Wilmer-Hutchins (1-1) vs Dallas Kimball (1-1): District play in 6-4A Division I gets started this week and we’ve got a key matchup with playoff implications right off the bat as first year head coach Leon Paul leads his Wilmer-Hutchins Eagles into a showdown with Dallas Kimball. Kimball, under head coach Bam Harrison, won the district outright in 2024 and a year ago was part of a three-way tie for the district crown and the Knights are once again expected to be a contender for that crown. Both teams earned lopsided wins in the season opener but stumbled last week as they both punched up playing larger 5A programs. Hutch last week took on 5A-Division I Carrollton Turner and came up just short losing 39-32. QB Darrick Todd threw for 198 yards and two scores, but two key interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter, proved to be the Eagles undoing. Coach Paul and his staff will have to shore up the run defense as Turner won the game last week without completing a single pass. All their yardage was on the ground. Kimball after going to Oklahoma in Week 1 and getting a blowout win fell to a good 5A-Division II squad in Frisco Emerson last week, 44-7. The Knights offense just couldn’t get on track as they tallied just 117 yards on the night, and most concerning was their lack of ability to run the football as KHS ran -4 yards. So, the key in this football game seems pretty simple to me. Can Kimball run the ball or can Hutch stop the run? Whichever question gets answered, the winner will open district play with a massive victory. I’m giving the edge to the more experienced Kimball Knights. Stepp’s Pick: Dallas Kimball by 4
Lindale (2-0) at Van (2-0): One of East Texas’ most underrated rivalry games gets renewed this week as Lindale heads west on FM 16 to Van Zandt County to take on the Van Vandals in a battle of undefeated teams. Lindale got all they wanted last week from a young, but talented Whitehouse squad, but the Eagles were able to pull it out late for a 46-42 win. RB Hank Thurman was the star of the show for the Eagles as he toted the mail 42 times for 300 yards and three scores; he added a 78-yard punt return for a score and his touchdown run with 2:14 remaining proved to be the difference for the Eagles. Van went on the road to Dallas last week and came away with a workman-like 22-3 win over Dallas Carter. The Vandals defense was absolutely suffocating in the win. QB Rawly Hinch threw for 206 yards and two scores, and he added 53 yards on the ground and a score to pace Van’s attack. This is your classic “throw the records out the window” type of football game, but Lindale’s offense is an absolute wagon and the Eagles defense as they tend to do will find ways to get stops. Stepp’s Pick: Lindale by 6