One must-see game in every 11-man classification in Week 3

[caption id="attachment_25220" align="alignright" width="350"]ManvelFBU Photo by Samuel De Leon[/caption] Week 3 starts district races for some programs and continues non-district schedules for the rest of the state. Looking for the best games in the state? Here is one from each 11-man classification. 6A: Allen at Coppell It feels weird to type, but Allen is floating along under the radar despite maybe being the best Class 6A team in the state. All the talk so far this season has centered on the newly designed Region IV, Katy’s struggles and DeSoto. The Eagles won their first two games, but against out-of-state competition. In the final tune-up of the non-district schedule, Allen travels to Coppell. The Cowboys are 2-0 after wins against Bell and Boyd. It’s time to find out how Allen stacks up against in-state talent and Coppell provides an entertaining test. 5A: Manvel at Pearland Technically, the home team is Class 6A, but viewers want to know if Manvel is the favorite in Class 5A. A win over Class 6A Pearland, even without its starting quarterback, would be another early signal to the rest of the state that the Mavericks are coming. Wins against Crosby and North Shore already give Manvel the best resumé in the state. Beating Pearland should move Manvel up even further in our state rankings. 4A: Whitehouse at Carthage Quarterback Cason Davis and Carthage want to show last week’s first-half dominance of Texarkana Liberty-Eylau wasn't a fluke. He passed for 292 yards and four touchdowns in the win, setting up a showdown with undefeated Whitehouse. A game against Gilmer looms for Carthage, so overlooking Whitehouse becomes a concern for the Bulldogs. Wins over Tyler Chapel Hill and Hallsville make Whitehouse a solid test for Carthage, which enters at 1-0 after having its opening game called early due to lightning. 3A: China Spring at Cameron Yoe This game will provide fireworks. China Spring is a Class 4A program, but Cameron Yoe will be listed as the favorite by many. Both teams have state title aspirations and each team provides a litmus test for the other. If China Spring can beat Yoe, it proves a playoff run in Class 4A isn’t out of the cards. A victory for Yoe over an impressive China Spring program means the chance of a championship didn’t leave with its former head coach and star running back. 2A: Bruni at Yorktown In a rematch from one of the best non-district small-school games of the season in 2015 where Bruni won in exciting fashion, two teams figure out where each stands in the pecking order of Class 2A. Yorktown, in Division I, enters as the bigger and more physical team. It’ll be matched by Bruni, one of the lone contenders to Bremond’s throne.

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