Blitz Picks - Week 12
WEEK 1 PICKS: 30-40, 75%
WEEK 2 PICKS: 34-44, 77.3%
WEEK 3 PICKS: 42-47, 89.4%
WEEK 4 PICKS: 32-43, 74.4%
WEEK 5 PICKS: 38-45, 84.4%
WEEK 6 PICKS: 28-30, 93.3%
WEEK 7 PICKS: 35-40, 87.5%
WEEK 8 PICKS: 33-38, 86.8%
WEEK 9 PICKS: 32-38, 84.2%
WEEK 10 PICKS: 37-42, 88.1%
WEEK 11 PICKS: 30-32, 93.8%
SEASON: 371-444, 83.6 %
The playoffs were on the line and the Blitz Picks were coming in hot, hitting a season high 93.8 percent in Week 11.
Now we turn our attention to the postseason where 28 Big Country teams are hoping to make deep playoff runs.
Hawley, May and Westbrook all made it to the final weekend of the regular season last year, who will make a run in 2022?
FIRST MEETINGS
You’ll notice a lot of first meetings between teams in the playoffs this year. I count 10 matchups of teams that have never played each until this week.
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES
There are quite a few matchups of teams that traditionally make the postseason. Here are the top five:
Roscoe/Wink: 77 combined appearances
Brownwood/El Paso Irvin: 68
Cooper/El Paso Andress: 67
Albany/Eldorado: 66
Cross Plains/Wink: 66
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Abilene High (4-6) at El Paso Del Valle (9-1) - Thursday, 7 p.m. CT
Series: Del Valle leads 1-0
The Eagles return to action after their week 11 open date in the playoffs against what looks a solid Del Valle team.
Abilene High fell to Amarillo 17-10 in their last outing, then the Sandies won in week 11 to knock the Eagles to the four seed from 2-5A D1.
The question has been the same for most of the season for the Warbirds: can they find enough offense to compliment their very good defense? They’ll matchup with a Conquistadores squad that has only allowed its opponent to score over 20 twice, once in a 50-13 week two loss to Pebble Hills (who went 9-1 in 6A) and the other time in a 57-21 win over Ysleta.
Their offense has been putting up big points lately too, going for 63, 57 and 66 in their last three outings.
The Eagles were upset in the first round of the playoffs by El Paso Eastwood a year ago, so they’ll give the Conquistadors their full attention to avoid falling to an El Paso team in the playoffs for the second straight year. They are 16-3 overall in their playoff history against El Paso schools.
Del Valle won the only previous meeting 14-10 in the area round in 2001.
UP NEXT
Winner of Red Oak (8-2) vs. Denton Ryan (6-3)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Abilene: 37th appearance, third straight appearance
Del Valle: 22nd appearance, 19th straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Abilene High
Dylan Slack: 122-211, 1105 yds, 11 TD, 10 int
Brayden Henry: 4-14, 28 yds passing; 162 yds, 2 TD rushing
Bam Rashaw: 744 yds, 7 TD rushing
Austin Wood: 28 rec, 212 yds, 1 TD
Bryce Neves: 71 tkl, 10 tfl
Noah Hatcher: 66 tkl
Kenneth Johnson: 55 tkl, 10 tfl, 9 sacks
El Paso Del Valle
Jesse Ramos: 173-246, 2701 yds, 32 TD, 1 int; 188 yds, 9 TD rushing
Juan Archuleta: 669 yds, 6 TD rushing
Matt Lopez: 44 rec, 711 yds, 4 TD
Isaac Maltos: 81 tkl, 20 tfl, 3 sacks
Jonathan Estrada: 26 tkl, 4 int
THE DCTF SPREAD: DEL VALLE BY 9
THE PICK: ABILENE
Cooper (5-5) at El Paso Andress (5-5) - Thursday, 5 p.m. CT
Series: First meeting
Abilene ISD will be getting plenty points on the gas cards Thursday as the Cooper Cougars also headed way west to take on El Paso Andress.
The Eagles went 4-1 in district play, winning their last three games to clinch the two seed and a home playoff game in the bi-district round. Their 35-28 win over Chapin in week 11 sealed the two seed. Their only district loss was a 49-20 defeat against district champion Canutillo. Andress got off to a slow start in 2022, losing four of their first five games, including a 74-14 loss at Midland High in week five.
Cooper hopes to bounce back after missed opportunities and turnovers doomed them in a 20-10 loss to Wylie.
The Cougars are 16-0 all-time in the playoffs against El Paso schools. Their last matchup was a 42-21 bi-district win in 2019.
UP NEXT
Winner of Grapevine (9-1) vs. Lake Dallas (7-3)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Cooper: 31st appearance, 16th straight appearance
Andress: 36th appearance, 20th straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Cooper
Chris Warren: 167-280, 2005 yds, 17 TD, 13 int; 129 yds, 3 TD rushing
Daniel Bray: 513 yds, 6 TD rushing
Cam Herron: 49 rec, 612 yds, 6 TD
D’Andre Ralston: 45 rec, 823 yds, 6 TD; 142 yds, 3 TD rushing
Malik Jackson: 22 rec, 321 yds, 3 TD
Andress
Elias Duncan: 59-127, 748 yds, 6 TD, 7 int; 401 yds, 7 TD rushing
Malcolm Anderson: 668 yds, 8 TD rushing
Isaiah Owens: 26 rec, 321 yds, 3 TD
Dominik Nava: 67 tkl
THE DCTF SPREAD: COOPER BY 22
THE PICK: COOPER
El Paso High (5-5) at Wylie (7-3) - Thursday, 6 p.m. CT
Series: First meeting
The Bulldogs, fresh off beating Cooper for their first 5A district title, have earned a bi-district home game against El Paso High Thursday night.
Wylie played its first game against an Amarillo ISD school two weeks ago, now they play their first football game against an El Paso school.
The Tigers snuck into the playoffs as the four seed out of 1-5A D1 but enter on a two-game losing streak after falling to Chapin 42-6 and Canutillo 49-0. They beat Burgess and Jefferson to earn their playoff berth.
The Bulldogs are back in the postseason after missing out a year ago and aiming for their first 5A playoff win. They have been very good offensively all year, averaging nearly 37 points per game, and have stepped things up defensively over the past three weeks. They shut out Lubbock High, slipped past Palo Duro 27-24 then slowed down Cooper 20-10.
UP NEXT
Winner of Frisco Emerson (9-1) vs. Colleyville Heritage (7-3)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
El Paso: 14th appearance, 1st appearance since 2013
Wylie: 32nd appearance, 1st appearance since 2020
STAT LEADERS
El Paso
Gerry Chairez: 50-84, 754 yds, 6 TD, 4 int; 320 yds, 3 TD rushing
Lueranze Johnson: 889 yds, 8 TD rushing
Pablo Gonzalez: 24 rec, 633 yds, 7 TD
Justin Soto: 80 tkl, 4 tfl
Wylie
KJ Long: 146-195, 2455 yds, 26 TD, 5 int; 545 yds, 4 TD rushing
Landry Carlton: 839 yds, 6 TD rushing; 9 rec, 83 yds, 1 TD
Malachi Daniels: 298 yds, 4 TD rushing; 6 rec, 92 yds, 1 TD
Braden Regala: 64 rec, 996 yds, 8 TD; 109 yds, 3 TD rushing
Harrison Heighten: 29 rec, 606 yds, 8 TD
THE DCTF SPREAD: WYLIE BY 42
THE PICK: WYLIE
#9 Brownwood (8-2) vs. El Paso Irvin (2-8) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Ratliff Stadium, Odessa
Series: First meeting
The Lions had a week 11 bye and will resume play in their 48th trip to the playoffs against El Paso Irvin.
The Rockets went just 2-8 this season but made the playoffs as the four seed from the five team District 1-4A D1 thanks to a 22-12 win in week ten over San Elizario.
Their only other victory this season was 43-20 over El Paso High.
Brownwood has its best squad since 2019 and earned a district title for the first time since 2010 by blitzing Big Spring, Lake View, Estacado and Andrews by a combined 200 to 40 margin.
UP NEXT
Winner of Canyon (9-1) vs. Burkburnett (7-3)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Irvin: 20th appearance, second straight appearance
Brownwood: 48th appearance, 14th straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
El Paso Irvin
Isaac Guerrero: 76-175, 1057 yds, 12 TD, 6 int; 516 yds, 5 TD rushing
Giovanni Soto: 624 yds, 4 TD rushing
Jonathan Chairez: 50 rec, 779 yds, 8 TD
Angel Rodriguez: 50 tkl, 2 tfl
Brownwood
Konlyn Anderson: 1127 yds, 19 TD rushing
Ike Hall: 94-170, 1476 yds, 12 TD, 4 int; 748 yds, 10 TD rushing
Thad Hinds: 34 rec, 593 yds, 5 TD
Jason Jackson: 18 rec, 412 yds, 9 TD
Chance Jones: 90 tkl, 5 sacks
Quinten McCarty: 89 tkl, 12 tfl
Sam Kallman: 90 tkl
THE DCTF SPREAD: BROWNWOOD BY 53
THE PICK: BROWNWOOD
Snyder (4-6) vs. Ferris (4-6) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Cisco
Series: First meeting
We have yet another first ever meeting on our hands a pair of 4-6 squads meet up in Cisco Friday night.
Snyder took down rival Sweetwater 28-0 last week and got the number three seed from 3-4A D2, while Ferris saw a four-game winning streak come to an end with a 57-26 loss to Glen Rose in a battle for the 4-4A D2 title.
Ferris started the season 0-5 before reeling off four straight wins to begin district play. Their six losses this year are to five playoff teams, however, that are a combined 42-17 on the season.
Snyder has wins in two of its last three against Graham and Sweetwater with a loss to #8 Wichita Falls Hirschi in between.
UP NEXT
Winner of Monahans (7-3) vs. Levelland (2-8)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Ferris: 24th appearance, sixth straight appearance
Snyder: 33rd appearance, second straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Ferris
Nathan Greek: 256-394, 3373 yds, 36 TD, 8 int; 213 yds, 6 TD rushing
Darrick Willis: 563 yds, 5 TD rushing; 62 rec, 773 yds, 7 TD
Tommy Dixson: 51 rec, 961 yds, 15 TD
Ethan Colvin: 70 tkl, 18 tfl
Snyder
Easton Stewart: 124-178, 1278 yds, 14 TD, 2 int
Dom Dominguez: 338 yds, 1 TD rushing; 20 rec, 273 yds, 4 TD
Dyllan Angeley: 23 rec, 257 yds, 6 TD; 64 tkl, 2 tfl, 3 int
Chon Vasquez: 59 tkl, 4 tfl
THE DCTF SPREAD: FERRIS BY 2
THE PICK: FERRIS
Breckenridge (8-2) vs. Paradise (8-2) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Ponder
Series: Breckenridge leads 4-0
The Buckaroos aim to extend their winning streak to three as they meet up with Paradise in bi-district round of the playoffs Friday.
Breckenridge fell to Vernon and Jim Ned in back-to-back weeks to fall out of the 3A D1 top ten and out of district title contention, but bounced back to crush Bowie and Clyde by a combined 83-20 in their last two games to reach the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Bucks draw the three seed from District 4, Paradise. The Panthers finished behind Brock and Whitesboro in district play with a 4-2 mark. They only lost to Brock 18-13 and Whitesboro 18-7. They are led by quarterback Austin Iglesias who passed and ran for over 1,000 yards each this season.
UP NEXT
Winner of Shallowater (9-1) vs. Lamesa (2-7)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Paradise: 16th appearance, first appearance since 2020
Breckenridge: 49th appearance, second straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Paradise
Austin Iglesias: 91-149, 1422 yds, 12 TD, 2 int; 1173 yds, 26 TD rushing
Leo Hernandez: 400 yds, 4 TD rushing
Landon Holley: 33 rec, 731 yds, 9 TD
Breckenridge
Chase Lehr: 79-118, 1146 yds, 14 TD, 8 int; 239 yds, 5 TD rushing
Jerry Lawson: 645 yds, 9 TD rushing
Anson Rodgers: 699 yds, 12 TD rushing; 21 rec, 325 yds, 6 TD
Adrian Ruiz: 22 rec, 286 yds, 4 TD
Zeke Castillo: 101 tkl, 5 tfl
Caiden Marin: 83 tkl, 10 tfl
THE DCTF SPREAD: PARADISE BY 9
THE PICK: PARADISE
Jim Ned (7-3) vs. Pilot Point (3-7) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Dublin
Series: Tied 1-1
Jim Ned is a district champion for a third straight season and looking to make yet another deep playoff run. The Indians ran off seven straight wins after starting 0-3 and find themselves as the top seed from 3-3A D1.
Jim Ned earned the title with last weeks 31-13 win at Iowa Park.
Pilot Point only won three games all season, but two came in district play by the right combination of points to help them emerge from a three-way tie with Boyd and Peaster for the final playoff spot out of 4-3A D1. They lost to Brock 48-0 last week in their season finale.
Of the Bearcats seven losses, five were to playoff teams and one was to 4A Farmersville.
UP NEXT
Winner of Bushland (9-1) vs. Kermit (4-6)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Pilot Point: 43rd appearance, sixth straight appearance
Jim Ned: 17th appearance, sixth straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Pilot Point
Wyatt Smith: 119-234, 1847 yds, 19 TD, 3 int; 202 yds, 6 TD rushing
Gage Anderson: 650 yds, 4 TD rushing
Asten Kirby: 65 rec, 1033 yds, 16 TD
Collin Lynch: 121 tkl
Jim Ned
Troy Doran: 44-85, 616 yds, 10 TD, 5 int; 804 yds, 12 TD rushing; 10 rec, 111 yds, 1 TD; 32 tkl, 3 int
Brayden Shipman: 933 yds, 8 TD rushing
Carter Wood: 10 rec, 132 yds, 3 TD
Trey Hicks: 86 tkl, 5 tfl
Davis Soben: 70 tkl
Tanner Hussman: 72 tkl, 7 tfl
Carter Lange: 33 tkl, 7 sacks
THE DCTF SPREAD: JIM NED BY 10
THE PICK: JIM NED
Photo: Mike Jones
Early (6-4) vs. Odessa Compass (4-6) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Sweetwater
Series: First meeting
The Longhorns were a field goal away from winning district but will settle for the number two seed from 2-3A D2 and a bi-district matchup with Odessa Compass Academy.
The Cougars finished third in the four team District 1-3A D2 and the four wins they have this year marks the best season in their short history. They went 1-8 in 2020 and 1-10 in 2021, making the playoffs both times in a four team district. Last year they were slammed by Sonora 79-8 in the bi-district round.
Their district played a round-robin schedule and gave the Cougars two of their wins over Tornillo. Their other two victories were 7-6 over TLCA San Angelo and 14-13 over Iraan.
Early will send a very good group of seniors out after this season, and they hope that will still be a long time from now. Their 43-21 win over Pilot Point a year ago marked their first playoff win since 2007.
UP NEXT
Winner of Canadian (8-2) vs. Lubbock Roosevelt (4-6)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Odessa Compass: third appearance, third straight appearance
Early: 13th appearance, third straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Odessa Compass Academy
Diego Franco: 68-128, 676 yds, 3 TD, 4 int
Abraham Davalos: 310 yds, 4 TD rushing; 101 tkl, 7 tfl
Tanner Gahr: 22 rec, 228 yds, 1 TD
Early
Jaxyn Price: 162-303, 2336 yds, 26 TD, 6 int; 77 yds, 2 TD rushing
Griffin Cheslock: 1041 yds, 10 TD rushing; 30 tkl
Kaleb Ozuna: 447 yds, 6 TD rushing; 108 tkl, 10 tfl
Jeremy Brown: 49 rec, 849 yds, 12 TD; 36 tkl, 3 int; kickoff return for TD
John-Stewart Gordon: 29 rec, 389 yds, 2 TD
Caleb McCullough: 97 tkl, 26 tfl, 11 sacks; 11 rec, 257 yds, 4 TD
Colton Allen: 42 tkl, 5 int
THE DCTF SPREAD: EARLY BY 53
THE PICK: EARLY
Merkel (3-7) vs. #2 Holliday (10-0) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Graham
Series: Series tied 1-1
Merkel has a very tough task in the bi-district round as they meet unbeaten and second-ranked Holliday Thursday night.
The Badgers won their first two district games to earn their first trip to the playoffs under head coach Will Kates, but lost to Jacksboro, Comanche and Millsap over the final three weeks to fall to the four seed.
Holliday beat Iowa Park, Jim Ned, Idalou, Childress and Snyder (all playoff teams) in non-district play and then ran the table in 6-3A D2, wrapping up the district crown with a 38-7 victory over Callisburg last week.
The last meeting between these two teams was a Merkel bi-district playoff win in 2008, 34-28.
UP NEXT
Winner of Scurry-Rosser (7-2) vs. Blue Ridge (5-5)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Merkel: 21st appearance, first appearance since 2018
Holliday: 44th appearance, seventh straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Merkel
Joey Zink: 66-121, 1023 yds, 10 TD, 4 int; 576 yds, 4 TD rushing
Elijah Olivarez: 158 yds, 4 TD rushing; 16 rec, 256 yds, 5 TD; 144 tkl, 19 tfl
Connor Willyerd: 433 yds, 3 TD rushing
Maddox O’Malley: 15 rec, 296 yds, 3 TD
Jose Flores: 73 tkl
Jack Travis: 71 tkl, 8 tfl, 3 sacks
Holliday
Peyton Marchand: 43-75, 713 yds, 6 TD, 2 int; 184 yds, 4 TD rushing
Tyrese Polite: 633 yds, 13 TD rushing; 8 rec, 82 yds, 1 TD
Jaxx Johnson: 495 yds, 6 TD rushing
Collin Hays: 65 tkl, 5 tfl
THE DCTF SPREAD: HOLLIDAY BY 44
THE PICK: HOLLIDAY
Hawley (10-0) vs. Christoval (4-6) - Thursday, 6 p.m. - San Angelo Stadium
Series: Hawley leads 3-0
The Bearcats and Cougars meet for the fourth time in the last eight years in the bi-district playoffs and Hawley has a great shot at beating Christoval for the fourth straight time.
Hawley got past Cisco 36-33 to earn the district title and top seed from District 4-2A D1 and will put their perfect record on the line against a Cougar squad that snuck into the playoffs with a 2-3 district record. Christoval opened district play with wins over Anthony and Ozona but dropped its last three to Forsan 14-6, Sonora 30-6 and Reagan County 30-22.
The Bearcats have hopes of returning to Jerry World after falling to Shiner in the state title game a year ago, and the Cougars should be an attainable first of six wins they’ll need to win it all.
UP NEXT
Winner of Panhandle (8-2) vs. Floydada (6-4)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Christoval: 34th appearance, 10th straight appearance
Hawley: 12th appearance, 10th straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Christoval
Kyle Abilez: 34-59, 342 yds, 2 TD, 6 int
Ketcher Joiner: 1057 yds, 9 TD rushing
Cayden Carpenter: 18 rec, 259 yds, 2 TD
Jayce Williams: 81 tkl, 3 tfl
Hawley
Rodey Hooper: 113-169, 2069 yds, 22 TD, 4 int; 84 yds, 1 TD rushing
Austin Cumpton: 1330 yds, 25 TD rushing; 74 tkl, 12 tfl
Will Scott: 34 rec, 610 yds, 7 TD; 91 tkl, 10 tfl, 4 int
Kason O’Shields: 29 rec, 495 yds, 7 TD; 61 tkl, 1 int
Chandlin Myers: 25 rec, 408 yds, 6 TD; 45 tkl, 1 int
Diontay Ramon: 26 rec, 546 yds, 4 TD; 46 tkl, 18 tfl, 5.5 sacks
Hez Parker: 101 tkl, 13 tfl, 2 int
THE DCTF SPREAD: HAWLEY BY 37
THE PICK: HAWLEY
Cisco (8-2) vs. Reagan County (7-3) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Colorado City
Series: First meeting
The Loboes have to be ticked off after their last second loss to Hawley last week and Reagan County may be the focus of their rage this week.
The Owls turned things around this year, going 7-3 after going 3-7 in 2021. This is their best year since going 9-2 in 2016. They ended up in a three-way tied with Forsan and Sonora for first place in District 3-2A with a 4-1 record, but drew the short straw as the three seed and got the first round matchup with Cisco. They will bring a four-game wining streak into the matchup and their losses this year were all to playoff teams (Wink, McCamey and Forsan).
Cisco had a six-game winning streak snapped last week by Hawley and they hope to get another crack at the Bearcats in early December.
UP NEXT
Winner of Stratford (10-0) vs. Sundown (3-6)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Reagan County: 28th appearance, first appearance since 2019
Cisco: 31st appearance, 12th straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Reagan County
Kason Brown: 94-174, 1188 yds, 14 TD, 8 int
AJ Avalos: 640 yds, 5 TD rushing
Jarrett Brown: 35 rec, 478 yds, 4 TD
Angel Botello: 128 tkl, 18 tfl
Cisco
Hunter Long: 58-94, 1040 yds, 14 TD, 2 int; 1583 yds, 22 TD rushing
Trent Huston: 723 yds, 11 TD rushing; 5 rec, 64 yds, 1 TD
Cade Gayle: 24 rec, 463 yds, 6 TD; 1 punt return TD
Carter Holton: 6 rec, 164 yds, 3 TD
THE DCTF SPREAD: CISCO BY 27
THE PICK: CISCO
Stamford (8-2) vs. Forsan (8-2) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Brownwood
Series: Stamford leads 5-3
The Bulldogs turned things around in a big way in 2022, improving from three wins to eight. They’ll get a shot at proving themselves in the playoffs now against a familiar foe.
Forsan was in Stamford’s district the last six seasons. They beat the Bulldogs the last two yeras, 30-6 in 2021 and 42-14 in 2020, but Stamford emerged victorious three of the four times before that.
The Buffaloes enter off of a 48-21 loss to Sonora. A win could have gotten them the outright district title, instead they ended up tri-champs with Sonora and Reagan County at 4-1. Kermit 14-13 was their only other loss of the season and they have wins over four current playoff teams.
Stamford could have easily been a higher seed or district champion if they weren’t stuck with Hawley and Cisco in District 4, but they will still have an opportunity to make a good run as the three seed.
UP NEXT
Winner of New Deal (7-3) vs. Amarillo Highland Park (3-7)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Stamford: 42nd appearance, first appearance since 2020
Forsan: 22nd appearance, third straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Forsan
Cade Wallis: 47-104, 645 yds, 4 TD, 4 int; 417 yds, 5 TD rushing
Kevi Kligora: 1007 yds, 11 TD rushing
Bryson Kinsey: 19 rec, 173 yds, 1 TD
Dustin Spalla: 85 tkl, 2 tfl, 1 int
Stamford
Christian Duran: 77-130, 1319 yds, 15 TD, 4 int; 455 yds, 7 TD rushing
Hayden Henager: 847 yds, 5 TD rushing; 23 rec, 407 yds, 5 TD
Kaston Vega: 626 yds, 7 TD rushing; 98 tkl, 10 tfl
Quinton Pryor: 21 rec, 375 yds, 4 TD
Cruz Cantu: 75 tkl, 11 tfl
THE DCTF SPREAD: STAMFORD BY 9
THE PICK: STAMFORD
#10 Coleman (8-2) vs. Alvord (6-4) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Ft. Worth Castleberry
Series: First meeting
The Bluecats head into the playoffs on a three game winning streak and they have been dominant, beating Hamilton, De Leon and Bangs by a combined 139-7 to earn the #2 seed behind Tolar out of District 5-2A D1.
Alvord is the opponent. The Bulldogs dropped their last game of the season 31-28 to Nocona to send them to the three seed and a date with the Bluecats.
Coleman’s only losses this year were to 10-0 #7 Tolar and 10-0 3A D1 #5 Llano.
The Bulldogs lost to Olney 31-0 in week one, Valley View 36-27 in week two and Tioga (35-14) and Nocona in district play.
UP NEXT
Winner of Crawford (10-0) vs. Kerens (3-7)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Alvord: 18th appearance, 9th straight appearance
Coleman: 27th appearance, second straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Alvord
Cayson Stainton: 67-143, 715 yds, 10 TD, 9 int; 338 yds, 4 TD rushing
Jacob Johnson: 926 yds, 9 TD rushing
Daven Alley: 35 rec, 439 yds, 7 TD
Coleman
Jadin Jackson: 68-115, 992 yds, 16 TD, 4 int; 733 yds, 10 TD rushing
Ryland Gentry: 908 yds, 16 TD rushing; 5 rec,72 yds
Brent Bouldin: 208 yds, 3 TD rushing; 1 rec, 18 yds
Braxton Smith: 29 rec, 561 yds, 7 TD
THE DCTF SPREAD: COLEMAN BY 39
THE PICK: COLEMAN
Bangs (6-4) vs. Nocona (8-2) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Weatherford
Series: First meeting
The Dragons dropped to 2A this season and returned to the playoffs, going 6-4 with their only losses coming to Early, Comanche, Tolar and Coleman — all playoff teams that went a combined 33-7 this year.
They draw Nocona in bi-district. The Indians were the #2 seed behind Tioga out of 6-2A D1. They entered district play with a perfect record and got to 6-0 before dropping back-to-back games to Trenton 23-21 and Tioga 35-21. They beat Alvord in the season finale to win a tie-breaker with the Bulldogs for the second seed.
The Dragon offense got shut down by Coleman last week and they’ll need to bounce back against Nocona, whose defense is not nearly on the level of the Bluecats.
UP NEXT
Winner of Cayuga (9-1) vs. Riesel (5-5)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Bangs: 22nd appearance, first appearance since 2020
Nocona: 21st appearance, first appearance since 2018
STAT LEADERS
Bangs
Kenny Cole: 65-146, 873 yds, 5 TD, 6 int; 330 yds, 4 TD rushing
Guy Powell: 1658 yds, 20 TD rushing; 8 rec, 118 yds, 4 TD; 98 tkl
Guy Funk: 15 rec, 208 yds, 3 TD
Keygan Pitts: 96 tkl, 3 tfl
Nocona
Brady McCasland: 96-176, 1373 yds, 17 TD, 8 int; 518 yds, 5 TD rushing
Johnathan Stone: 1042 yds, 9 TD rushing; 79 tkl
Charlie Fuller: 33 rec, 451 yds, 7 TD
Kasch Johnson: 39 tkl
THE DCTF SPREAD: BANGS BY 11
THE PICK: BANGS
Albany (8-2) vs. Eldorado (4-6) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Sweetwater
Series: Albany leads 1-0
The Lions are clicking at the right time as they enter the playoffs on a five-game winning streak.
Albany earned its third straight district title, dominating foes in 6-2A D2 by a combined 282-24 along the way. Their only losses this season were to 10-0 Hawley 26-14 and 9-1 Comanche 31-28, and both came when the Lions were battling injuries.
The Eagles ended up alone in fourth place from District 5 courtesy of wins over TLCA Midland (a forfeit), Water Valley and Iraan and losses to Wink, McCamey and Sterling City.
The Lions beat Eldorado 13-8 in bi-district in 1997 in the only previous meeting between the two teams.
UP NEXT
Winner of Archer City (7-3) vs. Muenster (5-5)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Eldorado: 27th appearance, fifth straight appearance
Albany: 49th appearance, 21st straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Eldorado
Omar Barajas: 33-80, 637 yds, 5 TD, 3 int; 239 yds, 3 TD rushing
Paul Luna: 221 yds, 3 TD rushing
Nino Tambunga: 14 rec, 244 yds, 3 TD
Sam Griffin: 65 tkl, 10 tfl
Albany
Cole Chapman: 43-75, 520 yds, 7 TD, 0 int; 117 yds rushing
London Fuentes: 25-40, 420 yds, 6 TD, 3 int; 199 yds, 2 TD rushing; 19 rec, 312 yds, 4 TD; 28 tkl, 3 int
Adam Hill: 1100 yds, 17 TD rushing; 11 rec, 227 yds, 5 TD; 73 tkl, 15.5 tfl, 6.5 sacks
Coy Lefevre: 810 yds, 13 TD rushing; 8 rec, 135 yds, 2 TD; 37 tkl, 3 int
Cason Fairchild: 20 rec, 218 yds, 1 TD; 41 tkl, 3 int
Coy Cauble: 82 tkl, 1 sack
Tye Edgar: 62 tkl, 10 tfl, 6.5 sacks
Wyatt Windham: 68 tkl, 3 int
THE DCTF SPREAD: ALBANY BY 39
THE PICK: ALBANY
Cross Plains (7-3) vs. Wink (10-0) - Thursday, Big Spring
Series: Series tied 1-1
The Buffaloes head to the postseason off of a 49-21 loss to Miles that dropped them to the four seed out of 6-2A D1.
Their reward is unbeaten Wink, the #4 ranked team in 2A Division II.
The Wildcats have won every game by double figures this season, with the closest contests being a 51-38 win over Ozona and a 42-28 victory over McCamey. Their schedule hasn’t exactly been tough, however, as a 38-7 win at 8-2 Reagan County stands out as the best win of the bunch.
Cross Plains has lost three of their last five after starting the season 5-0.
This is the third meeting between the two and all have come in the playoffs. Cross Plains beat Wink 50-42 in bi-district in 2016 and Wink beat the Buffs 32-0 all the way back in 1933.
UP NEXT
Winner of Santo (9-1) vs. Seymour (8-2)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Cross Plains: 19th appearance, eighth straight appearance
Wink: 47th appearance, 11th straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Cross Plains
Kade Purvis: 107-177, 1287 yds, 16 TD, 8 int
Noah Moses: 1077 yds, 12 TD rushing
Ryan Reed: 36 rec, 598 yds, 9 TD
Dusty Wyatt: 31 rec, 268 yds, 2 TD; 261 yds, 7 TD rushing
Wink
Kanon Gibson: 118-202, 2016 yds, 22 TD, 2 int; 723 yds, 16 TD; 83 tkl, 5 int
Bryan Wilcox: 559 yds, 10 TD rushing
Jordan Tally: 48 rec, 953 yds, 12 TD
Hudson Morgan: 79 tkl, 5 tfl
THE DCTF SPREAD: WINK BY 33
THE PICK: WINK
Roscoe (6-4) vs. McCamey (8-2) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Stanton
Series: First meeting
The Plowboys squeaked past Hamlin 16-14 in the season finale and ended up third behind Albany and Miles out of District 6-2A D2, now they get set to face McCamey.
The Badgers bashed Elorado 35-12 and Iraan 50-14 over the final two weeks of the season to wrap up the two seed out 5-2A D2 behind Wink. Their only losses this year were to the Wildcats 42-28 and to 2A D1 Forsan 33-2 in non-district play.
Roscoe has been battling injuries down the stretch, which was a big contributor to them losing four of their final seven games after jumping out to a 3-0 start.
UP NEXT
Winner of Collinsville (9-1) vs. Haskell (5-5)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Roscoe: 36th appearance, third straight appearance
McCamey: 41st appearance, seventh straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Roscoe
Jax Watts: 97-165, 1424 yds, 15 TD, 11 int; 26 yds, 2 TD rushing
Gaven Martinez: 414 yds, 2 TD rushing
Seth Wilcox: 34 rec, 682 yds, 8 TD
Parker Gleaton: 23 rec, 285 yds, 4 TD
McCamey
Aiden Torres: 17-34, 312 yds, 4 TD, 0 int; 121 yds, 2 TD rushing
Matthew Rosas: 913 yds, 13 TD rushing; 106 tkl, 8 tfl
Seby Loya: 8 rec, 156 yds, 2 TD
Noe Hernandez: 77 tkl
THE DCTF SPREAD: MCCAMEY BY 18
THE PICK: MCCAMEY
Haskell (5-5) vs. Collinsville (9-1) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Jacksboro
Series: Haskell leads series 1-0
The Indians are back in the playoffs after a two year hiatus and have a tough draw in the first round against Collinsville.
The Pirates swept through District 8-2A D2 play to capture the title. Their only close game in district was a 39-35 win over playoff bound Celeste, and their only loss of the year came in week four to 2A D1 Cooper who went 10-0 in the regular season.
Haskell took care of business against Petrolia, Munday and Electra to wrap up a playoff berth, but came up just short against the rest of the playoff teams from 7-2A D2 with a 26-20 loss to Windthorst, a 27-20 loss to Archer City and a 16-0 loss to Seymour.
The only other meeting between the two was a 51-35 Indian victory in the third round of the playoffs in 2009.
UP NEXT
Winner of McCamey (8-2) vs. Roscoe (6-4)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Haskell: 26th appearance, first appearance since 2019
Collinsville: 20th appearance, first appearance since 2020
STAT LEADERS
Haskell
Grady Vasquez: 36-75, 493 yds, 5 TD, 8 int
Marquise Johnson: 728 yds, 8 TD rushing; 42-81, 403 yds, 4 TD, 2 int
Trevor Henry: 684 yds, 7 TD
Cory Mathis: 18 rec, 251 yds, 2 TD
Collinsville
Logan Jenkins: 197-294, 2469 yds, 33 TD, 9 int; 612 yds, 9 TD rushing
Rylan Newman: 809 yds, 9 TD; 25 rec, 191 yds, 3 TD
Nathen Bocanegra: 59 rec, 669 yds, 9 TD
Garrett Trevino: 152 tkl, 11 tfl
Reed Patterson: 128 tkl; 6 int
THE DCTF SPREAD: COLLINSVILLE BY 18
THE PICK: COLLINSVILLE
Ira (8-2) vs. Rankin (9-1) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Grady
Series: Ira leads 5-1
The Bulldogs return to the playoffs but have another rough first round draw against #4 Rankin.
Ira knocked off Hermleigh last week in a playoff game to decide who was going to the playoffs, while the Red Devils beat Garden City 60-36 to claim the District 7 championship.
Rankin’s only loss of the season was a last-second defeat at Westbrook 59-58 in week three, while the Bulldogs fell to the Wildcats 58-12 in district play and to Loraine 70-34 in week four.
The last meeting between the two schools was a 58-38 Rankin win in the 2012 playoffs. Ira beat the Red Devils in the postseason in 2010.
UP NEXT
Winner of Whiteface (8-2) vs. Van Horn (5-4)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Ira: 21st appearance, fifth straight appearance
Rankin: 30th appearance, sixth straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Ira
Bryton Partain: 28-56, 585 yds, 10 TD, 6 int; 1030 yds, 21 TD rushing; 50 tkl, 1 int
Demitri Juarez: 188 yds, 7 TD rushing; 48 tkl, 1 int
Kaden Foree: 15 rec, 318 yds, 5 TD; 14 Tkl
Jaren Pena: 445 yds, 13 TD rushing; 50 tkl, 1 int
Zane Allen: 23 rec, 452 yds, 11 TD; 57 tkl, 2 int
Rankin
N/A
SPREADS
DCTF: RANKIN BY 19
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: RANKIN BY 45
THE PICK: RANKIN
Westbrook (9-1) vs. Garden City (7-2) - Friday, 7:30 p.m. - Robert Lee
Series: Garden City leads 7-5
Westbrook draws a familiar foe in the bi-district round, one that has been a thorn in its side over the past two seasons.
Garden City handed the Wildcats their only regular season loss 46-42 earlier this season and beat them 56-44 in non-district play in 2021 as well. That loss proved to be the last one the for the Wildcats on their way to claiming the state championship.
The Bearcats lost a 60-36 battle to Rankin to lose out on the district title and set up the rematch with the Wildcats. Their only other loss this year was 63-34 at #6 May.
Westbrook knocked the Bearcats out of the postseason in the area round 46-0 in 2020.
UP NEXT
Winner of Buena Vista (6-4) vs. O’Donnell (4-6)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Garden City: 19th appearance, 11th straight appearance
Westbrook: 6th appearance, third straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Garden City
Logan Seidenberger: 67-124, 1250 yds, 24 TD, 2 int; 26 tkl
John Lopez: 517 yds, 10 TD rushing; 26 rec, 638 yds, 9 TD; 76 tkl, 1 int
Owen Seidenberger: 9 rec, 141 yds, 4 TD; 40 tkl
Mason Walker: 24 rec, 428 yds, 10 TD; 43 tkl, 4 int
Westbrook
Parker Matlock: 48-75, 587 yds, 10 TD, 3 int; 43 yds, 1 TD rushing; 69 tkl, 10 tfl, 4 int
Cedric Ware: 1073 yds, 26 TD rushing; 12 rec, 177 yds, 3 TD; 38 tkl
Grayson Jeffrey: 937 yds, 20 TD rushing; 4 rec, 29 yds, 1 TD; 31 tkl, 5 int
Hadley White: 11 rec, 172 yds, 3 TD; 32 tkl, 7.5 tfl
Bo Payne: 11 rec, 75 yds, 3 TD
Pahton Dominguez: 70 tkl, 16.5 tfl, 4 sacks, 3 ff, 1 fr; 239 yds, 5 TD rushing
SPREADS
DCTF: WESTBROOK BY 8
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: WESTBROOK BY 10
THE PICK: WESTBROOK
Gorman (8-2) vs. Union Hill (10-0) - Friday, 6 p.m. - Ferris
Series: First meeting
Not winning district gives Gorman a very tough first round draw as they prepare to face unbeaten Union Hill.
The Panthers locked up a playoff berth by winning their last four games after dropping the district opener to #8 Gordon.
Union Hill picked up mercy rule victories in eight of ten games in the regular season, with a 47-14 win over Milford and 48-44 win over Fort Worth THESA being the only games that went the distance. Gorman lost at home to Milford 62-28 in week five, one of their two losses on the season.
UP NEXT
Winner of Abbott (10-0) vs. Milford (5-4)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Gorman: 24th appearance, second straight appearance
Union Hill: 22nd appearance, eighth straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Gorman
Joseph Rainey: 29-62, 521 yds, 8 TD, 1 int; 1068 yds, 17 TD rushing; 5 rec, 173 yds, 2 TD; 60 tkl, 2 INT
Maddox Roberts: 390 yds, 7 TD rushing; 2 rec, 30 yds, 1 TD
Nick Guthery: 460 yds, 6 TD rushing; 4 rec, 107 yds, 1 TD; 12-18, 351 yds, 5 TD, 1 int; 98 tkl, 11 tfl; 3 int
Erik Ramirez: 12 rec, 222 yds, 2 TD; 60 tkl, 9 tfl
Union Hill
Logan Dunn: 21-41, 470 yds, 15 TD, 1 int
Jayke Bass: 1393 yds, 24 TD rushing
Devin Espinoza: 827 yds, 19 TD rushing
Carlos Mendoza: 15 rec, 361 yds, 7 TD
SPREADS
DCTF: UNION HILL BY 11
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: UNION HILL BY 28
THE PICK: UNION HILL
May (8-1) vs. Irion County (9-0) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Robert Lee
Series: May leads 2-0
The Tigers are not district champions for the first time since 2015 but they are playoff bound once again and will open the postseason against Irion County in Robert Lee for the third straight year.
May has dominated the Hornets in the previous two meetings 68-20 and 46-0, now Irion County gets a shot to see if they’ve narrowed the gap.
The Hornets did lose this season and their only game to go the distance was an 80-60 win over Buena Vista in week one. They had four wins over playoff teams, beating Buena Vista, Spur 83-36, Leakey 61-6 and Menard 56-8.
UP NEXT
Winner of Leverett’s Chapel (9-1) vs. Leakey (5-5)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
May: 26th appearance, 10th straight appearance
Irion County: 8th appearance, third straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
May
Damian Salinas: 811 yds, 17 TD rushing; 66 tkl, 12.5 tfl
Braden Steele: 424 yds, 9 TD rushing, 37-66, 698 yds, 9 TD; 15 rec, 240 yds, 3 TD; 73 tkl, 10.5 tfl
Luke McKenzie: 30-54, 773 yds, 18 TD, 3 int; 257 yds, 8 TD rushing
Bryson Guerrero: 17 rec, 447 yds, 9 TD; 52 tkl, 4 int
Irion County
N/A
SPREADS
DCTF: PICK ‘EM
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: MAY BY 8
THE PICK: MAY
Rule (6-3) vs. Newcastle (7-3) - Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - Throckmorton
Series: Series tied 21-21-1
It’s a battle of Bobcats in Throckmorton this week as Rule meets up with Newcastle. These two are not strangers, having played 43 times before, but the last meeting was in the playoffs in 2010 when Newcastle picked up a 46-0 victory.
Rule returns to the place it lost to Throckmorton last week 62-12 in the district championship game, hoping for a better result this time around. The Bobcats saw a four-game winning streak come to and end in that defeat.
Newcastle has won its last four games, including a 45-0 victory over Gold-Burg—the second place finisher from 8-1A D2. They did lose to Aspermont 38-24 earlier this season, a team Rule also lost to but by a wider margin at 84-47.
UP NEXT
Winner of Benjamin (9-0) vs. Motley County (4-6)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Rule: 18th appearance, second straight appearance
Newcastle: 18th appearance; third straight appearance
SPREADS
DCTF: NEWCASTLE BY 33
THE SPREAD SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: NEWCASTLE BY 29
THE PICK: NEWCASTLE
Loraine (9-1) vs. Panther Creek (3-6) - Friday, 7:30 p.m. - Blackwell
Series: Panther Creek leads 2-0
This one has a chance to be one of the more lopsided bi-district matchups in the area.
Loraine has been in the state rankings for nearly the entire season, while the Panthers snuck into the postseason with a 29-20 win at Paint Rock last week.
The Bulldogs only loss was to #1 Benjamin and they’ve beaten four playoff teams along the way, including 1A D1 Ira and O’Donnell.
This will be the first matchup between the two teams since Panther Creek beat the Bulldogs in 1991 and 1990.
UP NEXT
Winner of Zephyr (9-1) vs. Richland Springs (7-1)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Panther Creek: 22nd appearance, first appearance since 2018
Loraine: 14th appearance, fourth straight appearance
SPREADS
DCTF: LORAINE BY 56
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: LORAINE BY 45
THE PICK: LORAINE
Blackwell (6-4) vs. Rising Star (9-1) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Trent
Series: Series tied 1-1
Rising Star puts its dream season on the line against playoff veteran Blackwell Thursday night in Trent.
Both teams have won at this stadium already this season, the Hornets 86-22 over the Gorillas last week and the Wildcats 76-0 over the Gorillas in early October.
The Hornets bring a strong defense, fourth best in the Big Country giving up 22 points per game, while the Wildcats have been very strong on both sides of the ball giving up 12.2 points a game (second to Zephyr in the Big Country) and scoring 56.6 points per game (second to May in the area).
Read more about Rising Star’s rise to a contender here: Stevens has Rising Star on the rise
These two have met twice before in the playoffs. Rising Star won 56-8 in 2015 and Blackwell won 52-6 in 2014.
UP NEXT
Winner of Cherokee (9-1) vs. Blanket (8-2)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Blackwell: 18th appearance, sixth straight appearance
Rising Star: 20th appearance, first appearance since 2015
STAT LEADERS
Blackwell
N/A
Rising Star
Jake Bell: 39-56, 1022 yds, 16 TD, 2 int; 154 yds, 5 TD rushing; 73 tkl, 11 tfl, 4 int
Dathon Morris: 473 yds, 9 TD rushing; 23-31, 462 yds, 12 TD, 1 int; 9 rec, 191 yds, 3 TD; 51 tkl, 3 int
Blake Wilson: 404 yds, 8 TD rushing; 11 rec, 309 yds, 8 TD; 51 tkl, 2 int
Dakota Higgins: 16 rec, 383 yds, 8 TD; 75 tkl, 22 tfl, 4 fr
SPREADS
DCTF: RISING STAR BY 14
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: BLACKWELL BY 13
THE PICK: RISING STAR
Zephyr (9-1) vs. Richland Springs - Friday, 7 p.m. - Goldthwaite
Series: Richland Springs leads 12-9
The Bulldogs are back in the playoffs as district champions, but their first matchup is no pushover as they draw perennial power and eight-time state champion Richland Springs.
The Coyotes are not in the playoffs a district champ for the first time in 20 years after falling to Cherokee this season, but it is their only loss of the year.
Zephyr topped Blanket 38-30 to earn its first district crown since 2015 and snapped a two-year streak of missing the postseason.
Richland Springs has won the last seven in the series with the most recent coming in 2016. Zephyr’s last win over the Coyotes was in 1997. Their only other playoff game was a 40-20 Zephyr win in 1996.
UP NEXT
Winner of Loraine (9-1) vs. Panther Creek (3-6)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Richland Springs: 22nd appearance, 21st straight appearance
Zephyr: 24th appearance, first appearance since 2019
STAT LEADERS
Richland Springs
Braxton Ethridge: 579 yds, 14 TD rushing; 529 yds, 7 TD 1 int
Jayden Sutherland: 15 rec, 224 yds, 5 TD
Keston Lusty: 247 yds, 6 TD rushing; 50 tkl, 5.5 tfl
Zephyr
Jayden Millican: 1486 yds, 38 TD rushing; 92 tkl, 10 tfl
Tripp Ballard: 450 yds, 11 TD rushing; 91 tkl
Karson Floyd: 5 rec, 164 yds, 3 TD; 67 tkl, 4 tfl
SPREADS
DCTF: RICHLAND SPRINGS BY 15
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: RICHLAND SPRINGS BY 42
THE PICK: RICHLAND SPRINGS
Blanket (8-2) vs Cherokee (9-0) - Friday, 7 p.m. - San Saba
Series: Cherokee leads 10-6
The Tigers came up just short against Zephyr in the district title game last week and that sets them up against Cherokee in the bi-district round for the second straight season.
The Indians beat Blanket 51-6 in the postseason a year ago and knocked of Richland Springs this season in district play to come away with a district title. 84-44 over Bluff Dale and 78-47 over Richland Springs were the only two Cherokee games to go the distance this season.
Blanket lost the opener to Rising Star and the finale the Zephyr, but put a solid first season under Michael Cherry together in between. The Tigers won eight in a row, but none of the teams they beat ended up making the playoffs.
UP NEXT
Winner of Rising Star (9-1) vs. Blackwell (6-4)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Blanket: 12th appearance, fifth straight appearance
Cherokee: 31st appearance, third straight appearance
STAT LEADERS
Blanket
Levi Vasquez: 1280 yds, 27 TD rushing; 90 tkl, 6 fr
Braden Day: 1184 yds, 28 TD rushing; 90 tkl, 4 int, 4 fr
Mason Beck: 15-24, 282 yds, 7 TD
Isaac Smith: 10 rec, 219 yds, 6 TD; 66 tkl
Kannon Kensing: 102 tkl, 4 fr
Cherokee
N/A
SPREADS
DCTF: CHEROKEE BY 33
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: CHEROKEE BY 45
THE PICK: CHEROKEE
Abilene Christian (7-2) vs. Dallas Lutheran (5-5) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Trent
Series: First meeting
Abilene Christian is in the postseason once again and getting ready to face Dallas Lutheran in the first round Friday night.
However, they will do it without the head coach who has guided them to the playoffs the past two seasons. Daren Miller resigned last Friday and the Panthers will use a head coach by committee approach.
The Lions have not won a game on the field since beating McKinney Cornerstone 46-0 on October 7. They did get a forfeit victory over Dallas Lakehill two weeks ago but fell to Plano Coram Deo 62-38 in their last outing.
The Panthers have won six of their last seven outings, including topping Denton Calvery 51-6 in their last game two weeks ago. The lone loss was to district champ Fort Worth Covenant Classical.
Abilene Christian failed to win a playoff game last year for the first time since 2016, but they’ll have a great shot at starting a new streak this week.
UP NEXT
Winner of Amarillo San Jacinto (2-5) vs. Lucas Christian (10-0)
STAT LEADERS
Dallas Lutheran
Jonah Estes: 49-97, 693 yds, 13 TD, 4 int; 1055 yds, 16 TD rushing; 31 tkl, 1 int
Sean Comstock: 504 yds, 9 TD rushing; 20 rec, 264 yds, 4 TD; 48 tkl, 2 int
Abilene Christian
Ty Armstrong: 1125 yds, 20 TD rushing; 7-15, 153 yds, 3 TD passing; 33 tkl, 4 sacks
Davis Patteson: 462 yds, 11 TD rushing; 49 tkl, 3 int
Brooks Armstrong: 293 yds, 6 TD rushing
Isaac Presley: 9 rec, 173 yds, 4 TD
SPREADS
DCTF: ABILENE CHRISTIAN BY 6
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: ABILENE CHRISTIAN BY 45
THE PICK: ABILENE CHRISTIAN
COLLEGE
Photo: Jeremy Enlow/ACU Sports Information
ACU (6-3, 3-0) at Sam Houston (5-2) - Saturday, 12 p.m.
Series: Tied 13-13-1
ACU plays its third straight road game this week as they head to Huntsville to battle Sam Houston State.
The Bearkats are in the WAC but not eligible for the championship as they transition to the FBS and Conference USA in 2023.
The Wildcats picked up a key 28-23 win at Tarleton last week to stay perfect in WAC play, while Sam Houston beat Tarleton 40-21 two weeks ago. They were off last Saturday.
Abilene Christian only has two games left on the regular season schedule, this one and the home finale next week against Stephen F. Austin. A win there would give the Wildcats the WAC title in their first season under head Keith Patterson.
Sam Houston won in Abilene last season 35-9
STAT LEADERS
ACU
Maverick McIvor: 154-258, 1894 yds, 14 TD, 9 int; 60 yds, 1 TD rushing
Jermiah Dobbins: 738 yds, 7 TD rushing
Kobe Clark: 51 rec, 546 yds, 7 TD
Elijah Moffett: 41 tkl, 1 int
Tory Hargrove: 38 tkl, 7 tfl
Sam Houston
Keegan Shoemaker: 72-158, 803 yds, 4 TD, 3 int
Zach Hrbacke: 462 yds, 3 TD rushing
Cody Chrest: 28 rec, 406 yds, 2 TD
Kavian Gaither: 57 tkl, 3 sacks, 9.5 tfl
THE PICK: SAM HOUSTON
#8 Hardin-Simmons (8-1, 6-1) at Texas Lutheran (4-5, 3-4) - Saturday, 1 p.m.
Series: Hardin-Simmons leads 21-3
The Cowboys wrap up the regular season on the road at Texas Lutheran, hoping for another dominating effort to help their chances with the NCAA Division III football playoff committee.
Hardin-Simmons is on a six-game winning streak since falling to UMHB, including a 31-3 victory over Austin College their last time out.
TLU won last week at Southwestern 21-17 to inch closer to .500 on the season.
HSU beat TLU 65-0 at home last year. The Bulldogs last beat the Cowboys not too long ago in 2019.
STAT LEADERS
Texas Lutheran
Seth Cosme: 212-287, 2218 yds, 18 TD, 3 int
Jacob Forton: 464 yds, 10 TD rushing
Aaron Sotelo: 43 rec, 453 yds, 8 TD
Canon Kromis: 45 tkl, 5 tfl
Hardin-Simmons
Gaylon Glynn: 129-211, 1896 yds, 19 TD, 3 int; 245 yds, 2 TD
Myles Featherston: 495 yds, 5 TD rushing
Colton Marshall: 457 yds, 13 TD rushing
Kevi Evans: 39 rec, 801 yds, 8 TD
Gatlin Martin: 33 rec, 412 yds, 5 TD
Terrell Franklin: 69 tkl, 7 tfl, 3 int
Matt Mitchell: 60 tkl, 3 sacks, 11 tfl, 1 int, 1 fr, 1 ff
Brock Bujnoch: 40 tkl, 4 tfl, 3 int
THE PICK: HARDIN-SIMMONS
Howard Payne (6-3, 5-2) at Austin College (1-8, 1-6) - Saturday, 1 p.m.
Series: HPU leads 19-8
Howard Payne will complete the regular season in Sherman against Austin College Saturday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets can match last seasons 7-3 record with a victory, but were a few plays away from making 2022 even more special. They are coming off back-to-back losses to #8 Hardin-Simmons and #3 Mary Hardin-Baylor, games in which they had a chance to win deep in the second half.
HPU fell on a last-second field goal to the Crusaders 27-24 last week while the Kangaroos were beaten by HSU 31-3 in Abilene.
The Yellow Jackets have won the last two games in the series, including a 49-21 victory in 2021.
STAT LEADERS
Howard Payne
Landon McKinney: 168-291, 2636 yds, 24 TD, 11 int; 106 yds, 2 TD rushing
Tauren Bradley: 455 yds, 4 TD rushing
Javian Myles: 416 yds, 6 TD rushing
Billy Reagins: 460 yds, 6 TD rushing
Otis Lanier: 56 rec, 861 yds, 10 TD
Kyle Bell: 73 tkl, 3 tfl, 7 pbu
Austin College
Peyton Keily: 8-21, 153 yds, 2 TD, 0 int; 107 yds rushing
Ben Meraz: 472 yds, 5 TD rushing
Grant Yudizky: 7 rec, 155 yds, 1 TD
Brady Dygert: 76 tkl, 7.5 tfl
THE PICK: HOWARD PAYNE
McMurry (1-8, 1-6) at #3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (8-1, 7-0) - Saturday, 1 p.m.
Series: UMHB leads 11-0
McMurry will close the 2022 campaign with likely its toughest game of the season at third-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor.
The Crusaders have already clinched the ASC crown thanks to their three-point win at Howard Payne last Saturday.
The War Hawks were off last week and fell at Sul Ross 33-27 in their last outing. They are looking to pull off the upset to avoid regressing from two wins last season to one in 2022.
UMHB beat McMurry last season 77-3.
STAT LEADERS
McMurry
Andrew McBride: 76-158, 1022 yds, 7 TD, 5 int
Rajan Cunningham: 320 yds, 1 TD rushing
Kristopher Martin: 25 rec, 351 yds, 1 TD
Devin Nixon: 63 tkl, 7.5 tfl, 3 sacks, 2 ff
UMHB
Kyle King: 167-269, 2407 yds, 30 TD, 3 int
Aphonso Thomas: 704 yds, 7 TD rushing
K.J. Miller: 47 rec, 633 yds, 7 TD
Durand Hill: 83 tkl, 6.5 tfl
Johnny Smith-Rider: 58 tkl, 15 tfl, 2 sacks, 1 int, 4 ff
