Week 8 Picks 2026

This Week: (Season: 31-22)

Austin Regents @ Brownsville St. Joseph -- The Knights have dominated districts across Division II with their last district loss coming in 2015. Regents is off to a 6-1 start with the only defeat to SPC stalwart Kinkaid. Notably they dominated their conference nemesis Episcopal just two weeks later. The district slate has been a the usual domination with 120-7 margin across two victories so far. The longest trip of the season poses a unique task for the Knights to continue their streak. The Bloodhounds have had a few good seasons in recent years, but are scuffling a bit in 2026. At 2-4, the hope is the district schedule is more forgiving. They won the district opener over St. Anthony and stand a decent chance of a top 2 finish and the split brackets of Division II could make for a better chance than expected in the playoffs. The 'Hounds though have lost all seven meetings with the Knights, only keeping it within four scores once. The specter of a trip all the way to the tip of Texas makes for a challenge, but this still favors Regents by a bit. Happy to have the Bloodhounds in the picks though over another Eagles. Knights win, 44-6.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Guard and Cougars are always a big game. This season is no different, but a 7-0 mark for Brook Hill is a bigger deal than usual. Allowing just 11 points per game means a tall task awaits the Cougars offense. Grace is 4-3 on the season and is trending up having won four in a row. They are allowing over triple the points per game of the Guard. Brook Hill is Grace's most common opponent in school history and they hold an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series. The Guard dominated last year's meeting, 44-10. The Cougars have improved this season, but this seems to be the Brook Hill season and the path to 10-0 is very much open. They are likely to draw a playoff bracket with All Saints and Midland Christian, while the Cougars may actually get an easier side in Division II's split format. Brook Hill is the better squad now though particularly on defense. Guard win, 30-7. 

The Woodlands Christian @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Eagles were impressive early on with wins over Tomball Concordia and East Bernard. At 5-2, its still a strong campaign but figuring out how they fit after being blown out by Episcopal has been tricky. This is not a guaranteed district title game but it looks likely. The Warriors are having a nearly identical 6-2 season with some mixed results against the stalwart SPC programs. They both dominated Fort Bend Christian. Both are candidates to maybe find success in the small school bracket of Division II once the playoffs are split. This should be a close game with plenty of capable offensive players on both teams. We always like home teams in these regular meetings. The Warriors have won head-to-head over these Eagles just once in eight tries all time. That one was last season though before SBS reversed the result in the playoffs. Should be a fun one to decide District 4. Eagles win at home, 28-26.

Boerne Geneva @ New Braunfels Christian -- District 3 of Division III has a clear top 4 the way things have shaken out after seven weeks. Conveniently that top 4 plays each other this week. Holy Cross may still poke in there late, but I think the playoff teams are decided in these pairings. So the winners of this one and Brazos-Bay Area should be in. The runner-up earns a trip to Dallas Christian in Round 1, while the champion hosts a Regional round game. The stakes are high. The Wildcats have been improving in recent seasons. Back-to-back nine win seasons in the last two years looks way better than the three wins combined that they had the pair of seasons before. The 6-1 campaign ongoing saw its lone loss to Holy Cross. The number of non-district wins though gives them a good chance to qualify in the wild card position if they finish 4th. Holy Cross will have a hard time doing that thanks to a difficult non-district. The Eagles 52 point outburst against Bay Area last week puts them in the current drivers seat for 2nd place. They've already lost to Brazos so a win here would set up the game with Holy Cross next week to decide 2nd place for sure. The Eagles offense looks to be there better unit but they have to do it on the road. Expect the Wildcats to keep this one interesting, but Geneva gets its 2nd big win in two weeks. Eagles win 45-34.

Bryan Brazos Christian @ League City Bay Area Christian -- The Broncos dropped the first showdown game with Geneva last week, 52-33. That defensive performance will see them thoroughly pushed around by Brazos. The six wins before that suggest they are not that team though. Can they reverse the trend against this rising Brazos Christian squad? The Eagles sole loss is to a Regents squad that figures to factor in the Division II mix. Rolling up 49 on Geneva suggests that Brazos will be able to score must like their Eagle counterparts did last week. Its a bit of a road trip for the Eagles, but they should be the better side here. Not a gimme by any stretch but Brazos moves closer to the district title, 48-24.

Episcopal School of Dallas @ Arlington Oakridge -- This will be the last matchup of undefeated squads in private school 11-man football for 2026. The Owls have allowed just 12 points per game in reaching 6-0. They've also looked the part all along the way so far. None of their SPC opponents have held them under 35 points. The Eagles have been a little more forgiving in reaching 7-0 themselves, but they allowed nearly one-third of their points this year in one aberration of a game against TMI. The Owls are almost certainly the best opponent they've faced in 2026 though. I think this gets a bit jumpy on the scoreboard, but the Oakridge defense wins the day as the game gets late. Owls win, 42-29.

Quick Hits: (Season: 55-25)

Bellaire Episcopal over Dallas St. Mark's
Houston Kinkaid over Houston Christian
Cypress Christian over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
The Woodlands John Cooper over Houston St. John's
Lubbock Christian over Andrews
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Shiner St. Paul over Temple Central Texas Christian
Waco Reicher over Tyler T. K. Gorman

Week 7 Results 2026

This Week:

Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (55-7) -- Correct
--Absolute domination for the Warriors. Clearly the favorites in Division I at this point. Panthers with a lot of work to do to repeat as champions.

Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. John's (55-20) -- Correct
--The Knights offense continues to be the force in SPC 4A. Mavericks with improvements to make to swing a possible playoff rematch.

Dallas Covenant over Arlington Pantego Christian (35-7) -- Correct
--The Knights have secured the district title game matchup with DC on October 30. Panthers need to win their final 3 and 7 wins should have a decent chance at claiming the wild card playoff spot.

Midland Christian over Fort Worth Christian (56-21) -- Correct
--Mustangs dominate the 2nd half and should have a district title game against All Saints on October 23. Cardinals need to win their last 2 to make the playoffs.

Dallas First Baptist over Tyler All Saints (48-13) -- Correct
--Saints cement their place as the favorites in Division IV. Trojans will try to get a playoff rematch and learn from this one.

League City Bay Area Christian over Boerne Geneva (33-52) -- Wrong
--Eagles with a big win that sets them up well to finish 2nd in District 3. Broncos will possibly have a play-in game with New Braunfels Christian to close the season and decide 3rd place.

Week 7: 5-1
Season: 31-22 

Quick Hits:

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (49-28) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (56-13) -- Correct
Houston Cypress Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (29-33) -- Wrong
Episcopal School of Dallas over Austin St. Andrew's (52-21) -- Correct
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day (51-12) -- Correct
Houston Christian High School over The Woodlands The John Cooper School (27-29) -- Wrong
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Mark's (45-36) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over San Antonio Central Catholic (21-22) -- Wrong
Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (26-12) -- Correct
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Tyler T. K. Gorman (48-24) -- Correct

Week 7: 7-3
Season: 55-25

Week 7 Picks 2026

The district contests continue as the road to the playoffs moves through October. The weather looks pretty good across the state and we'll start to shape the playoff brackets very quickly. A little bit tricky to find competitive games across the private schools this week, but I suspect someone will surprise us. Good luck and safe travels this week!

This Week: (Season: 26-21)

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Warriors are 4-2 but seem to be the favorites right now in Division I. The defense though has been vulnerable. While last week was a relatively comfortable win over Prestonwood, 43 points allowed is not a sign of encouragement. The Panthers will always have something to say about someone else being the favorite. Parish has won five of the last six state titles so that affords a certain amount of credibility. They both played All Saints in the first two weeks with Liberty taking a 3 point win and Parish taking a 20 point loss. With the game in Argyle this matchup very much favors the Warriors. It is a prime candidate for a playoff reversal, but for the regular season its Liberty's day. Warriors win 44-30.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Houston St. John's -- The Knights dropped the last two SPC 4A title games to Kinkaid. This season has been alternating pattern to a 3-3 record, including another loss to Kinkaid. In the previous SPC format this might be for the other title game slot, but with a 4-team playoff this year they'll both probably be in either way. Episcopal is both scoring and allowing over 35 points per game. The Mavericks are also 3-3 but with a slightly easier schedule. The last St. John's win in the series came in 2023 and they've won just five of the last 22 matchups. A home game against a familiar opponent is always grounds for upset potential but I think the Knights are too good to drop this one. The Mavericks will have two big games ahead to claim their spot in the first ever SPC semifinals. Episcopal wins on the road, 42-28.

Dallas Covenant @ Arlington Pantego Christian -- The Knights have been hyped in this space as heading for a last week match with DC for the district title. This is the last chance to derail that with Prince of Peace removing itself from the district standings by forfeiting. Covenant is 3-3 on the season coming off a blowout win over Shelton. They acquitted themselves well in a loss to Dallas First Baptist but did not look the part while being dominated by St. Mark's. So the jury is out a bit on where the Knights stand in Division III. The Panthers were soundly defeated at Dallas Christian last week, but this is their shot at 2nd place and a likely home game in round 1. Pantego is 4-2 but the opening win over Colleyville Covenant doesn't look as good as it did at the time. They struggled to escape a Lake Country squad that is struggling this season. So while not a pushover this appears to favor the Knights. It is a home game though for the Panthers and they are a tougher squad in the enclave of Arlington. Knights should get it done though. Covenant wins 28-8.

Midland Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Mustangs opened the season with a huge comeback and win over their rivals from Liberty, 66-63. They followed that with three straight losses but have since rebounded to even their record at 3-3. They have their whole district slate in front of them as one of the last to start the games that count in the standings. All Saints appears to be the favorite in the district and division so getting the 2nd spot and maybe a first round bye is the task at hand. The Cardinals are 2-5 having lost their district opener to All Saints last week, 37-7. They will need to score to keep this one interesting but they are much better at home. FWC is just 6-19 all time against MCS but 3-1 in playoff games. The Cardinals are allowing too many points to win the big games right now, but this feels like a chance for a notable win. Don't see them quite getting over the mountain this time though. Mustangs win 44-38.

Tyler All Saints @ Dallas First Baptist -- The Saints have been the class of Division IV for some time now and 2026 is no different. At 6-0 it feels like a march to the title game is unstoppable. This is probably the toughest test left on the schedule. FBA is 3-0 all time against the Trojans and its hard to see that changing this week. All Saints powered past Live Oak last week and now at 3-0 on the district slate, they are in the running and if this game was in Tyler it would be a huge opprutunity to announce themselves as contenders. I suppose its still that chance, but on the road it feels a little less likely. If the defense can produce like they have against the lesser opponents this could get interesting. If the game is in the 30s or higher I don't think the Trojans can keep up. Saints win with a 2nd half run, 42-20.

League City Bay Area Christian @ Boerne Geneva -- The Broncos are off to a 6-0 start and all signs point to a showdown with Brazos Christian for the district title. So this is the trap game before the big one. Bay Area is averaging over 50 points per game and has allowed 20 or more just twice this season. Once of those was in a 43 point win so likely not reflective of the quality of the Broncos defense last week. The Eagles have been on the fringe of the Division III contenders in recent seasons and San Antonio Holy Cross struggles have opened a door for replacing them in the "big 3" of Division III. Geneva is averaging over 45 points per game themselves so should not be blown off the field. This is a challenging trip up from the coast but I think the Bronco offense will travel. The Brazos Christian game should be for the district crown, but I think all three should see the playoffs and avoid the wildcard mix that 4th place will have to navigate. Bay Area Christian wins, 49-35.

Quick Hits: (Season: 48-22)

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Houston Cypress Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Episcopal School of Dallas over Austin St. Andrew's
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day
Houston Christian High School over The Woodlands The John Cooper School
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Mark's
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over San Antonio Central Catholic
Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Tyler T. K. Gorman

Week 6 Results 2026

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (44-15) -- Correct
--Chargers get away early and virtually guarantee the Week 10 showdown with Covenant for the district title. Panthers with the inside track still for playoff spot for 3rd place thanks to the win over Colleyville Covenant in Week 0.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (65-43) -- Correct
--The Warriors offense was too much as my idea of a low scoring game was quickly dismissed. Lions now just 3-3 and will be favored in a road game at TCA, but they probably have to win it to get in the playoffs.

Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (37-7) -- Correct
--Saints continue to be unstoppable against Division II opponents. Cardinals seem a bit snake bit this season, but have a chance to earn a rematch down the line.

Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (13-48) -- Wrong
--Panthers dominate and stop the Eagles push up the rankings. Should be an interesting 

Houston Kinkaid over Bellaire Episcopal (48-17) -- Correct
--Falcons clearly the favorites in SPC 4A now.

Wall over Midland Christian (26-34) -- Wrong
--A very good non-district win for the Mustangs as they put there name in the list of contenders in Division II.

Waco Live Oak over Tyler All Saints (17-40) -- Wrong
--Trojans with a big win to set up the likely district title game at First Baptist

Week 6: 4-3
Season: 26-21

Quick Hits:

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (40-76) -- Wrong
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (33-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over San Antonio TMI Episcopal (22-45) -- Wrong
Dallas Covenant over Dallas Shelton (63-6) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (41-27) -- Correct
Tyler Grace Community over Arlington Grace Prep (39-21) -- Correct
The Woodlands John Cooper over Dallas St. Mark's (10-24) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over Houston Lutheran South (19-14) -- Correct
Houston St. John's over Houston Christian (17-24) -- Wrong
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Mercy Culture (35-44) -- Wrong

Week 6: 6-4
Season: 48-22

Week 6 Picks 2026

District play is fully upon us this week. The picks usually do better with the familiar district matchups, and they really need it this year. A few favorites have emerged, but there are many contenders across the state. With the heat finally breaking this week, it should be fun final five weeks on the run in. Good luck and safe travels.

This Week: (Season: 22-18)

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers could not hold a 21 point lead on the road against Life Oak Cliff. LOC appears to be better on paper than the upcoming district slate for DC, but that's why they play the games. The Panthers started 2024 at 7-0 before finishing 8-4. Then in 2025, they started at 8-0 before losing their last 3 and being eliminated at home. This season its just a 4-1 start for Pantego, but the Chargers will be the toughest opponent so far. The DC defense has seemed to be a little more porous than typical on the season so far. Can the Panthers capitalize on that opprutunity? These two have met just once all time with DC dominating a 55-0 playoff win in 2024 en route to the title. The Chargers should be better and a trip Wheeler Field for an unfamiliar squad is always a tall task. Dallas Christian wins comfortably, 42-12.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions fell last week to Frisco Legacy for their first loss in five meetings with LCA. Falling to 1-2 in district play would be shocking for a Prestonwood squad that figured to be a title contender. It could introduce the possibility of missing the playoffs, but even a 4th place finish would give you a stiff road trip in Round 1. The Lions defense has allowed 38 or more points in four of their five outings this season. That will have to improve to get back int the win column. The Warriors are just 3-2 but are also the only TAPPS squad that can beat Fort Worth All Saints it seems. The defense for Liberty has had its own struggles with 66, 38, and 35 allowed in the first three games. They rebounded though to hold their last two opponents to 7 each. So both offenses can score and both defenses might be accommodating to a few touchdown requests. So naturally this will probably go the other way, maybe something similar to the 14-7 title game that surprised us a season ago. Warriors appear to be too good this season though. Liberty wins, 21-10.

Fort Worth Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Saints win streak came to an end but they are still a strong 4-2 with losses to Liberty and UIL Lovejoy. No one in TAPPS Division II has bested All Saints since 2023 and no one currently in Division II since 2022. So the Cardinals have a difficult hill to climb, particularly on the road. The Saints have won all 8 meetings since joining TAPPS from the SPC. FWC has a good squad and last season dropped a pair of meetings by just 17 and 20 points. They can make this interesting but have struggled to find the win column this year, entering the week just 2-4. Both Cardinals units seem to be just behind the Saints and that should play out on the scoreboard though not in complete blowout fashion. All Saints wins, 35-14.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Eagles finally got the big win they've seemed so close to last week. Finally able to topple Prestonwood they will not be able to rest on the accomplishment with a trip to the blue field on Midway Rd. up next. After an out-of-state loss and a tight one at ESD in a clash of Eagles, Legacy has won three in a row and are poised to assume a top two spot in District 1 with a win here. The Panthers have won five of the last six state titles, but 2026 has not been rosy thus far. Parish is 4-2 but was really run over by All Saints and San Antonio Cornerstone. Last week's narrow victory over a struggling Bishop Lynch squad did not inspire confidence, but we also do not want to downgrade wins. A season ago, the Panthers took a 43-21 win in this matchup. I think this one is closer and the Eagles defense will make this very difficult for the Panthers, and I think will put the Eagles on track for a home playoff game in November. The playoff rematch though might go the other way. Legacy Christian wins, 25-22.

Houston Kinkaid @ Bellaire Episcopal -- The Falcons are just 2-3 on the season, but the blowout win over Austin Regents suggests they are still near the top of SPC 4A. These two seem to always decide the conference and last year Kinkaid took both meetings to claim the crown. The combined margin of the two games was just 14 though. The Knights are 3-2 but were blown out by the same Austin Regents squad that Kinkaid took out. Looking at the results thus far, the Episcopal defense does not seem to be as good as the Kinkaid offense. The Knights should make it interesting, but this looks like another Falcons win which would make 5 in-a-row for Kinkaid in the rivalry. Another one to keep an eye on for a playoff reversal. Kinkaid wins this week though, 42-23.

Wall @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs started off with a huge win over Liberty in Week 0. They needed a big road comeback and all of the 66 points they scored. They followed that with three straight losses. It was a tough stretch but you'd like to be able to get one after the big rivalry win to start the season. Last week's win over Jim Ned has MCS at 2-3. The host a frequent opponent of the Mustangs in Wall. The Hawks are off to a 5-0 start and will probably be favored in their five district games. So this might be the last hurdle to 10-0. They also took out Jim Ned but were a little more impressive. The win over Canyon West Plains also puts the Hawks near the top of UIL 3A Division I. The Mustangs will not be run out of the stadium by any means but this feels like too big of a hill to climb. I don't see the MCS offense being able to keep up as the game gets late. Wall wins 35-25.

Tyler All Saints @ Waco Live Oak -- Our weekly foray into Division IV sees the Falcons smarting from a 45-0 thrashing by First Baptist. They were 4-0 coming into that one, so a path to a playoff rematch is something still on the table. Live Oak features an offense that had scored 40+ in each of the four wins to start the season. That will be a big test for the Trojans. All Saints has found its back to competitiveness in recent seasons after a long trip through the wilderness that saw 4 wins in 4 seasons between 2020 and 2023. They are 3-2 on the season so far including 2-0 in district play. The winner here is very much in the driver's seat for a home playoff game. The Trojans have not shown the form against the best TAPPS squads yet so still a smidge behind particularly on the road. They have a chance to prove me wrong and make a statement this week though. Falcons win by a handy margin, but the Trojans are on the way up. Live Oak wins, 40-20.

Quick Hits: (Season: 42-18)

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over San Antonio TMI Episcopal
Dallas Covenant over Dallas Shelton
Lubbock Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Tyler Grace Community over Arlington Grace Prep
The Woodlands John Cooper over Dallas St. Mark's
Houston St. Thomas over Houston Lutheran South
Houston St. John's over Houston Christian
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Mercy Culture