The best Thursday night Texas high school football games for Week 8

After a loaded Week 7 of Texas high school football, this week’s schedule doesn’t offer nearly as many marquee matchups. Our usual "must-see" label probably would be generous. But with playoff spots on the line, every game matters as the season winds down. Here are a few key Thursday night games to kickoff Week 8: Plano East vs. McKinney It will be interesting to see how McKinney responds from its first loss of the season – a 31-14 struggle against Denton Guyer. For the first time all year, McKinney was unable to get its high-powered running game going. Plano East has lost two straight in District 6-6A play after knocking off Wylie and desperately needs a win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Panthers fell to McKinney Boyd 13-7 last week, as the offense failed to get into any sort of a rhythm. Plano East will need QB Brandon Mallory (1,255 total yards, 10 TDs) to get going through the air, as injuries have plagued the Panthers’ talented backfield this season. McKinney, on the other hand, will look to return to form with Matt Gadek (862 yards, 5 TDs) leading the way in the power-run game. The Lions are looking to maintain pace with Denton Guyer and McKinney Boyd behind Allen in the district standings while a Plano East win would push the Panthers back into the playoff picture. Eagle Pass vs. United South After a slow start to the season, Laredo United South has responded with a 2-1 mark in District 29-6A. The Panthers recorded a thrilling 18-17 win over Laredo United last week and will look to carry that momentum into a key game against Eagle Pass, which sits tied with San Antonio Southwest atop the standings. The Eagles have won five in a row after losing its season opener to Medina Valley 28-27. QB Ismael Contreras (1,451 total yards, 13 TDs) leads the way for United South after accounting for 274 yards in last week’s win over United to give the Panthers their second straight win over their heated rival. Eagle Pass will use the backfield tandem of QB Ricardo Luna and RB Dee Andre Torres to attack the United South defense. The winner will remain in contention for a district title, making this an intriguing showdown down south. Frisco Reedy vs. Frisco Centennial Reedy squeaked by Wakeland 35-28 in the district opener and followed that up with a 28-7 win over Heritage last week, continuing to capture the attention of those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Reedy is one of the most unexpected unbeaten teams in the state during the team’s second varsity season, and the Lions will look to continue their roll against Centennial. The Titans are also unbeaten in District 13-5A after losing three straight non-district matchups early in the season. After last week’s exhilarating 69-66 OT win over Wakeland, Centennial should have some offensive momentum to carry into a big game against Reedy. Hunter Williams (980 yards, 6 TDs) and Weston Symes (387 yards, 7 TDs) control the backfield for Centennial while junior Josh Foskey (1,380 yards, 15 TDs) continues to efficiently captain the Reedy offense. The Lions are the favorite, but the winner will emerge as the favorite to compete with Lone Star for the district crown.

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