The 411 on Texas high school football's opening week

[caption id="attachment_24865" align="alignright" width="350"]Lake Travis WR Maleek Barkley (Photo by Graham Staniforth) Lake Travis WR Maleek Barkley (Photo by Graham Staniforth)[/caption] Texas high school football proved again why it’s the best in the country. Over 1,400 high schools began a march towards a state championship over the weekend. A few games were dampened with lightning delays, but for the most part, we were treated to an exciting Week 1. Here are four observations, one question and one prediction in this week’s 4-1-1. Four ObservationsClass 6A is wide open Lake Travis lost to Converse Judson. Cedar Hill was romped by a select team from Nevada and Katy narrowly left Westlake without a win. Those were our top three teams in Class 6A coming into the season. Westlake and Converse Judson were the big winners of Week 1. The Chaps weren’t unscathed in victory, however, as quarterback Sam Ehlinger banged up both knees and will attempt to play through the pain for the rest of the season. Allen didn’t look like world-beaters in a game against Hoover (Ala.). DeSoto did roll thought Dallas Jesuit in impressive fashion. One week into the season and we’re already scrambling for favorites in Class 6A. A tough non-district loss won’t prevent either Lake Travis or Katy from bouncing back and making a run at a state championship. Galena Park North Shore won last year’s Class 6A Division I championship after starting 1-3. Nothing was finalized in Week 1, but one thing is clear – 6A lacks a true favorite. Denton Ryan, 5A goes as expected Much is expected of Denton Ryan and the Raiders began to show the promise of a future state champion in a gritty victory over Lancaster, also a ranked team in Class 5A. Ryan’s move down in classifications over the offseason put the other contenders on notice. A shaky start against Lancaster was overcome by the offensive firepower and the defensive pressure of the Raiders. Class 5A went as expected in Week 1. The top 10 teams all won. Aledo escaped past an impressive Colleyville Heritage team. Cedar Park walked through Waco Midway to set up a non-district tilt against Vandegrift in Week 2 and Manvel showed promise with a 14-point victory over Crosby. Texas vs. the World Look, I get it. The people who care about high school football don’t like watching broadcasts centered on recruiting. There are a few dozen athletes on each team important enough to mention during a game, yet ESPN talked 99 percent of the time about star rankings and possible destinations. We want football. There is good news, though. Television invented this little thing called a mute button. It’s great. You can watch something you love – say, a great game between two football teams from different parts of the country – without listening to other people ruin it. It’s all the rage. There isn’t a better prep football state in the known world. Texas is king. Did every single Texas team beat out-of-state opponents in Week 1? Nope. But, the depth and passion around the state make us unmatched. We can be secure enough in this fact to not let a loss to a team from Oklahoma or Nevada or even Mexico make us defensive. Our tenth best team would beat most state’s fifth best team. As the great poet Kendrick Lamar once said, “we gonna be alright.” Cameron Yoe remains a contender Cameron Yoe lost its head coach and all-everything running back this offseason after failing in a bid to win another state title last year. Instead of showing signs of regression, Yoe impressed in a 23-point win over Class 4A Bellville, thanks in large part to Sicory Smith. He played second fiddle at Yoe the past two seasons because of Traion Smith, but it is now Sicory’s show. He had 216 yards receiving and three touchdowns. One QuestionWhich 6A power rebounds best? We know the story in Class 6A. Lake Travis, Cedar Hill and Katy all need bounce-back wins in Week 2 to erase the memory of an early-season loss. Lake Travis, ranked No. 1 entering the season, faces another stern test from San Antonio when the Cavaliers travel to Cibolo Steele at the end of the week. Cedar Hill must rebound against a 1-0 Mansfield team, while Katy hopes to take out its frustration against Klein Collins. One Prediction One of the three 6A teams that lost in Week 1 – Lake Travis, Cedar Hill and Katy – will win a state title in one of the 6A divisions. It is conceivable for Lake Travis and Judson to play again in the playoffs, as it is also possible for Katy and Westlake to meet in a state semifinal. Cedar Hill won’t face another offensive and defensive line like it did against Bishop Gorman all season. All three teams have championship pedigree and all three programs are just as dangerous entering Week 2 despite a loss.

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