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%
WEEK 12 PICKS: 28-32, 87.5%
WEEK 13 PICKS: 12-17, 70.6%
WEEK 14 PICKS: 8-9, 88.9%
SEASON: 419-502, 83.5 %

They always remember the games in December.

You’ve heard that phrase or one similar to it if you follow high school football.

Six area teams get to play December football, joining an elite group of players whose season extends into the final month of the year.

Brownwood falling to Wichita Falls was my only miss last week, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one to fail on that selection as the Coyotes shocked West Texas with their victory.

Best of luck to our teams left, hope to see you in action again next week!

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Become the exclusive sponsor of The Weekly Rewind or Blitz Picks next week!

Contact: cody@bigcountryblitz.com

Wylie (10-3) vs. Argyle (13-0) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Tarleton State’s Memorial Stadium, Stephenville

Series: Argyle leads 5-2

The Cardiac Kids are still alive and getting set for their toughest test of the playoffs and probably their toughest test of the season against unbeaten Argyle.

The Eagles, ranked number one in 5A Division II in the final poll of the season, have advanced in the playoffs with a 63-0 win over Fort Worth Wyatt, a 7-0 win against Wichita Falls Rider and a 44-27 victory last week over Grapevine. They also beat Grapevine in the regular season 31-15 and their closest regular season contest was a 56-49 win over Lovejoy—who got knocked out of the playoffs by South Oak Cliff 42-37 last week.

These two programs have “grown up” together a bit it seems, making the transition from 4A to 5A and facing each other in the postseason twice as 4A schools in 2015 and 2016. The Eagles won 24-17 in the semifinals in 2015 and the Bulldogs returned the favor with a 35-14 win in the third round the next season. This is Argyle’s first season as a 5A school and they haven’t had any issues against bigger competition thus far.

Close wins have become the Bulldogs’ trademark over the second half of the season as they have pulled off fourth quarter comebacks to beat Rider, Palo Duro, Colleyville Heritage and Canutillo last week. If Wylie is close in the fourth quarter: look out. They don’t seem to know the meaning of the word quit.

UP NEXT

Winner of South Oak Cliff (10-3) vs. Melissa (11-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Arlington’s Choctaw Stadium

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Wylie: 32nd appearance, 1st appearance since 2020
Argyle: 19th appearance, 19th straight appearance

TEAM STATS

Points per game: Wylie 36.1 — Argyle: 35.6
Points allowed per game: Wylie: 24.3 — Argyle: 13.3
Point differential: Wylie: +11.8 — Argyle: +22.3
Streak: Wylie: won 8— Argyle: won 13

STAT LEADERS
Wylie
KJ Long: 182-265, 3010 yds, 34 TD, 7 int; 644 yds, 6 TD rushing
Landry Carlton: 1015 yds, 8 TD rushing; 12 rec, 100 yds, 1 TD
Malachi Daniels: 428 yds, 7 TD rushing; 9 rec, 154 yds, 2 TD
Julius Lane: 369 yds, 5 TD rushing
Braden Regala: 83 rec, 1262 yds, 11 TD; 111 yds, 3 TD rushing
Harrison Heighten: 36 rec, 699 yds, 9 TD
Hunter Hood: 15 rec, 406 yds, 3 TD

Argyle
John Gailey: 70-136, 1308 yds, 13 TD, 3 int
Jacob Robinson: 48-104, 704 yds, 7 TD, 5 int; 314 yds, 3 TD rushing
RJ Bunnell: 1424 yds, 18 TD rushing
Will Hodson: 27 rec, 557 yds, 5 TD
Grant Mirabal: 107 tkl, 14 tfl
Riley Van Poppel: 64 tkl, 13 tfl, 8 sacks
Jaaquan Felton: 34 tkl, 5 int

THE PICK: ARGYLE

Cisco (11-2) vs. Hawley (13-0) - Friday, 7 p.m. - ACU

Series: Cisco leads 8-4

These two met in a classic to end the regular season and many had a good feeling we’d get to see them meet again in the playoffs.

Our wishes have come true and they will clash at ACU Friday night for the right to move on to the state semifinals.

Click the link below for a full break down of the game, including analysis from fellow District 4-2A Division I coaches Monty Leaf of Colorado City, Britt Hart of Stamford and Matt McCarty of Winters.

District coaches break down Hawley/Cisco rematch

UP NEXT

Winner of Tolar (13-0) vs. Crawford (13-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Burleson’s Burleson Stadium

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Cisco: 31st appearance, 12th straight appearance
Hawley: 12th appearance, 10th straight appearance

TEAM STATS

Points per game: Cisco: 35.8 — Hawley: 40.5
Points allowed per game: Cisco: 13.1 — Hawley: 9.2
Point differential: Cisco: +22.7 — Hawley: +31.3
Streak: Cisco: won 3 — Hawley: Won 13

STAT LEADERS
Cisco
Hunter Long: 74-116, 1388 yds, 19 TD, 2 int; 2024 yds, 26 TD rushing
Trent Huston: 1021 yds, 15 TD rushing; 5 rec, 64 yds, 1 TD
Cade Gayle: 30 rec, 652 yds, 10 TD; 262 yds, 3 TD rushing; 1 punt return TD
Carter Holton: 10 rec, 246 yds, 4 TD

Hawley
Rodey Hooper: 142-211, 2691 yds, 29 TD, 6 int; 240 yds, 4 TD rushing
Austin Cumpton: 1719yds, 33 TD rushing; 92 tkl, 14 tfl, 3 int
Will Scott: 36 rec, 624 yds, 7 TD; 96 tkl, 10 tfl, 4 int
Kason O’Shields: 29 rec, 495 yds, 7 TD; 61 tkl, 3 int
Chandlin Myers: 33 rec, 604 yds, 7 TD; 56 tkl, 3 int
Diontay Ramon: 41 rec, 922 yds, 9 TD; 53 tkl, 23 tfl, 7 sacks
Hez Parker: 127 tkl, 16 tfl, 2 int

THE PICK: HAWLEY

Albany (11-2) vs. Collinsville (12-1) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Mineral Wells

Series: First meeting

The Lions got past traditional power Wink last week and now will face a Collinsville team that is in the fourth round for the first time in program history after slipping past Windthorst 32-28.

Collinsville, winner of District 8-2A Division II, got past Haskell 21-7, McCamey 50-14 and Windthorst to reach the state quarterfinals.

Albany, in the quarterfinals for the second straight season and fourth time in the past six years, has eased past Eldorado 49-13, Muenster 56-10 and got a bit of test from Wink in a 35-18 win.

For the second straight week the Lions will have to defend a do-it-all quarterback. Collinsville’s Logan Jenkins has put up even better numbers this season than Wink’s Kanon Gibson, combining for over 4,000 total yards and 54 touchdowns running and passing. Nathen Bocanegra and Carter Scott provide two very good targets for him in the passing game.

Cole Chapman is back from injury with a vengeance and played his best game of the season last week, throwing for 128 yards and three scores and running for 91 yards and another touchdown.

Collinsville is on a great run to get this far, but an experienced Albany team is rounding into shape at the right time and should be too much for the Pirates Friday in Mineral Wells.

UP NEXT

Winner of Wellington (12-1) vs. New Home (12-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Canyon’s Happy State Bank Stadium

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Albany: 49th appearance, 21st straight appearance
Collinsville: 20th appearance, first appearance since 2020

TEAM STATS

Points per game: Albany: 40.7 — Collinsville: 38.1
Points allowed per game: Albany: 11.2 — Collinsville: 17.5
Point differential: Albany: +29.5 — Collinsville: +20.6
Streak: Albany: won 8 — Collinsville: won 9

STAT LEADERS
Albany
Cole Chapman: 68-118, 938 yds, 12 TD, 0 int; 328 yds, 3 TD rushing
London Fuentes: 25-40, 420 yds, 6 TD, 3 int; 199 yds, 2 TD rushing; 27 rec, 420 yds, 5 TD; 46 tkl, 6 int
Adam Hill: 1224 yds, 21 TD rushing; 11 rec, 227 yds, 5 TD; 91 tkl, 20.5 tfl, 8.5 sacks
Coy Lefevre: 883 yds, 16 TD rushing; 8 rec, 135 yds, 2 TD; 54 tkl, 3 int
Cason Fairchild: 26 rec, 336 yds, 3 TD; 51 tkl, 5 int
Jayden Lucas: 105 tkl, 12 tfl
Coy Cauble: 106 tkl, 6.5 tfl, 1 sack
Tye Edgar: 81 tkl, 14.5 tfl, 8 sacks
Wyatt Windham: 100 tkl, 4 int

Collinsville
Logan Jenkins: 254-379, 3183 yds, 43 TD, 11 int; 843 yds, 11 TD rushing
Rylan Newman: 1275 yds, 13 TD rushing; 28 rec, 214 yds, 4 TD; 49 tkl, 4 int
Nathen Bocanegra: 75 rec, 854 yds, 10 TD
Carter Scott: 63 rec, 1125 yds, 11 TD
Garrett Trevino: 207 tkl, 11 tfl
Reed Patterson: 180 tkl, 5 tfl, 6 int

THE PICK: ALBANY

Westbrook (12-1) vs. Happy (12-1) - Friday, 6 p.m. - Slaton

Series: Westbrook leads 2-0

The Wildcats and Cowboys will meet for the third time in a calendar year Friday when they face off in Slaton in the 1A D1 state semifinals.

Westbrook beat Happy 54-20 in the semis last season and 62-16 in the season opener for both teams this season.

Both teams have had no issues in the playoffs. Happy beat Miami 52-0, Knox City 50-0 and Nazareth 56-16, while Westbrook took down Garden City 72-22, Buena Vista 48-0 and Rankin 62-16.

The Wildcats have certainly stepped their game up in the playoffs against a tougher schedule than the Cowboys have faced, as Garden City was #10 and Rankin #4 in the last poll of the season.

These two teams had never played until last year.

UP NEXT

State championship game against the winner of Abbott (13-0) vs. Irion County (12-0) - 6 p.m. Saturday at Early

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Westbrook: 6th appearance, third straight appearance
Happy: 10th appearance, fourth straight appearance

TEAM STATS

Points per game: Westbrook: 56.7 — Happy: 54.9
Points allowed per game: Westbrook: 18.6 — Happy: 12.8
Point differential: Westbrook: +38.1 — Happy: +45.2
Streak: Westbrook: won 8 — Happy: won 12

STAT LEADERS
Westbrook
Parker Matlock: 62-93, 771 yds, 14 TD, 3 int; 42 yds, 1 TD rushing; 81 tkl, 14 tfl, 5 int
Cedric Ware: 1584 yds, 40 TD rushing; 17 rec, 239 yds, 5 TD; 52 tkl, 7 tfl
Grayson Jeffrey: 1207 yds, 22 TD rushing; 5 rec, 61 yds, 1 TD; 43 tkl, 7 int
Hadley White: 12 rec, 183 yds, 3 TD; 46 tkl, 10 tfl, 2 int
Bo Payne: 14 rec, 108 yds, 3 TD; 54-83 PAT
Pahton Dominguez: 86 tkl, 23 tfl, 4 int, 2 int return for TD, 5 sacks, 3 ff, 1 fr; 262 yds, 6 TD rushing

Happy
N/A

SPREADS
SIXMANFOOTBALL.COM: WESTBROOK BY 12

THE PICK: WESTBROOK

Loraine (12-1) vs. Oakwood (11-2) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Dublin

Series: First meeting

The Bulldogs have been playing some of the best ball in the state over the past few weeks and will put their “Mad Dawg” defense up against one of the best running backs around this week in the 1A D2 semifinals.

Oakwood features Zack Nickerson who has rushed for a state record 77 touchdowns this season. He and the Panthers have advanced in the postseason with a 71-44 win over Bynum, a 38-32 upset of #4 Oglesby and a 64-51 win over #9 Bluff Dale last week.

Loraine took down #2 Cherokee 24-6 last week, beat #5 Richland Springs the week before 52-0 and cruised past Panther Creek 56-0 in bi-district.

The Bulldog defense is no joke. They’ve only allowed 32 points over the past six weeks, shutting out three teams and allowing single-digits two other times.

Oakwood averages 64.5 points per game, which is the best mark in the state in 1A D2. Their only two losses this season were in non-district to East Texas Homeschool 72-58 and Leverett’s Chapel 94-72.

UP NEXT

State championship vs. winner of Whitharral (12-1) vs. Benjamin (12-0) - 3 p.m. Saturday at Hermleigh

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Loraine: 14th appearance, fourth straight appearance
Oakwood: 16th appearance, eighth straight appearance

TEAM STATS

Points per game: Loraine: 50.4 — Oakwood: 64.5
Points allowed per game: Loraine 19 — Oakwood: 30.5
Point differential: Loraine: +31.4 — Oakwood: +30.5
Streak: Loraine: won 7 — Oakwood: won 7