Keller (6-2, 3-2) vs Keller Central (6-2, 3-2): It’s a battle of good teams in 4-6A who, for the most part, have been stellar all year, but both teams also have a mystifying loss on their resume as well. Last week Keller took on winless Justin Northwest and was stunned, 27-14, as Keller turned the ball over five times and was shutout in the second half. RB Blake Dyniewski led Keller with 223 yards and two touchdowns, and the Indians rolled up 437 yards of offense, but the turnovers and the subpar defensive performance did KHS in. Keller Central also has a puzzling loss when they fell to Haslet Eaton a couple of weeks ago in a game in which it had five turnovers. Keller Central used a dominant second half to pull away from Boswell last week for a 54-21 win. The Chargers outscored Boswell 26-7 in the second half as junior ATH Isaiah Taylor led the way with a pair of touchdown runs and a touchdown pass as the Chargers posted balanced offensive effort. This is a massive game in a jumbled up 4-6A race. The loser of this game falls to 3-3 and all of a sudden simply making the playoffs becomes a major question, especially for Keller, which has a surging Eaton squad in Week 11. I’m going with Central because simply stated, Isaiah Taylor is the best player on the field and a true difference maker. Stepp’s Pick: Keller Central by 6
Sachse (8-0, 5-0) at Wylie East (7-1,5-0): The district title in 9-6A is on the line as the final two unbeaten teams play for the crown. Sachse held up their end of the bargain last week with a dominant second half in a 36-10 win over Garland Lakeview Centennial. SHS led just 7-3 at halftime, but they outscored the Patriots 29-7 in the second half. The Mustangs were paced by their ground game with Brendon Quinn rushing for 127 yards and two scores; Quinn also had 54 receiving yards and a score. Sachse also got strong efforts from RB Ladainian Jones, who ran for 139 yards, and RB Theo Tran, who had 50 yards on the ground and a score. Sachse’s defense had a big night allowing just nine first downs and 203 yards of total offense. Wylie East had a solid tune-up for this district title game as the Raiders cruised to an easy 42-10 win. RB Julian Walker ran for 132 yards and a score, while QB Victor Young added a pair of scoring passes to pace a Raiders offensive attack that tallied 439 yards on the night. Wylie East has absolutely dominated the district the past couple of years, but the worm turns this week and Sachse takes another step to an unbeaten regular season. Stepp’s Pick: Sachse by 6
