BI-DISTRICT PREVIEW: Breaking down the biggest games in Texas high school football

Port Neches-Groves (8-1) vs. Crosby (9-1) Friday 7:00pm at Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium: Last week’s surprising loss to New Caney combined with some other results in 21-5A pushed Crosby to the second seed in Division II and right into the crosshairs of a bi-district showdown with Port Neches-Groves. Crosby comes into this one with a lot of concerns after it wsas blown out by New, 63-38, last week. It starts on defense where the Cougars allowed a whopping 617 yards of offense and then you have the health of star running back Craig Williams. He played last week but only tallied 11 carries for 60 yards in the loss. With another week, Williams should be a bit healthier and considering Crosby dug itself a 49-13 hole, it in essence abandoned the running game last week. PNG lost a heartbreaker to Nederland 36-35 but junior quarterback Roschon Johnson again had a huge game with five rushing touchdowns and 418 yards of offense. The concern with PNG is going to be trying to establish a consistent ground threat to take some of the pressure off Johnson because he took some punishment last week and that could continue in the playoffs if he doesn’t get a little support. I think Crosby is trending down right now and considering the quirky nature of the PNG-Nederland rivalry, I’m not going to dig too closely into the Indians loss last week. Give me a 100 percent Roschon Johnson to lead PNG to a big bi-district win. Stepp’s Pick: Port Neches-Groves by 6 Max’s Pick: Port Neches-Groves Ishmael’s Pick: Port Neches-Groves See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekAllen (10-0) vs. Lewisville Hebron (8-2) Friday 7:30pm at Allen’s Eagle Stadium: Here’s a quick trivia question, who was the last team to beat Allen at home? The answer is the Hebron Hawks. Now granted, that was at old Eagle Stadium, but Hebron still holds that unique distinction. That is all ancient history as Allen is the DFW juggernaut of record and until someone from the area knocks the Eagles from their perch, they are heavy favorites. The Eagles closed the season with a 44-28 win over Wylie as quarterback Grant Tisdale ran for four touchdowns to lead Allen which led 44-14 after three quarters before taking its foot off the gas. Hebron is a dangerous opponent as evidenced by its 36-31 win over Southlake Carroll last week. The Hawks had a big game from receiver Jaren Mitchell who had nine catches for 130 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns that proved to be the difference. Hebron has the combination of excellent quarterback play, good experience and a physical style that I think can play with Allen, but the Eagles are like an anaconda that just suffocates you as the game wears on. They have such phenomenal depth to pair with elite talents at the skill spots and truly are a lethal combination. Hebron keeps this close for two and a half quarters, but the Eagles pull away late. Stepp’s Pick: Allen by 16 Max’s Pick: Allen Ishmael’s Pick: AllenSee Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekPearland Dawson (6-3) vs. Friendswood (7-3) Friday 7:00pm at Pearland’s The Rig: A year ago, underrated Friendswood introduced heavy favorite Pearland Dawson to the Tyler Paige Experience and the Mustangs made an impressive run to the third round of the playoffs. Dawson will be out for revenge after a slow start as it looks to send head coach Eric Wells into retirement with a big playoff run. The Eagles have some concerns as they stumbled down the stretch losing their last two games, including allowing 55 points in last week’s 55-35 loss to Alief Hastings. Friendswood rolled past Alvin 40-16 last week behind freshman quarterback Luke Grden who threw for 183 yards and four touchdowns to power the Mustangs. Last year, Friendswood was all about the offense and this year the defense has shown the ability to be very consistent, but Friendswood will go as far as their offense can take them. With Pearland Dawson’s defensive struggles recently, I think Friendswood’s offense has enough in this one. Stepp’s Pick: Friendswood by 4 Max’s Pick: Friendswood Ishmael’s Pick: Friendswood See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekLubbock Coronado (10-0) vs. Canyon Randall (6-4) Friday 8:00pm at Canyon’s Kimbrough Stadium: Undefeated Lubbock Coronado is flying high heading into the playoffs after earning a thrilling win over Abilene Cooper last Thursday night, 34-31. The Mustang offense gets the headlines led by quarterback Qua Gray could be a candidate for statewide player of the year and has got a trio of fantastic receivers but the key for Coronado is can it run the football consistently? The team has to take a road trip north this week to visit an improved Canyon Randall squad who is back in the playoffs after a year absence in 2016. Randall will be a heavy underdog and its strategy will be to slow the game down and try to find a way to keep Lubbock Coronado’s offense off the field. But to do that it has to be near perfect on offense and Lubbock Coronado’s defense is actually really good against the run so that strategy may not pay off. Stepp’s Pick: Lubbock Coronado by 24 Max’s Pick: Lubbock Coronado Ishmael’s Pick: Lubbock Coronado See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekProsper (8-2) vs. Frisco Wakeland (7-3) Thursday 7:00pm at Allen’s Eagle Stadium: I am intrigued by this Collin County matchup between two 5A programs with 6A numbers. Prosper, who has close to 3,000 students these days, plays its final 5A games for perhaps a few years and takes on Frisco Wakeland who has 6A numbers as well, but that will be decreased next year when Frisco Memorial opens up and FISD redraws attendance zones. Prosper closed out the regular season with an impressive 49-7 rout of a playoff team in Lake Dallas last week. The Eagle defense held Lake Dallas to just 158 yards of offense and forced two turnovers to ignite the rout. Wakeland hit a skid in the middle of the season losing three straight games, but the Wolverines have righted the ship and won their last three games including an easy 62-28 win over Frisco last week. Wakeland rolled up over 500 yards of offense and 41 first half points in the win. Wakeland’s size and depth up front can go toe to toe with Prosper, but the question will be can Wakeland’s skill players emerge? If Wakeland’s skill positions have a good game, it can win this one, but my money is on Prosper. Stepp’s Pick: Prosper by 7 Max’s Pick: Prosper Ishmael’s Pick: Prosper See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekFort Bend Ridge Point (8-1) vs. Katy Cinco Ranch (8-1) Friday 7:00pm at Missouri City’s Hall Stadium: Maybe the best bi-district matchup in the Houston area in 6A takes place Friday at Hall Stadium. Surging Ridge Point rolled through the Fort Bend district unbeaten, where it’ll take on a Cinco Ranch squad that has been ravaged by injuries and are probably a little surprised to be in the Division I bracket. Ridge Point rolled past Hightower last week, 38-14, as Mason McBride ran for 137 yards and short yardage specialist Chad Bailey had four rushing touchdowns. The Panther defense shut an explosive HHS offense down for three and half quarters before allowing two late scores. Cinco Ranch has a short turnaround having ended its season with a hard fought 35-28 win over Katy Tompkins. Cinco fell behind 28-14 in the third quarter but rallied for 21-straight down the stretch as Zach Easterly’s 14-yard run tied the game and then Sanders Crawford, who finished with 193 yards on the ground, scored with 1:11 left to secure the win. If Cinco Ranch was 100 percent, then I’d lean to the Cougars in this one and head coach Don Clayton last year proved he can work playoff magic, but I really like Ridge Point’s speed and physicality on defense. The Panthers look like a real threat in Region III. Stepp’s Pick: Fort Bend Ridge Point by 8 Max’s Pick: Fort Bend Ridge Point Ishmael’s Pick: Fort Bend Ridge Point See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekNew Caney Porter (7-3) vs. Nederland (7-2) Friday 7:00pm at Channelview’s Maddry Stadium: Porter and its stout defense clinched a playoff spot last week with a 10-7 win over Barbers Hill. The Spartan defense held Barbers Hill to just 174 yards of offense and pitched a second half shutout. They’ll take on Nederland who earned a big rivalry win on Friday over previously undefeated by Port-Neches-Groves, 36-35. The Bulldogs’ offense was sensational in the win as wide receiver Kevon Latulas hauled in three touchdown passes and running back Devon Simmons ran for 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Nederland’s defense, despite giving up 35 points, came up with some big stops early and that proved to be critical later on as the game progressed. I think we’ll see another low-scoring defensive struggle, but Nederland’s offensive firepower will be eventually break a big play or two and that will be the difference against a Porter offense that has scored just seven points the last two weeks. Stepp’s Pick: Nederland by 11 Max’s Pick: Nederland Ishmael’s Pick: Nederland See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekMansfield Legacy (8-2) vs. Burleson (9-1) Friday 7:30pm at Fort Worth’s Farrington Field: On paper, this looks like a fantastic first round matchup, but I’m not totally convinced about Burleson and its 9-1 record. Burleson had its way with 9-5A with the exception of Everman who handed the Elks their only loss of the year, 42-22. Mansfield Legacy emerged as the second-place team in a brutal District 10-5A and the Broncos are without question battle tested. Legacy rolled past Red Oak 45-14 to end the regular season led by tremendous special teams play including a punt return for a touchdown from Jaelon Catalon, who is one of the state’s most dynamic players that no one talks about. Burleson bounced back from a 13-0 halftime deficit to rally for a 30-20 win over Crowley led by wide receiver Jaylen Johnson who had 105 yards receiving and a long touchdown in the fourth quarter to propel Burleson to the win. As mentioned, Burleson’s only loss is to Everman who is a good team, but not elite and Mansfield Legacy in my view is a significant step up from Everman. Stepp’s Pick: Mansfield Legacy by 20 Max’s Pick: Mansfield Legacy Ishmael’s Pick: Mansfield Legacy See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekVictoria West (4-5) vs. San Antonio Memorial (7-3) Friday 7:30pm at Victoria’s Memorial Stadium: Victoria West has been a tough team to get a read on all year. At times, the Warriors look like a solid team but others, they look like a team that should miss the playoffs. Part of that inconsistency could be playing in a difficult District 27-5A, so expect a battle tested Warriors bunch. They’ll take on one of the state’s best stories in San Antonio Memorial who won its first district title in school history last week outright with a 55-20 win over San Antonio Kennedy. The Minutemen and second-year head coach Kemmie Lewis are the talk of the state after winning just four games the past five years. The test this week is going to be tall as the team is taking their first out-of-town trip and going into a tough environment at Victoria. It’d be a wonderful story if the Minutemen could get their first ever playoff win, but I think the run ends this week in Victoria. Stepp’s Pick: Victoria West by 17 Max’s Pick: Victoria West Ishmael’s Pick: Victoria West See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekDallas Carter (8-2) vs. Mineral Wells (6-4) Thursday 7:00pm at Fort Worth’s Farrington Field If you are sleeping on the Carter Cowboys, you might need to wake up because this team is legit. Carter showed it can play physical football and closed the regular season out with a solid 23-14 win over Alvarado. Quarterback Detron Hall leads a speedy offensive attack and on defense all eyes are on LSU-commit defensive end Jarell Cherry. Mineral Wells got into the playoffs with a late season surge as the Rams won its last two games by a combined 97-28 score. This is a battle of Carter’s experience against a very young Mineral Wells team who is playing better, but doesn’t have the talent across the board that Carter brings to the table. Stepp’s Pick: Dallas Carter by 25 Max’s Pick: Dallas Carter Ishmael’s Pick: Dallas Carter See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekNavasota (6-4) vs. Henderson (8-2) Friday 7:30pm at Corsicana’s Tiger Stadium: After a disaster of a 2016 season in which the Rattlers missed out on the playoffs, head coach Patrick Goodman’s squad bounced back with a second-place finish and a return to the playoffs. NHS rattled (no pun intended) off three straight wins to close the year out including a big 40-30 win over Little Cypress-Mauriceville in the final week of the season to earn the district’s second playoff seed and a share of the district title. Henderson may have finished third in District 9-4A Division I, but make no mistake, the Lions in most districts across the state would be the district title winner. Quarterback Trae Hall is one of the top dual threats in all of East Texas and the Lions’ defense in their final two games has been lights out, including last week in a 47-17 rout of Palestine. Navasota has had a nice turnaround, but Trae Hall has really stepped his game up late in the season and gotten the passing game going and when Henderson does that they are an elite team. Stepp’s Pick: Henderson by 10 Max’s Pick: Henderson Ishmael’s Pick: Henderson See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekMonahans (8-2) vs. Denver City (6-4) Thursday 7:00pm at Midland’s Grande Communications Stadium: After playoff disappointment a year ago, the Loboes are primed to once again contend for the Region I title after finishing second in 2-4A Division II. Monahans has won five games in a row since its district opening loss to Seminole and that includes an impressive 45-27 win over Sweetwater. The Loboes’ Wing-T offense is very physical and they have excellent speed in the backfield that can cause some problems. Denver City on paper looks to be a bit overmatched in this one, the Mustangs edged into the playoffs with a 2-2 district finish and dropped a non-district game by ten to Fort Stockton while last week Monahans blasted the Panthers, 49-13. Look for Monahans’ size in the trenches to really cause DCHS problems. Stepp’s Pick: Monahans by 21 Max’s Pick: Monahans Ishmael’s Pick: Monahans See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekRusk (8-2) vs. Pittsburg (6-4) Friday 7:30pm at Bullard’s Panther Stadium: In a very quiet manner, Rusk has put together an outstanding season. The Eagles resume is pretty impressive and they own wins over Madisonville, Center and Diboll along with close losses to Malakoff and Jasper. Last week, Rusk clinched second place in 8-4A Division II with a 30-25 win over the Lumberjacks from Diboll. They’ll look to contain a dangerous Pittsburg squad that closed out the regular season with a 37-22 loss to Gilmer. The Pirates are led by junior playmakers quarterback Jaylon Jimmerson and running back Jordan Turner but at times they’ve had trouble stopping the run. I look for an experienced Rusk squad to exploit that advantage against a Pittsburg team that looks to be a year away from being really dangerous. Stepp’s Pick: Rusk by 9 Max’s Pick: Rusk Ishmael’s Pick: Rusk See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekBrock (8-2) vs. Clyde (6-4) Thursday 7:00pm at Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium: Brock will make the trek West to open what it hopes is a long playoff run, but after an upset loss last week to Breckenridge, the road will be much tougher. The Eagles jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead but then allowed 21-straight points to allow Breckenridge to gain momentum. Brock held a late lead but on the game’s final play a 35-yard field goal was good and the Eagles for the first time since starting varsity football didn’t win a district title. Clyde, after two straight losses to Comanche and Tuscola Jim Ned, bounced back with an emphatic 58-0 win over Brady to end its regular season schedule. The Bulldogs were led by quarterback Payton Burton who threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 129 yards and three touchdowns in just over a half of action. Clyde will need that kind of offensive effort once again this week if it wants to pull an upset against a physical Brock squad that will be looking to get rid of the bitter taste in their mouths after last week’s loss. Stepp’s Pick: Brock by 16 Max’s Pick: Brock Ishmael’s Pick: Brock See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekRockdale (7-3) vs. Malakoff (9-1) Friday 7:30pm at Crockett’s Driskell Stadium: This could be one of the state’s best bi-district matchups. Both teams suffered late losses in district play that bumped them down the district standings after both spent a lot of time in the year ranked in the top 10. Rockdale suffered a tough 37-34 loss to Franklin in Week 10, but the Tigers bounced back with a vengeance, rolling past Jarrell 77-0 to end the regular season on a positive note. Quarterback Torry Locklin threw five touchdown passes to lead the rout. Malakoff (also the Tigers) bounced back from a stunning 35-14 loss to Teague in Week 10 to rout Elkhart 75-0. MHS set a school record for points in the win where quarterback Judd Miller tossed three touchdown passes and Jaquaylon Hart and Zee Bailey each had a rushing and receiving touchdown. There are some interesting storylines in this one. Both teams played last year in the third round with Malakoff winning 27-14, so Rockdale would love to enact some revenge on MHS. Also, Malakoff head coach Jamie Driskell is playing at the stadium named after his father Jack Driskell. I think this one comes down to the wire, but I’m going to go with the slight upset and take Rockdale in this one. Stepp’s Pick: Rockdale by 2 Max’s Pick: Rockdale Ishmael’s Pick: Rockdale See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekGeorge West (9-1) vs. Bishop (8-2) Friday 7:30pm at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Stadium: From a record perspective, this is one of the top small school matchups in the first round of the playoffs as George West and Bishop have a combined 17-3 record. The Longhorns have bounced back nicely from their loss to Goliad a couple of weeks ago with two straight wins including a 54-14 rout of Taft last week. Bishop, despite the stellar record, actually only finished third in a balanced District 16-3A Division I. This could be the Badgers’ swan song in 3A as they could possibly move to 4A Division II at the next realignment. Bishop had no trouble with Santa Rosa 46-0 last week, but George West will be a much more difficult test, especially up front where the Longhorns could have a massive edge Stepp’s Pick: George West by 19 Max’s Pick: George West Ishmael’s Pick: George West See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekAlpine (7-3) vs. Tolar (6-4) Friday 7:30pm at Big Spring’s Memorial Stadium: The Bucks locked up second place in district in the final week of the season with a 24-20 win over Ballinger. Aaron Frost threw three touchdown passes and ran for the game winning score with 9:31 left to lift Alpine to the win. Alpine will take on a Tolar Rattlers squad under first-year head coach Jeremy Mullins who took over in early June and got THS into the playoffs. Tolar knocked off Coleman 26-13 a week ago as wide receiver Clayton Dever had 116 receiving yards and a touchdown and he also chipped in a 21-yard touchdown run to pace the Rattlers. On paper, this looks to be an even matchup, both struggled against the elite teams in their districts and took care of business against the lower tiered teams. Tolar has played a tougher overall schedule and is a bit more battle tested so I’m leaning to the Rattlers in what should be a close one. Stepp’s Pick: Tolar by 4 Max’s Pick: Tolar Ishmael’s Pick: Tolar See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekLongview (9-1) vs. Beaumont West Brook (7-2) Friday 7:30pm at Longview’s Lobo Stadium Longview’s waited a whole year for another shot at West Brook after going to Beaumont and losing a bi-district heartbreaker a year ago. This time, the Lobos get the Bruins in Gregg County where Longview is incredibly tough to beat. The last two weeks, Longview has been really impressive and geared up for a playoff run outscoring its final two opponents 110-10, including a 61-3 rout of Mesquite last week. Defensive back Jalen Carr continues to make quarterbacks pay for throwing his way as he had two more interceptions to increase his season total to eight while tight end Jaylin Brown hauled in a pair of touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Haynes King. West Brook has one of the most explosive offenses in Region II led by quarterback L’Ravien Elia who has accounted for 27 total touchdowns in just nine games. The Bruin defense has struggled at times and allowed over 38 points per game the past four games. Those struggles combined with the long road trip into hostile territory gives me pause to pick a second straight win for the Bruins over Longview. Stepp’s Pick: Longview by 10Max’s Pick: Longview Ishmael’s Pick: Longview See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekLeonard (6-4) vs. Nocona (8-2) Friday 7:30pm at Denton’s Bronco Stadium Leonard finished second in its district but the Tigers suffered a major setback last week and were hammered by defending state champion Gunter, 70-0. Leonard turned the football over four times in the loss and only managed 135 yards of offense against a tough Gunter defensive unit. Nocona has won three straight to close out the season after two straight district losses. The Indians’ defense, which pitched shutouts in four of their first five games, hasn’t had quite the same success in district play but the offense has continued to play well as evidenced by their 63-39 win over Millsap last week. Quarterback Jeremy James led the way for Nocona with 273 yards, three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns while NHS also had a receiver top 100 yards and two 100-yard running backs as well. That offensive firepower and balance will be the difference to lead Nocona to the area playoffs. Stepp’s Pick: Nocona by 7 Max’s Pick: Nocona Ishmael’s Pick: Nocona See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekStinnett West Texas (8-2) vs. Sundown (9-1) Saturday 4:00pm at Canyon’s Kimbrough Stadium: If you are looking for something to do in the panhandle on Saturday, Kimbrough Stadium might be a good spot to go as two outstanding teams meet up in a game that could easily be in the third round based on team quality. The Comanches rolled past Sanford-Fritch 39-8 last week as sophomore quarterback Jaylin Conyers had 226 yards of offense and three total touchdowns and the WT High defense forced a total of six turnovers. Sundown earned itself a share of the 2-2A Division district title last week by upsetting previously undefeated New Deal, 29-27. Quarterback Christian Huey tossed four touchdown passes in the win and the Roughnecks’ defense stopped a late two-point conversion by New Deal that would have tied the game up. I expect this one to come down to the wire. Both are battle-tested and have impressive resumes heading into the playoffs. I think West Texas and all of 1-2A Division I may be a bit underrated going into the playoffs, so I’ll lean to the Comanches to advance. Stepp’s Pick: Stinnett West Texas by 3 Max’s Pick: West Texas Ishmael’s Pick: Sundown See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekSan Angelo Central (10-0) vs. El Paso Pebble Hills (8-2) Friday 7:00pm at San Angelo’s San Angelo Stadium What a year for Pebble Hills as the Spartans, in just their second year, have put together a season where they won their first eight games and earned a playoff appearance. The task this week is pretty tall as the Spartans not only play their first ever game outside of the city of El Paso, but they must do it at one of the state’s most intimidating atmospheres against an unbeaten San Angelo Central squad. The Spartans got off to an incredibly slow start in last week’s 49-44 loss to El Paso El Dorado. PHHS fell behind 35-7 at the half before outscoring El Dorado 37-13 in the second half. Receiver Haredt Gonzalez hauled in three second-half touchdowns to make things interesting. San Angelo Central held off a desperate Amarillo Tascosa squad last week escaping the Rebels upset bid with a 35-26 win. Once again, quarterback Maverick McIvor led the way as he has accounted for over 85 percent of the Central offense this year. 6-foot-4 wideout Henry Teeter had 197 receiving yards and a touchdown and the Bobcats welcomed back running back Cody Parker who got hurt in the spring. Parker was expected to be the starter in the backfield before his injury and his return could be big for Central as the team hopes to make another run. Parker had five carries last week so expect his workload to increase while he splits time with DeMarcus Cobb. It’s been a tremendous season for Pebble Hills and head coach Mark Torres should get some real consideration for Coach of the Year honors, but going to Angelo and taking down the Angry Orange is a real tall order. Stepp’s Pick: San Angelo Central by 21Max’s Pick: San Angelo Central Ishmael’s Pick: San Angelo Central See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekJoaquin (8-2) vs. Centerville (7-3) Friday 7:30pm at Tyler’s Mewbourne Field If you like smash mouth football, then this game is right up your alley. Both Joaquin and Centerville employ physical run-right-at-you offenses and this game may just come down to a battle of will. After dropping a 33-20 decision to San Augustine, the Rams bounced back to close the season out with an easy 55-6 win over Cushing. Centerville rolled past a playoff team in Deweyville last week, 41-6, as it appears the Tigers have rebounded nicely after the Week 9 loss to Lovelady. Daniel Byrd and Brandon Madison each topped the 100-yard mark on the ground to pace head coach Kyle Hardee’s squad. I have been bullish on Joaquin this year and playing a team that I think is a state title contender close in San Augustine gives me a lot of confidence in the Rams. Stepp’s Pick: Joaquin by 7 Max’s Pick: Joaquin Ishmael’s Pick: Joaquin See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekFarwell (6-4) vs. Roscoe (6-4) Thursday 7:00pm at Post’s Redman Memorial Stadium These two teams had really high expectations going into the season but both had rather disappointing regular seasons with identical 6-4 records. In my opinion, based on the talent on hand for these two, someone will be airing up the basketballs a bit too early. After winning three in a row to open district play, Farwell fell to Bovina 21-19 two weeks ago to end up second place in District 3-2A Division II. The Steers had the advantage (or disadvantage) of having last week off, so they’ve had some time to heal some injuries and focus squarely on a powerful Roscoe attack. The Plowboys fell to 4-2A Division II champion Hamlin last week in an overtime thriller losing to the Pied Pipers, 21-14. Roscoe allowed a Hamlin touchdown on its first series and then were stopped on downs at the five-yard line. Running back Francisco Garcia is a big time back for the Plowboys but quarterback Jayden Gonzales has to take better care of the football as three interceptions last week really hurt Roscoe. I don’t expect a second straight bad game and I think Roscoe’s skill talent propels it to the area round next week. Stepp’s Pick: Roscoe by 8 Max’s Pick: Roscoe Ishmael’s Pick: Roscoe See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekSan Antonio O’Connor (10-0) vs. Schertz Clemens (8-2) Friday 7:30pm at San Antonio’s Farris Stadium: A classic battle of high-powered offense against stifling defense highlights this Alamo City showdown.  O’Connor capped off an unbeaten regular season with a 44-41 overtime win over San Antonio Brennan on Thursday evening. Quarterback Roel Sanchez triggered an attack that piled up 570 yards of offense with Sanchez accounting for 459 yards of offense and five total touchdowns. The Panthers’ attack faces a big test this week against a fast and physical Clemens defense. The Buffaloes allowed more than 21 points just twice all year and last week couldn’t find enough offense in a tough 14-13 loss to rival Cibolo Steele. Clemens’ defense will be tested this week as O’Connor executes at a high level and have above-average athletes and a three-year starter at quarterback. So unless the Buffs can get wide receiver Tommy Bush and running back Marshawn Brown rolling, I lean to O’Connor to improve to 11-0. Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio O’Connor by 6 Max’s Pick: San Antonio O'Connor Ishmael’s Pick: San Antonio O’Connor See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekIraan (6-4) vs. Cross Plains (6-4) Saturday 1:00pm at San Angelo’s San Angelo Stadium: After a run to the state title game a year ago, a young Braves squad stumbled some this year finishing second in their district as growing pains have hit. Iraan has shown resolve as after the upset loss to Menard and bounced back in Week 11 rolling past Irion County, 61-7. Camden Cherry led the way for Iraan in the with 209 yards on the ground and three touchdowns and if he can team with Kyle O’Bannon to give the Braves a lethal one-two combo, Iraan will still be a tough playoff out. After back-to-back losses in district play to Albany and Winters, the Cross Plains Buffaloes closed out the season strong with a 40-8 rout of Miles. Two-way star Kaiden Petree had an outstanding game for CPHS with 19 tackles and an interception. He had an 11-yard touchdown pass and tallied 67 rushing yards on just five carries. Iraan has the playoff pedigree and though are down, will still have enough to get past a pesky Cross Plains bunch. Stepp’s Pick: Iraan by 14 Max’s Pick: Iraan Ishmael’s Pick: Iraan See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekEach week, six-man insider Leman Saunders provides his insight and analysis on the best games in Class 1A. Contact Leman on Twitter @LemanSaunders.Nazareth (8-2) vs. McLean (9-1) This is an evenly-matched game in the 1A Division I bracket — maybe the best one of the first round. McLean is coming off its first loss of the season at the hands of unbeaten Happy, while Nazareth needed a last-second touchdown to survive against Anton. There are playmakers all over the field here: Nazareth has Tristan McLain (1,460 yards, 28 TDs passing) and Jake Gerber (1,124 yards, 22 TDs rushing; 13 TDs receiving); and McLean features Ben Crockett (1,282 yards, 26 TDs rushing) and Cayden Mann. This game may hinge on extra points, where Nazareth has had some struggles of late. Leman’s Pick: McLean See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekMedina (10-0) vs. Zephyr (9-1) Medina may be the most under-the-radar undefeated team out there. The Bobcats’ balanced offense spreads the ball around to the likes of Gerardo Gonzalez and Caleb McHaney. Meanwhile, Zephyr finished the regular season at 9-1 — its lone blemish is a mercy-rule loss to district champ Jonesboro a few weeks back. Zephyr features QB Kason King (1,012 yards, 22 TDs passing), RB Nick Moody and WR Devin Williams (773 yards, 20 TDs receiving), which pose a triple-threat to Medina. There are questions on both sides, and once again, it may come down to special teams, where Medina may have the advantage. Leman’s Pick: Medina See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekCrowell (6-3) vs. Lueders-Avoca (5-4) Crowell has turned itself into a modern six-man football dynasty, finishing its last four seasons with a two state titles, another runner-up finish and a semifinals berth. Lueders-Avoca is a young, scrappy team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Raiders’ star player is just a freshman, Daiquan Brown — this kid is fast and can make people miss in open space, which plays well in one-on-one situations. Logan Hearn is also a big part of L-A’s game-planning; he’s the kind of hard-nosed player the Raiders will need against Crowell. For Crowell, the major game-changer is Skyler Hayes (807 yards rushing, 945 yards passing), but he’s been battling injuries and may not be available. The Wildcats may have to turn to other options, like the capable Jemal Lane, to fill the gaps.Leman’s Pick: Crowell See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this weekCalvert (9-1) vs. Oakwood (6-4) This will be the best game in the Division II bracket this week. Calvert’s one loss is to Division I favorite Borden County way back in non-district play, while Oakwood has played arguably the toughest schedule in all of Class 1A — their losses are to Zephyr, Jonesboro, Coolidge and Milford. And, by the way, three of those games were very close, decided by an average of 12 points. Oakwood’s Ethan Edgemon (1,207 yards, 25 TDs rushing; 1,767 yards, 29 TDs passing) will be the best player in this game, but will having the best player on field be enough for the Panthers? The Trojans have some talented players — QB James Green (829 yards, 10 TDs passing) and RB Colyin Grimes Jr (845 yards, 22 TDs rushing) most notably. Calvert is used to deep playoff runs; could playoff experience give it an edge? Leman’s Pick: Calvert See Tepper's pick for this game and the other 351 playoff games this week

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