Stephenville (6-1, 1-0) at Lampasas (7-1, 2-0): Don’t be surprised if this is the first of two meetings between the 4-4A district rivals as Stephenville heads south on Highway 281 to take on Lampasas in what should be an electric atmosphere at Badger Field. After suffering a tough loss to Ruston (La.) in the nondistrict finale, Stephenville bounced back nicely with a 63-0 blowout of Marble Falls to open district play. QB Ryan Gafford led the ‘Jackets with 222 yards through the air and four touchdowns, as SHS led 35-0 after the first quarter and put it on cruise control the rest of the way. Lampasas needed every bit of a monster effort from QB Reed Jerome in a close 42-38 win over Burnet, as the senior signal-caller had 243 yards of offense and accounted for five touchdowns in a second-half rally. Both teams are explosive on offense and feature elite QB play with FBS caliber receivers on the outside. The big difference is Stephenville’s front seven on defense, which gives the ‘Jackets the edge in this matchup that will likely decide the district title. Stepp’s Pick: Stephenville by 9
El Campo (6-1, 2-0) at Bay City (6-1, 2-0): One of the state’s oldest and most intense rivalries is renewed down in Matagorda County, as El Campo travels to Bay City for a battle of state-ranked teams with district title implications. El Campo’s been on a roll lately, as the Ricebirds have allowed just seven points in the last three games, including shutouts in the last two weeks. Last week, the ‘Birds blew past Floresville, 66-0, racing out to a 28-0 lead after one quarter and cruising the rest of the way. Since its last loss to Edna, Bay City has racked up five straight wins. Last week, the Blackcats handled a solid La Vernia squad, 40-21. You can throw the records out of the window in this game, as this series is the oldest continuous rivalry in Texas (104th straight meeting). After losing 16 of the last 17 games in the series, Bay City has to be feeling good after winning the matchup a year ago. This Bay City senior class is loaded with dynamic skill talent and that experience along with veteran leadership at the QB spot gives the Blackcats the edge. Stepp’s Pick: Bay City by 3