The must-see showdowns of Week 10 of the Texas high school football season

[caption id="attachment_26779" align="alignright" width="350"]Photo by Artie Guerrero Stafford RB James Brown (Photo by Artie Guerrero)[/caption] Week 10 is upon us, as crazy as it sounds. Contenders begin to separate across the state as district championships and playoff bids are dished out. Here are the 11-man games I’d attend in each classification. Class 6A: Converse Judson at Smithson Valley Converse Judson is one of the favorites to claim a Class 6A Division I championship. The Rockets built a case with an early win over fellow contender Lake Travis. Momentum halted somewhat in a 21-point loss to Steele. A district championship might not be in the cards for either team, but Smithson Valley can put Division II on alert with a home victory. The Rangers lost to Steele by just seven points and are on a roll, outscoring their last four opponents 182-30. A rematch with Steele to decide the Division II Region IV championship isn’t out of the cards for Smithson Valley. Class 5A: College Station at Temple Temple entered the season as the overwhelming favorite to win District 18-5A, yet it is College Station traveling as a road favorite. The Cougars are 9-0 and can lock up the district crown with a win. The Cougars outscored their previous nine opponents this year 449-79. Quarterback Marquez Perez is growing into the role and the defense hasn’t given up more than 17 points in a single game. Temple is talented but inconsistent. A win at home is all the Wildcats need to move towards the playoffs with a positive spirit. Class 4A: Stafford at El Campo Forfeits are the only blemishes entering this game. Stafford has three losses in record only when these two teams meet to decide the District 2-2A DII title. The Spartans are mowing through district competition, scoring 45.8 points per game while not ever allowing more than 15. Stafford’s defense has given up more than 10 points in just three out of its nine contests. El Campo is also state ranked and a contender to move through the region. The Ricebirds had an open week to prepare. Class 3A: Franklin at Rockdale Rockdale shook up the state by hanging 80 points on Cameron Yoe. Now the Tigers can claim a district championship with a home win over state-ranked Franklin. Rockdale is electric on offense, scoring points in bunches thanks to track speed at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Rockdale has only turned the ball over once since Week 2 and that kind of ball security wins close games. Franklin fell to Cameron Yoe but has state title experience to rely on this time of year. This should be an exciting offensive game decided by one or two plays on defense. Class 2A: Clarendon at Memphis Memphis’ offense faces a stern test at home. The undefeated Clarendon squad shut out five of its previous eight opponents and is giving up a total of four points per game. The offense has scored at least 50 points in the last three games and has yet to be held to fewer than 20 points this season. Memphis knows how to score. The Cyclones average 38.4 points per game and haven’t lost since a non-district clash with Abernathy.

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