this week. 

This Week: (Season: 7-6)

Dallas Christian @ Arlington Oakridge -- After last week's season opening rivalry clash the Chargers have a bit of trap set for them. The Owls are the defending SPC 3A champions and look to be a contender again for the Conference title. Oakridge shutout a squad from Hawaii last week leaving us with plenty of mystery heading into game 2 of the season. Last season's 10-0 team allowed just 17 points per game and after allowing 0 in game 1 it will be tough for the DC offense to put up any big numbers this week. The Owls have won 12 in a row but against a very different list of opponents to Dallas Christian. Not different in an inferior way, just not a lot to compare. Both teams dominated Atlas last year and look to be contenders this year. This is a really good cross-conference match that will tell us a lot about how SPC 3A and TAPPS DIII compare in 2026. These two have played rarely in the MaxPreps era with just one biennium in 2010 and 2011. The Chargers squeaked out 10 and 6 point wins then in relatively low scoring contests. This looks to be much of the same style of game. Chargers secure a tight road win, 27-20.

Dallas Covenant @ Colleyville Covenant Christian -- The battle of Covenant heads to the West side of the airport for the 7th renewal in just four seasons. In the previous six matchups each has won three. So the rubber match of sorts could have big wild card implications in Division III. The Knights have been DC's biggest district rival the last two seasons but have struggled in the biggest games despite putting up 15 wins across the last two campaigns. This season they are 1-1 with a dominant win over Coram Deo and 1-point home loss to Austin St. Michael's. The Cougars had a disappointing start to the season with a road loss to Pantego but rebounded last week with a win. A season ago the Cougars claimed a 34-22 win in Dallas. Both teams seem right below the contenders in Division III and this is a chance to position themselves as a team that could challenge last year's finalist and try to displace them. Not sure about this one at all, so the hoe team seems the way to go. Thus, Cougars win a close high scoring one 39-33. 

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Celina -- Always an attraction when one of the expected contenders takes on one of the big ticket UIL opponents. The Warriors have been a mystery early in the season. They were dominating Midland Christian in the 1st half of the opener and then the defensive dam broke. A 66-63 loss at home when you lead by 35 is a stinging blow. To their credit they answered the bell the next week and broke Fort Worth All Saints 29 game win streak. They did so on the road too. So a home loss that they were favored and road win when they were the underdogs. Division I looks to be extremely competitive in District 1. The Bobcats are among the most storied programs in Texas and the growth of DFW has pushed them all the way into 5A. They won their opener of the Legacy School of Sports Sciences and this game will close their non-district slate with this one. These two schools met eight times between 2006 and 2019 with Liberty winning just once. The depth of the Bobcats should get them over the top in this one, but I think these Warriors will not be blown out by anyone this year. Celina survives a challenge, 41-35.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Knights are always a threat in SPC 4A and 2026 is no different. A season opening win over St. Thomas is always a good start for a Houston area private school. Last season was a little down for the Knights with just 6 wins but still made the SPC 4A title game. Notably one of the 5 losses was to this Parish Episcopal team. The Panthers were overwhelmed by All Saints in the opener, losing 31-11. They are still the school that's won 5 of the last 6 TAPPS Division I titles so will be a force down the line. Parish responded with a 28-14 win over Kinkaid last week to level their record at 1-1. Particularly with the game on the blue turf of Parish I think they win this one, but a nice measuring stick game for both teams. Panthers win 30-20.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals absolutely demolished Bishop Lynch in their opener, 40-0. Last week's rivalry visit to DC turned into a 28-17 loss after FWC led 10-7 late in the 3rd quarter. Finding that offensive form will be needed to topple Prestonwood. The Lions lost the Division I title game in a defensive slugfest last season so naturally the season opener required 45 points for a Prestonwood comeback win. Historically the Lions have been known for producing lots of points so 2026 seems to be on that track early on. These two have not met since 2005, so a bit of intrigue with the Lions making a rare trip to Holiday Lane in North Richland Hills. Incredible to look back at 2005 and see Prestonwood played both Fort Worth Christian and Garland Christian. Historically Prestonwood has been the stronger side, but this looks to be a very game FWC squad. I think the Lions are ahead but not a walkover of any kind. Lions win 35-26.

Austin Regents @ Houston Kinkaid -- The Knights are always a regular season juggernaut and I see know reason to expect anything different this season. Regents opened the season with a 45-14 drubbing of Brazos Christian and appear on track to threaten for one of the Division II titles. Only All Saints could take out the 2025 Knights, but along the way the closest contest was a 23-20 win over Kinkaid. The Falcons finished 9-2 and SPC 4A champions a season ago and will be looking to ascend that mountain again. However, a trip to Colorado and a clash of champions with Parish Episcopal has them 0-2 to start the season. This should be another good game but Regents won a year ago and is off to the better start this year. Knights win 28-21.

Fort Worth Trinity Valley @ La Jolla Country Day (CA) -- We love mascots in this space (not the Eagles) so this game makes the cut this week. The Trojans won their opener in the Battle of Bryant Irvin with a 1-point win over Southwest Christian. Trinity Valley travels west for an out of state opponent. So with likely their only appearance ever in this column we head to La Jolla. The Torreys (take note Eagles everywhere) have started their campaign 2-0 and enter off an OT win over Mt. Carmel (the Sun Devils by the way). Always fun to see the Texas vs. California showdown, but I think California takes this one. Torreys win a shootout, 45-44.

Quick Hits: (Season: 16-4)

Slaton over Lubbock Christian
San Antonio Holy Cross over Addison Trinity Christian Academy
Dallas First Baptist over Arlington Grace Prep
New Braunfels Christian over San Antonio Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Episcopal School of Dallas
Little Rock Catholic over Plano John Paul II
Midland Christian over Jarrell
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over The Woodlands Christian
Temple Central Texas Christian over League City Bay Area Christian
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word over Waco Reicher

Week 1 Results 2026

The longest win streak and longest losing streak come to an end on the same night. Shoutout to Waco Reicher for getting back in the win column after 34 in a row. This is shaping up to be a really fun season with multiple contenders already showing in every division. 

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Fort Worth Christian (28-17) -- Correct
--The Chargers made the big plays at the right moments to secure a season opening victory. Turnovers proved to be a decider with a 4-0 differential turning a 10-7 lead for the Cardinals into a 28-10 deficit. A really fun game to start off the season.

Arlington Pantego Christian over League City Bay Area Christian (0-41) -- Wrong (Very Very Wrong)
--Panthers big wild card win over Colleyville Covenant is completely undone by being shutout by the Broncos. Bay Area with big games coming up in district play against Holy Cross, Geneva, and Brazos. They could also be in that wild card mix for the last Division III playoff spot.

Fort Worth All Saints over Argyle Liberty Christian (35-38) -- Wrong
--The Saints 29 game win streak falls. Warriors rebound from squandering a 28-0 lead to Midland Christian last week. District 1 of Division I appears to be wide open for many contenders. All Saints probably still a favorite in Division II but maybe some opening for a few squads to challenge after all.

Houston Kinkaid over Dallas Parish Episcopal (14-28) -- Wrong
--Panthers rebound after being dominated by All Saints last week. Falcons still very much a contender in SPC 4A, but work to be done.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (35-36) -- Wrong
--Battle of Bryant Irvin always delivers and it did again tonight. Trojans should be an interesting squad in the SPC 3A playoffs this season.

Regents School of Austin over Bryan Brazos Christian School (45-14) -- Correct
--Knights were dominant in this one. Eagles with work to do in Division III but losing to Regents does not in any way remove them from contention.

Arlington The Oakridge School over Honolulu (HI) Damien Memorial (29-0) -- Correct
--A fun win for the Owls before the game with DC next week.

Week 2: 3-4
Season: 7-6 

Quick Hits:

Austin St. Michael's over Dallas Covenant (21-20) -- Correct
Dallas First Baptist over Tyler Grace Community (44-26) -- Correct
Bullard Brook Hill over Brownsboro (45-3) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Lovington (NM) (17-15) -- Correct
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. Thomas (37-30) -- Correct
Houston St. John's over Houston Second Baptist (28-14) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Houston Christian (27-19) -- Correct
The Woodlands John Cooper over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (69-20) -- Correct
Sutter Union (CA) over Dallas Bishop Lynch (49-28) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Wayne Hills (NJ) (34-41) -- Wrong

Week 2: 9-1
Season: 16-4 

Week 1 Picks 2026

Nearly everyone in action for the formal Week 1. A couple of fun rivalries get the season in high gear after last week featured a couple of classics as well. Looking a little, and stress a little, cooler for Friday evening this week. We are keeping an eye out for the first TAPPS fair catch kick so let us know if your game has one. Good luck and safe travels!

This Week: (Season: 4-2)

Fort Worth Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers and Cardinals meet on the field for the 70th time in one of TAPPS original rivalries. The series actually predates TAPPS by over 15 years. Dallas Christian opens 2026 this week after a pair of scrimmages. A season ago Lubbock Christian bested the Chargers in the State Championship game ending a run of four consecutive titles. Climbing the mountain again is always a challenge, but DC has almost always been a contender and likely will be again. The Cardinals opened the season last week with a dominant win over Bishop Lynch, 40-0. FWC fell to the eventual champions, All Saints, in the 2nd round a season ago. A 9-3 season was a hopeful stepping stone for the Cardinals, but how anyone gets past All Saints right now is the hard question. Preparing with a big rivalry road game should be a good bench mark for Fort Worth Christian. The early season brings a share of mystery and particularly with 0-0 records. I think we know the leanings of this space, but the Chargers offense has a tall task to answer the bell of the jump this season. DC wins a classic opener, 33-30.

Arlington Pantego Christian vs. League City Bay Area Christian @ Madisonville -- The Panthers secured a notable opening victory in Week 0. Pantego stifled a usual top offense from Colleyville Covenant to secure a 33-14 win and a 1-0 record. PCA has typically been strong starters to a season, opening 2025 with an 8-0 mark. They dropped their final 3 as part of a 1st round exit. The win last week could prove huge as both Pantego and Colleyville Covenant figure to be in the mix for 3rd place in their district and Division III's single wild card playoff spot. The Broncos are always a fun squad to include in the weekly column. They also opened in Week 0 with an excellent defensive outing, defeating Westbury 35-0. Bay Area Christian finished a 7-3 non-aligned season a year ago and return to Division III play in 2026. That makes this another massive wild card points game with the Broncos figuring to be in the mix for 4th place in District 3 and the possible wild card playoff berth. So both defenses need to answer the bell again for a 2-0 start. The Panthers seem to be the favorites here based on past history, but this should be a competitive contest. Pantego wins a defensive battle, 20-7.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Saints are clear holders of the current TAPPS championship belt. A 29 game win streak that includes 3 wins over the winners of 6 of the last 7 Division I titles and 2 wins over the most recent Division I runner up pretty much makes you the kings. The trouble with being the kings is that someone is always looking to knock you off the throne. The Warriors are actually the last squad to take down the Saints, defeating All Saints 45-17 en route to the Division II State Championship for 2023. The Saints opened last week with a squashing of Parish Episcopal, 31-11. The Warriors started hot, holding 28-0 and 35-7 leads over Midland Christian before losing a 66-63 thriller. The game included a game saving forced fumble at the 1-yard line and the last play field goal for the win. Another classic to add to the MCS-LCS rivalry (or Midland-denton as a long time member of the old TXPS message board would have referred to it). This space is going to have to go with TAPPS longest ever 11-man winning streak until it ends (or it plays DC). Saints win but the Warriors score a few more than Parish did. All Saints gets to 30 in a row, 42-21.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Houston Kinkaid -- The Falcons fell in their opener to one of the top teams from Colorado. They didn't get blown out but also weren't particularly close to winning. Kinkaid has won the last two SPC 4A titles and figure to be in that mix again. We'll know very quickly just how good they are with their home opener against the TAPPS Division I Champions from a season ago. The Panthers were underwhelming in their opener against All Saints, but of course who wouldn't be these days. The offense though is going to have to step on the gas to contend on the road against the Falcons. Eleven points will not win this one. The Falcons have to get their offense in gear early or they'll be left behind as they were last week in the Rockies. This space likes home teams and the Panthers seem to have some growing pains early this season. I have no doubt they'll be difficult to get out of the Division I playoffs come November, but this is still August. Falcons win 37-22.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Fort Worth Trinity Valley -- The Battle of Bryant Irvin is always a fun early season contest. MaxPreps has the series at 8-7 in favor of the Trojans since 2008. The Eagles took last season's meeting, 28-25. This was part of a 5-5 season for Southwest that ended with four consecutive losses and a 1st round exit. The Eagles opened the 2026 season with a 45-0 thrashing of Lake Country Christian. The Trojans 4-5 campaign in 2025 went the opposite way. They started with four losses before winning four of their last five. That left them just outside of the top two format used by the SPC last season. This year a 4-team playoff would have included in the Trojans. So both squads figure to be on the fringe of contending in their respective conferences. A win here could be a nice catapult to an upstart campaign. Should be a close one, but I think the Eagles are little ahead in 2026. Southwest Christian wins 35-21.

Regents School of Austin @ Bryan Brazos Christian School -- Many birds find their way into the picks, so we check in on another Eagles. Brazos Christian rolled off a 12-0 start for a 2nd straight season last year and lost the State Championship game for a 2nd straight season. They move into Division III this year and would seem to be ready to challenge the "big 3" of Lubbock Christian, Dallas Christian, and Holy Cross. Their district slate starts with Geneva and Holy Cross so we'll have a pretty good idea where things stand before we even get to October. This is a tall task with Division II stalwart Regents on the other side. The Knights have won 10 or more games every season since 2016. They're dominance of the regular season is 2nd to none, having lost just 6 games before the playoffs in the same time period. Regents has fallen in the semis to the undefeated All Saints Saints each of the last two seasons. So this is a meeting of the squads that have been close to the title but unable to grasp it lately. Its a road game for Regents in a new environment, and the Eagles will take the field for game 2 while it will just game 1 for the Knights. A 54-6 win over Tyler All Saints doesn't tell us much about this week's contest. I think the depth of the Knights gets them across the finish line for a road win. Regents wins 42-28.

Honolulu (HI) Damien Memorial @ Arlington The Oakridge School -- The Owls have certainly found the most interesting opponent of Week 1. I generally shy away from out-of-state opponents given the lack of knowledge, but the chance to talk Hawai'i football was too good to pass up. Oakridge enters after finishing 10-0 and the SPC 3A Champions a season ago. They allowed just 17 points per game en route to the title, but also had several close calls along the way. The Owls should be very good again this year and are certainly one of the contenders for title again. The Monarchs are 0-2 on the season but likely still point toward the playoffs. They were seeded 4th of 6 playoffs teams in the HHSAA's Division I bracket a season ago but lost in the semifinals to the Kapa'a Warriors. MaxPreps has the Monarchs as the 12th ranked squad in Hawai'i. I don't expect a laugher here, but I think the Owls are the better squad and should find a comfortable win. Oakridge wins its opener, 40-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 7-3)

Austin St. Michael's over Dallas Covenant
Dallas First Baptist over Tyler Grace Community
Bullard Brook Hill over Brownsboro
Lubbock Christian over Lovington (NM)
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. Thomas
Houston St. John's over Houston Second Baptist
Houston Lutheran South over Houston Christian
The Woodlands John Cooper over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian 
Sutter Union (CA) over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Midland Christian over Wayne Hills (NJ)

Week 0 Results 2026

This Week:

Dallas Covenant over Flower Mound Coram Deo (53-21) -- Correct
--Knights start off the season with a nice win. We'll see if the expected march to a district title game with DC the last week of the season comes to fruition. 

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (14-33) -- Wrong
--A nice start to the season for the Panthers. Should have a good chance at a playoff spot in District 2 based on this result, helps with wild card points too. Cougars with work to do with both Lubbock squads ahead on the district slate. 

Fort Worth All Saints over Dallas Parish Episcopal (31-11) -- Correct
--29 in a row for the Saints as they controlled this one from start to finish. Saints very much the favorites to win one of the Division II crowns.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Midland Christian (63-66) -- Wrong
--So many points. A real banger to open the season as MCS makes the winning field goal as time expires. Both the Mustangs and Warriors will be in the mix in their respective divisions.

Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian over Houston Kinkaid (38-22) -- Correct
--Falcons competed well but also were not particularly close to winning this one. Still bodes well for Kinkaid's chances in SPC 4A.

Fort Worth Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (40-0) -- Correct
--The Friars offense was completely overwhelmed by the Cardinals defense. FWC heads to Mesquite next week for the big rivalry game with DC.

Week 1: 4-2 

Quick Hits:

Grapevine Faith Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (31-38) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (45-0) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Tyler All Saints (54-6) -- Correct
New Braunfels Christian over Austin Hill Country Christian (31-14) -- Correct
San Antonio Christian over Austin St. Andrews (20-41) -- Wrong
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word over Corpus Christi John Paul II (28-22) -- Correct
Waco Live Oak Classical over Carrollton Prince of Peace (58-0) -- Correct
Tomball Rosehill Christian over Houston St. Francis Episcopal (46-22) -- Correct
Beaumont Monsignor Kelly Catholic over Houston Northland Christian (21-7) -- Correct
The Woodlands John Cooper over Houston St. Thomas (47-75) -- Wrong

Week 1: 7-3 

Week 0 Picks 2026

Another season is upon us as the summer heat continues to scorch the Texas soil we have a new batch of districts to get used to and new format for the TAPPS season. Many squads will start this season a week earlier than what we would consider "usual." A few scrimmages still on the horizon for this week as everyone will be in action for "Week 1" next week. More stringent playoff qualification rules will make for smaller brackets but with the split brackets in Division II we'll have 5 champions among the 64 squads entering the season. Maybe we'll love it, but I'll admit the author does not. We still love high school football in this space though and a goofy season format will not dampen that enthusiasm.

So let's have some fun as the ball sails across the sunset sky in your stadiums. For the 12th season of these picks, we know there will be too many Eagles flying around. However, you know that we'll find some fun squads. There will be the expected contenders but also some surprises for sure. The committee of one on this blog certainly has his leanings but I try to always be honest in my analysis. Some picks will be right. Some picks will be wrong. Hope you come along for the ride. There's no Dallas Christian game to lead off with this week, but I shoehorned them in there somehow. As always we wish everyone good luck, safe travels, and good air conditioning in your cars and buses.

This Week:

Dallas Covenant @ Flower Mound Coram Deo -- The new Week 0 brings us to a non-district Division III matchup. The Lions return to the alignment after a non-aligned period. They finished 2025 with a 5-4 record that included a couple of wins over Division IV playoff squads for a 2nd straight winning season. A vast improvement from the 0-10 that marred 2023. Ultimately getting enough stops will be the challenge for Coram Deo as they lost two games last season in which they scored 40+. The Knights came up big in the playoffs last year, reaching the semifinals. They scored 35 and 42 to notch those two playoff victories and averaged over 30 points per game in games they didn't play Dallas Christian. This should be a good starting point for Covenant. With the night before Halloween scheduled for the likely district showdown against DC, it may be a season of trap games for the Knights. Dealing with a little expectation can be a tough challenge sometimes, but I don't think the Lions can upend them this week. Knights win 42-21.

Colleyville Covenant Christian @ Arlington Pantego Christian -- Just 18 miles and the West Fork of the Trinity River separate these two. The Panthers opened last season 8-0 before a 32 point blowout in the de facto district title game against eventual State Champion Lubbock Christian. Then a pair of Covenants sent them to basketball at 8-3. These Cougars were one of those Covenant squads. Pantego slides to the East and District 2 this season and we'll get a quick view of their defense heading into 2026. If they can slow the Cougars they will be very competitive in the Division III mix. Colleyville Covenant had an opposite facing season compared with Pantego. The Cougars started just 1-4 before winning 5 of 6 to reach the Regional Round. The lone loss in that stretch was to previously mentioned Lubbock Christian. They scored 30 which matched any total for a TAPPS squad against LCS last year. So the Cougars are ahead for me, but it is a road game and the Panthers play their best football in the early season. I'll still go Covenant though. Cougars win 39-25.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The challenge of a new season is even tougher whe you match two State Champions from a season ago. The Saints won Division II for a 2nd straight season and stretched a win streak to 28. The last loss was the Division II semifinal to Argyle Liberty in November of 2023. Last biennium the Saints won both meetings by a combined of 7 points. So expect a close game again. The All Saints offense piled up 596 and 594 points in their two championship runs for 42.5 points per game. The Panthers won the Division I title by running off 12 in a row after the season opening loss to All Saints. They averaged over 44 points per game in their title run, even after being held to just 14 in the championship game. With the mystery of a new season and the best two teams from a season ago, this is a nearly impossible pick. Expect both teams to score and score a bunch. When in doubt pick the home team is a common choice for this committee so that's where we'll land. Saints win a thriller, 44-42.

Midland Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Warriors host a revival of one of the more famous rivalries in TAPPS. Even having just 20 all-time meetings they seem to all be remembered. There is the Game of Inches where The Warriors claimed a district title, but the Mustangs reversed the outcome in the state championship game. The Mustangs also flipped a district title loss into the state title in 2006. There was also a stern thumping dished out at Denton's Bronco Field, the temporary home for the Warriors as they moved to Argyle. Probably the final Midland Christian game played on the old style astroturf, but known to the old TXPrivateSports message board as Showergate. Throw in a game where MCS finished with 5 points and no fewer than 8 different sites for just 20 meetings and you have a great series. So many of the major players of those days are no longer involved so we'll have to figure out how these two will do this season. The Mustangs were 8-4 a season ago, losing to Regents in Round 2 by 33 to end the season. The Warriors were also 8-4 but played a difficult schedule, falling by just 14 to Prestonwood in Round 2 to close the campaign. We once again have to wade through the mystery of a new season with two comparable squads. So again we land on a home team choice. Warriors win 29-20.

Houston Kinkaid @ Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian -- I try to avoid out-of-state opponents for the most part, but the Falcons run to the SPC 4A title last season earns them this spot to open the season. With just three losses in the last two seasons Kinkaid is going to be highly regarded in any season preview. The same general layout of the SPC divisions (though now a 4-team playoff) makes them definite favorites in 2026. They open the season across the Rockies before coming home to TAPPS Division I Champion Parish Episcopal. Valor Christian is ranked #2 in Colorado on MaxPreps coming off a 10-3 season that saw a Round 3 elimination from the playoffs. Unfortunately even in Colorado we find too many Eagles on the mascot list. So I consider picking the Falcons just for that. However, I think the depth of the Eagles probably wins this game for them. Should be a really fun way to start the season though. Valor Christian wins 35-21.

Dallas Bishop Lynch @ Fort Worth Christian -- Both schools hold long football histories and while the Friars were a little later to join TAPPS its a surprise to this author that they've played just six times. Bishop Lynch won the meeting in 2021 and leads the series 4-2. A season ago the Friars finished 6-6 going out in Round 2 to the eventual champion Parish Episcopal. It was a year where the Friars beat the teams they should and lost to the team they should lose to. Though a late rally against Midland Christian was chopped by weather, their best overall game was probably a loss in which they took Prestonwood to OT. With just 4 playoff spots available in District 1 this year, there is a much greater incentive to be good early. District play starts in less than a month on September 11. The Cardinals had a 9-3 season last year with two losses to the seemingly unstoppable All Saints train. Last season's offense would definitely be favored over the Friars. A new season brings new questions for everyone. The Cardinals have a big trip to DC next week for the 70th all time meeting between the two rivals. Will that spectacle on the horizon draw the FWC focus away? This should be another good opener, but I think the Cardinals remain ahead on the rankings right now and have this one at home. FWC wins 35-28.

Quick Hits:

Grapevine Faith Christian over Addison Trinity Christian
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Bryan Brazos Christian over Tyler All Saints
New Braunfels Christian over Austin Hill Country Christian
San Antonio Christian over Austin St. Andrews
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word over Corpus Christi John Paul II
Waco Live Oak Classical over Carrollton Prince of Peace
Tomball Rosehill Christian over Houston St. Francis Episcopal
Beaumont Monsignor Kelly Catholic over Houston Northland Christian
The Woodlands John Cooper over Houston St. Thomas

Historic Results:
2015: 94-16
2016: 79-25
2017: 78-32
2018: 88-22
2019: 89-21
2020: 64-23
2021: 85-29
2022: 81-31
2023: 87-21
2024: 79-25
2025: 79-23

Quick Hits:
2015: 60-15
2016: 103-26
2017: 101-29
2018: 102-28
2019: 103-27
2020: 77-23
2021: 105-25
2022: 96-34
2023: 100-30
2024: 108-22
2025: 106-24