Featured Game of the Week (Week 0)

#10 Longview @ #8 Lufkin

    Historic rivals Longview and Lufkin play the first of two games against one another this year at Abe Martin Stadium this Friday night.  They are set for battle again on October 5^th in Longview.  They played each other twice in the regular season when the former East Texas district was cut down to four teams in 2004 before being nixed all together in the 2006 alignment. 

    Lufkin has dominated this series recently and Longview has grown tired of that no doubt.  What better place to make a statement of intent for 2007 than in the backyard of one of their fiercest rivals?  Given Lufkin’s strength in front of the home crowd, that is obviously easier typed here than done on the field.  Lufkin and Longview return a similar amount of experience.  Both teams must gain experience after talented seniors graduated.  Lufkin was loaded with seniors across the board last year.  Most of Longview’s senior leaders were on defense. 

    Lufkin’s strength on offense will be their receivers and offensive line.  Senior transfer RB Will Christopherson will help junior Trevon Lewis carry the load in the ground game.  and The Panthers are bigger than they normally are on the offensive line this year.  Longview’s trump cards on offense are senior RB Mark Johnson and senior WR Travrus Brown.  They were two of the Lobos’ best players in 2006.  Senior OLB Jazmon Moon made the move from offense to defense in off-season.  For Lufkin, junior DL JaMarcus McFarland and senior DB Darrius Terry figure heavily into the Panthers’ plans on defense.  Newcomer Montavus Mott (senior DT) could have a big season alongside McFarland. 

    Lufkin is a slight favorite, but this may be the best chance Longview’s had of beating the Panthers in quite some time.  These are two teams who should make plenty of noise this season. 

OUR PICK- LUFKIN

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 1)

#14 Rockwall @ #5 Allen

These two DFW programs got off to strong starts last week.  Rockwall traveled to Midland and beat the Bulldogs 40-7.  Allen beat Garland at Texas Stadium in a tightly contested game, 21-15.

 Both of these teams have several key players with at least a year of varsity experience.  Rockwall signal caller Braden Smith (senior) is one such player.  Smith is 10-5A District MVP candidate.  Smith’s also got experience up front on the line.  Senior Robert Carter takes over for graduated Marcus Mathis in the backfield.  Defensively, the Jackets proved opportunistic last week at Midland by forcing turnovers to turn the tide in their favor immediately and will need more of the same this week.

Allen is known as a powerful team on offense, but proved they could handle their own on defense against Garland last week.  If the Eagles can build on that performance, that’ll be huge for this Allen team in district and down the road in the playoffs.  The receiving corps is very talented and explosive.  Senior Stephen Payne and sophomore Matt Brown rotate at QB.

Overall, this has the look of a game that could finish with both teams in the high 20s to lower 30s.  Both of these defenses are capable of stepping up and keeping the scoring under control though.  Allen is the favorite at home, but this should be a good game.  This is a match-up between two virtual playoff locks out to prove they are among the best in the area, so fans will be treated to a Holiday season preview this weekend. 

OUR PICK- ALLEN

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 2)

#1 Southlake Carroll vs. #1 Miami Northwestern (Fla.)

This is being called the best national high school football match-up of all time.  The game pits the #1 ranked team from Texas versus the #1 ranked team in Florida.  Both programs finished as undefeated state champions a year ago and enter this season with multiple returning starters.  However, both teams underwent total overhauls on their coaching staffs.  Previous Dragon head coach Todd Dodge left Southlake to take the helm at the University of North Texas early this year.  Hal Wasson, whose son Chase quarterbacked Carroll to a 16-0 state championship year in 2002, has taken over the reigns.  Wasson was previously at Keller Fossil Ridge and employs the same offensive scheme as Dodge.

Northwestern swept its decks under judicial force this summer.  The previous regime was fired following a court investigation into the school’s mishandling of a situation in which a star football player was involved in a felony committed on campus property.  Billy Rolle, previously at Northwestern rival Miami Central, is now the Bulls’ head coach.  Rolle has previous coaching experience at Northwestern and helped guide the 1998 team, which included star WR Antonio Bryant, to a state championship.

To say these two programs have had eventful off-seasons would be a gross understatement.  However, this Saturday night the lights will turn on, the ball will go up and the country will be treated to a high school football game between two national powerhouses.

Northwestern has shown some rust out of the gate this season despite the 2-0 record, and that’s not totally surprising given the sudden coaching overhaul in the summer.  The talent on this team is undeniable.  Senior Jacory Harris leads the offense at QB.  Harris is a Miami commit.  Harris is a dual-threat and operates from the shotgun.  He has very talented receivers.  Seniors Tommy Streeter and Aldarius Johnson are both D1 college prospects.  The offensive line is big across the board.  On defense, senior DT Marcus Forston (Miami commit) anchors the Bulls.  Senior LBs Quavon Taylor and Sean Spence are two more stand-outs in Northwestern’s very talented front seven.  Naturally, Northwestern is a UM pipeline given its location but it goes a little deeper than that now.  UM Head Coach Randy Shannon was born and raised in Liberty City, where Northwestern is located.

Carroll got off to a nice start against Richardson Lake Highlands last week winning 42-10.  The Dragons did most of their damage after halftime and rolled up nearly 600 total yards in the process.  The offense has 9 returning starters from a unit that average 46 points a game last season.  Obviously, this is a very potent team on offense that can score points in droves.  Senior QB Riley Dodge and senior RB Tre Newton get much of the press, deservedly so, but the Dragon receivers and linemen are also outstanding.  On defense, the Dragons are young in spots but talented across the board.  Senior LB Derek Tomlin and senior DB Luke Anderson are two veteran leaders on defense.

This is a very intriguing match-up between the two top ranked national programs in most polls.  We favor Carroll to win because of how experienced their players have become in playing big time games this decade.  Spread teams like Carroll are often categorized as soft, but the Dragons are far from it.  Northwestern offers up quite a challenge athletically in certain spots, but we feel like Carroll’s experience on the big stage will see them win this game.  The start will be crucial for Carroll.  Northwestern will likely enter this game with an "us against the world" mentality on the road, and the Dragons can take a big steps towards success by taking control of the game early and not allowing the Bulls to gather steam.  One the main keys for Northwestern will be how well they coordinate coverages in the secondary, and also in how well their defensive line pressures Riley Dodge.  Against Carroll, the defensive line must be able to generate pressure on its own to open things up for the rest of the defense.  ESPNU will carry a live broadcast of this game.

OUR PICK- CARROLL

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 3)

#1 Southlake Carroll @ #14 Rockwall

The Carroll Dragons were on the losing end of the scoreboard for the first time since 2003 last weekend in their national clash against Florida’s #1 Miami Northwestern.  After playing on Saturday, the Dragons have a short turnaround for this game on the road against a strong Rockwall squad.

The Yellowjackets are 1-1 so far.  They beat Midland 40-7 in zero week and lost at Allen 35-27 the week after.  Rockwall’s bye week fell last weekend, so they’ve had two weeks to learn from the Allen game and get ready for Carroll.  The Dragons beat Lake Highlands 42-10 to start followed by the 29-21 loss to Northwestern last week.  Rockwall will be much more rested than Carroll, but it’ll be interesting to see exactly how that particular dynamic plays out in the game.

The Jackets have lit things up in the air so far this season thanks to the aerial prowess of senior quarterback Braden Smith.  Smith passed for over 400 yards against Allen.  This is where Rockwall will need to gain yards on the Dragon defense because Carroll’s run defense will not allow much room.  Carroll, of course, has one of the most potent offenses in the state.  There isn’t an area of the offense an opponent can afford to key on without risk to being completely opened up in another spot.

Defensively, Rockwall played well against Midland but struggled to contain Allen’s explosive attack.  They will face their biggest test of the season this week.  Junior OLB Aaron Arterburn is a key player for the Jackets.  Carroll is strong in the front seven, but not yet proven in the secondary.  Senior LB Derek Tomlin will be seen all over the field.

Carroll is our pick to win this game because we feel like Rockwall will have to make it a shootout to stay close.  That’s usually not a good formula to use against the Dragons.  If Carroll allows the Northwestern loss to affect themselves mentally, then Rockwall will have a chance to spring an upset.  We don’t see such a hangover occurring given the experience on this Dragon team. 

OUR PICK- CARROLL

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 4)

#3 Allen @ #11 Plano

9-5A district play starts off with a bang as Allen visits Plano.  The Eagles and Wildcats are off to 3-0 starts and the winner of this game can send a message to the rest of the district.  Obviously, this is a very important match-up in the district scope and it will have playoff positioning implications later on.

Plano’s start is definitely more surprising than Allen’s given the Wildcats were down last year after their stellar 2005 season.  Plano is winning with both offense and defense so far.  Junior QB Carson Meager has been a revelation.  Junior RB Rex Burkhead has picked up right where he left off in his all-district sophomore season.  Senior LB CJ Martin is one of the players leading Plano’s stingy defense.  Plano can make a real statement by performing well in this game.

Meager’s stepped on the field and played very well for Plano this year, and Allen has a similar story with sophomore QB Matt Brown.  Brown’s taken over the starting role and done very well.  He’s got one of the best receiving corps in Texas to work with.  Allen’s shown vulnerability on defense so far against a tough schedule, and it doesn’t get any easier this week.  Given Plano’s proven to have balance this year, the Eagle defense must play well to avoid allowing the Wildcats control of the game.

As noted above, this game carries big implications in 9-5A.  These are two of the district championship favorites following non-district play and one of them will be in a great position to make a run at that after this game.  We favor Plano’s defense and their ability to control the clock with Burkhead’s running in this game. 

OUR PICK- PLANO

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 5)

#12 Cedar Hill @ Desoto

The defending state champs Cedar Hill had their 19 game winning streak snapped last week in a 57-45 thriller with Arlington Bowie.  Now, the Longhorns take on rival Desoto.  Cedar Hill took two games from the Eagles last year on their way to the state championship, once in district and again in the state quarterfinals.  Desoto has several players with experience from last year, so it’s probably safe to say they’ve been looking forward to this week since last December.

Both teams currently stand with 3-1 records.  Desoto lost to Bryan in non-district.  The Eagles won their first district game last week against Arlington (43-22).  After the loss to Bowie, this is basically a must win game for Cedar Hill.  If they are going to contend for a district title, they obviously can’t afford to start 0-2.  The Longhorns have been on point so far on offense thanks to senior QB James Hamilton’s quick adaptation to a lead role on the team after playing in support the last couple of seasons.  Defensively, they’ve been porous and allow nearly 28 points per game.  For a team targeting championships, district and state, that’s obviously not going to get it done.  Cedar Hill can make a statement defensively by stepping up against Desoto.

Desoto has the talent to play with anyone, but have been somewhat hit and miss so far execution wise.  The Eagles turned the ball over 6 times in their loss at Bryan.  They’ve accumulated several penalties so far this season as well.  That is the kind of thing they need to clean up this week if they plan on beating the Longhorns.  QB-RB Cyrus Gray and DB-RB Adrian Bushell are two of Desoto’s best players.  Two keys for Desoto will be establishing the run on offense and disciplined containment on defense. 

Cedar Hill just finished a track meet last week, but this game has the capability to take on a similar personality.  Both of these teams are explosive offensively.  We will find out what each of these teams has learned from their losses.  We pick Cedar Hill in a game we see being much too close for the comfort of those in attendance.  Cedar Hill needs to take the field with the mindset of a junkyard dog for this one as they simply can’t afford to drop two in a row.  This is the measuring stick game for Desoto.  Bragging rights are on the line in this backyard battle. 

OUR PICK- CEDAR HILL

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 6)

#3 SA Madison @ #16 Converse Judson

Madison's front-loaded district schedule continues this week with a trip to Judson.  The Mavs played Smithson Valley and Reagan in back to back weeks leading up to this game.  Judson is the only other team in 26-5A without a loss.  The Rockets are 3-0 and Madison is 4-0.  Madison beat Reagan 42-14 in Week 5 and Judson cruised past Roosevelt 34-7.  Of course, the season ending injury to Devin Thomas changes things for the Mavericks.  

Madison will likely use a combination players at the running back position in Thomas' absence.  Senior Josh Miles is a talented all-purpose player who can take over the backfield role.  Miles can score from anywhere on the field.  Senior QB Bryan Ehrlich has proven to be effective this season, so he is definitely another player who can help pick up the slack.  The Judson defense must be able to guard against both the run and the pass.  Madison doesn't have a problem producing talented skill athletes so the defense must respect who lines up beside Ehrlich.

Judson has played well so far in district play.  The Rockets seem to have solved problems both on offense and defense since the loss to Kerrville Tivy a month ago.  The offense is moving better recently because junior running back Robert Shaw has emerged as number one running back.  Shaw ran for over 200 yards in the win over Roosevelt last week.  At the moment, only Madison's defense has performed better than Judson out of all 26-5A teams.

Madison remains the favorite to win this game, but the advantage obviously isn't as pronounced as it would be with Thomas.  However, Madison does still have a talented football team and need to pull themselves together quickly in order to beat an improving Judson squad.

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 7)

Irving Macarthur @ Euless Trinity

7-5A’s district championship front runner will be decided when Macarthur visits Trinity this week.  Both the Cardinals and Trojans enter this game with 3-0 district marks.  Trinity’s hit a stride after their loss to Permian and has a four-game winning streak.  Macarthur is one of the surprises of the season so far at 6-0.

Mac’s used an explosive offense to help win games so far.  A base three-pronged assault of senior QB Erick Foreman, senior RB Edward Wesley and senior WR Darrin Moore has been tough to stop so far this year.  The Cardinals will face what’s easily the best defense they’ve seen at this point in Trinity.  The Trojans allow just under 10 points per game.  Seniors DB Wayne Heimuli, DL Yanick Kande, DL Robert Griffin and DB Prinze Kande are  among the Trojans’ most experienced players.  This is one of the top defensive units in the state.

Trinity’s ground game and defense are wearing opponents down.  The Trojans have pitched consecutive shutouts.  If the running game continues to improve, it will obviously help Trinity overall.  If the offense is moving the ball consistently, the defense will be that much tougher due to more rest.  Macarthur has several talented skill athletes as usual, so this should be a good challenge for Trinity.  Foreman is a running QB and that’s always a test for a defense. 

Macarthur will need to be strong up front on defense to keep Trinity from moving the ball at will on the ground.  That's easier said than done.  A key will be forcing Trinity into as many third-and-longs as possiblle.

Trinity was written off as one of the state’s top teams after an ugly loss to Permian at Ratliff but have quietly played very consistent football lately.  Macarthur is a very good opponent for Trinity, but we pick the Trojans at home based on their running game and smothering defense. 

OUR PICK- TRINITY

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 8)

#3 Odessa Permian @ #6 Abilene

    This is the most anticipated LSWC match-up since Cooper and Abilene High clashed with undefeated records on the line five years ago.  The resurgent Permian Panthers are on a roll this season.   The Panthers have outscored opponents an average of 46 to 11.  Abilene is 7-0 overall like Permian, but haven’t been quite as dominant on the scoreboard (29-14 average result).  Abilene’s played the stronger schedule of the two.  Permian played three 2-5A teams in addition to Euless Trinity in non-district, and Abilene squared off against Westlake, Denton Ryan (4A), Mesquite and Tyler Lee.  Lubbock Monterey was the only common opponent shared in non-district.  Abilene won at Monterey 17-0 and Permian beat them in Ratliff 44-7.  The most recent common opponent is Midland Lee.  Permian played Lee two weeks ago and won 31-7 at home.  Abilene played them on the road last week and won 37-13.  Abilene is three-time defending district champions, and Permian is on a mission to reclaim the crown.

   Permian’s multiple offense, led by senior QB Taylor Byrd, often lights up the scoreboard.  Senior all-purpose talent Melvis Pride adds big play ability to the offense.  Byrd and Pride are having big seasons for Mojo.  Senior Joseph Knighten and senior RB Jamison Berryhill are two more top contributors for the Panthers.  Permian has a number of players who can produce on offense.  The attack is definitely not limited to one or two players.  The defense has been just as tough on opponents as the offense.  Senior DE Austin Shaffer and senior DB Andrew Amoyah are two of the most experienced players on defense.  They are three-year starters.  Permian turned heads when they held a powerful Trinity team to three points in a 30-3 win.  That performance sent a clear warning signal around Texas, and the game in Abilene will show just how far along this Panther team is.

    Abilene High earned perhaps their most complete victory of the season so far against Midland Lee, so they entered this preparation week with a nice boost of momentum.  Senior QB Spens Lackey and Stephen Warren collaborate to direct the Eagles’ versatile offense.  Senior RB Keith Flye leads the Abilene running game with nearly 700 yards rushing so far.  Seniors JJ James and Kortney McDow are experienced out wide.  The Eagles didn’t score many points early on, but are putting things together.  They have the talent to be very good on offense.  The defense has been outstanding most of this season.  Junior LB Chris Williams and senior LB Mark Weaver are two of Abilene’s leaders on this side of the ball.  The only hiccup so far came against Denton Ryan in a 49-41 thriller.  Ryan lit up the Eagle secondary for 445 passing yards, so this will be an area to monitor this Friday night.

    Again, this is the most significant LSWC match-up in a while.  Abilene can take a gigantic step towards a remarkable fourth district championship in a row with a win, and Permian can confirm their resurrection by traveling to Shotwell and beating the Eagles.  Permian hasn’t had to win a game in the fourth quarter yet this season, so Abilene could have a real advantage if this game is tight late given they are battle tested and playing in front of the home crowd.  Abilene could have a tough time keeping the Permian offense out of the end zone if their secondary hasn’t improved enough since the Ryan game.  This is an intriguing clash on many levels.  We are picking Permian to go on the road and earn a hard fought win at Shotwell, but also believe that Abilene will not concede easily.   

OUR PICK- PERMIAN

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 9)

#13 Klein Oak @ #22 Spring Westfield

    Klein Oak, fresh off a big win over Klein Forest, travels down the road to George Stadium this week with the 16-5A district championship on the line.  Westfield beat Klein 41-17 last week.  Westfield is 6-2, 4-0 in district.  Oak beat Forest 24-20.  Oak is 8-0 overall and 4-0 in district.

    Westfield is rebounding after an inconsistent first half of the season which saw them drop games to Cy Falls (49-47) and Memorial (10-9).  The Mustangs have a very strong running game thanks to senior Bo Walker.  The offensive line is very good.  The quarterback play has been improved lately.  Westfield entered the year totally inexperienced at the position.  The defense has been inconsistent, but have played well the last few weeks. 

    Oak’s talented skill players will be a challenge for Westfield to contain.  However, the Mustangs are better equipped athletically than most teams so Oak will have to work for their scores as they did last week against a sound Forest defense. 

    Oak and Westfield are well on pace to finish as the top two playoff seeds from 16-5A.  They have a two game lead over the rest of the pack going into this game.  However, the district championship is a big motivation and both will be eager to continue progressing with the post-season so close.  This should be a very good game between two teams playing good football. 

OUR PICK- KLEIN OAK

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Featured Game of the Week (Week 10)

Arlington Bowie @ Desoto 

   The Bowie Vols travel to DeSoto this weekend to try and complete a 10-0 regular season.  Bowie is also fighting for an outright district championship.  DeSoto sits a game back at 5-1. Bowie’s played consistently well all year thanks to their all-around strength as a team.  DeSoto has two losses by three points apiece.  The Eagles lost to Bryan in non-district and Arlington Martin in district.  Both teams were impressive last week.  Bowie beat Duncanville 42-14 and DeSoto beat Arlington Houston 66-14.

   Bowie and DeSoto feature speed across the board and are two programs known for the talent they produce.  Bowie can run and pass on offense.  DeSoto runs an option scheme.  Senior Eagle QB-RB Cyrus Gray is one of the best players in the state.  Junior QB Christian Matthews directs the Bowie offense.  He has a very talented stable of receivers.  On defense, Bowie’s given up 13 points per game compared to 19.7 for DeSoto.

   DeSoto’s worst enemy so far this season has been themselves. Turnovers and penalties played a role in both of their losses.  When they play a clean game, they are a tough opponent for anyone.  We give Bowie the edge in this match-up because of how consistent their defense has been.  This team’s been playing consistently football so far this year and that is a credit to Coach Perry, his staff, and of course the players for executing on game day.  Bowie and DeSoto’s playoff positioning depends on the outcome of other games in the district, particularly Cedar Hill-Duncanville. 

OUR PICK- BOWIE

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