Post by CC_Varmints on Nov 8, 2012 13:58:28 GMT -6
Thursday night preview 2012-11-08
Greg Tepper dissects the playoff implications of every high school game in the state tonight.
Here we are, the final week of the 2012 Texas high school football regular season. Hard to believe that for some teams, the season ends tonight.
And with such a momentous occasion, there's only one way to preview the action tonight: big. Really, really big.
I'm breaking down the playoff implications of every game in the state tonight. That's right: every one of them. Because I want to drive myself insane.
Without further ado, here is your Thursday preview for Week 10 of the 2012 Texas high school football season.
Class 4A
Fort Worth Carter-Riverside (3-6, 3-4) at Fort Worth Eastern Hills (3-6, 3-4)
Sorry, Fort Worth high school football fans; no playoff implications here, as both teams are out of the chase.
Frisco Centennial (8-1, 5-1) at Frisco Heritage (1-8, 0-6)
What’s at stake: Yes, believe it or not, a Week 10 game between teams with inverse records has some playoff implications. Frisco Centennial is in, and Heritage is out, but Centennial has some seeding issues, and it all depends on who is the as-year-undetermined fourth seed. Long story short: if Centennial wins tonight, they’re the top DI seed, meaning they duck Highland Park in the first round. If Centennial loses tonight, things could get interesting enough (depending on what Frisco does against Prosper, and what The Colony does against Little Elm) that they could be the second DI seed.
Match-up: Look. Frisco Centennial is 8-1 – with its only loss to a very good Prosper team – for a reason. And Heritage, bless their hearts, are 1-8 for a reason (specifically, they’re only scoring 15 points per game). I like the Centennial defense of Kevin Smith and Ranthony Texada to romp, plus a big game from QB Lamar Jordan.
Tepper’s pick: Frisco Centennial 41, Frisco Heritage 14
Forney (4-5, 3-3) at Carrollton Newman Smith (4-5, 2-4)
What’s at stake: Literally everything, for both teams. This is a de facto playoff game, as the winner gets the fourth seed, and the loser goes home. Let’s forget seeding and divisions for a moment and just enjoy the purity of a true win-or-go home game.
Match-up: To me, it all comes down to who finds their offense first. Both teams have struggled to move the ball at times, but both also have weapons, like Forney’s QB Jack King and Newman Smith’s QB Cole Brewer. Who hits the big play? Who makes a key defensive stop? In a do-or-die game, the little things will decide this one.
Tepper’s pick: Forney 27, Carrollton Newman Smith 24
Dallas Adams (6-3, 5-1) at Dallas Lincoln (8-1, 6-0)
What’s at stake: A District 12-4A title, and seeding. The winner will be the district champion, but for Lincoln, their situation – top Division II seed – won’t change regardless. For Adams, a victory would clinch the top DI seed, potentially meaning that they get away from Kimball in the first round.
Match-up: Can Adams break through Lincoln’s relentless defense? The Tigers’ Shondrick Williams, Michael Gati and Decoven Taylor have made the line of scrimmage a “Do Not Pass” area this season. It’ll take a big game from Adams QB Jordan Harvey to break through.
Tepper’s pick: Dallas Lincoln 28, Dallas Adams 17
Dallas Spruce (1-8, 1-5) at Dallas Conrad (1-8, 1-5)
The only drama here is which team finishes 2-8, and which team finishes 1-9, as both teams are out of playoff contention.
Denison (2-7, 2-4) at McKinney North (2-7, 2-4)
It’s been a mildly disappointing year for both of these squads for different reasons, and that year will end tonight, as both teams are out of the playoff race.
Elgin (5-4, 3-3) at Bastop Cedar Creek (1-8, 0-6)
There are no playoff consequences in this one. Elgin’s locked in to the No. 2 Division II seed out of District 17-4A, while Cedar Creek is looking to spring a Week 10 upset to notch their first district win as a varsity program.
Houston King (2-7, 2-5) at Humble (2-7, 2-5)
Sorry if I’m starting to sound repetitive, but neither of these teams are in the playoff hunt in District 19-4A.
Fort Bend Marshall (9-0, 6-0) at Fort Bend Willowridge (3-6, 3-4)
What’s at stake: An undefeated season for Marshall, and not much else. The Buffaloes will be District 22-4A’s No. 1 seed out of Division II, while Willowridge is out of the playoffs.
Match-up: Have you seen what Marshall’s been doing this year? The offense, led by everyone from JW Ketchum to Davon Crookshank to Caleb Pete, is averaging over 52 points per game, while the defense is giving up fewer than 10. Sorry, Willowridge; you’re running into a buzzsaw.
Tepper’s pick: Fort Bend Marshall 52, Fort Bend Willowridge 14
Santa Fe (0-9, 0-6) at Baytown Goose Creek Memorial (5-4, 3-3)
Nothing of note here as far as playoff implications. Goose Creek Memorial is locked in as the second Division II seed in District 24-4A, awaiting a bi-district date with Rosenberg Terry. Santa Fe’s season mercifully comes to an end tonight.
Mercedes (7-2, 5-1) at Mission (9-0, 6-0)
What’s at stake: Playoff positioning, an unbeaten season and a district title. Mission is locked in as far as playoff positioning, earning the No 1 seed in Division I out of District 32-5A; their big motivation here is an undefeated season and an undisputed district crown. Mercedes is in the playoffs, and will be in Division II, but has a chance to improve its standing, needing a victory tonight and an Edcouch-Elsa loss to lowly Rio Grande City to move into the top seed in DII.
Match-up: I love the way Mission plays defense, flying around with Erick Flores and George Gonzalez, and holding opponents to 11.7 points per game. It’s a tall task for Mercedes QB Isaiah Garza, but perhaps more important is making sure the Mercedes defense keeps them in the game.
Tepper’s pick: Mission 24, Mercedes 13
Greg Tepper dissects the playoff implications of every high school game in the state tonight.
Here we are, the final week of the 2012 Texas high school football regular season. Hard to believe that for some teams, the season ends tonight.
And with such a momentous occasion, there's only one way to preview the action tonight: big. Really, really big.
I'm breaking down the playoff implications of every game in the state tonight. That's right: every one of them. Because I want to drive myself insane.
Without further ado, here is your Thursday preview for Week 10 of the 2012 Texas high school football season.
Class 4A
Fort Worth Carter-Riverside (3-6, 3-4) at Fort Worth Eastern Hills (3-6, 3-4)
Sorry, Fort Worth high school football fans; no playoff implications here, as both teams are out of the chase.
Frisco Centennial (8-1, 5-1) at Frisco Heritage (1-8, 0-6)
What’s at stake: Yes, believe it or not, a Week 10 game between teams with inverse records has some playoff implications. Frisco Centennial is in, and Heritage is out, but Centennial has some seeding issues, and it all depends on who is the as-year-undetermined fourth seed. Long story short: if Centennial wins tonight, they’re the top DI seed, meaning they duck Highland Park in the first round. If Centennial loses tonight, things could get interesting enough (depending on what Frisco does against Prosper, and what The Colony does against Little Elm) that they could be the second DI seed.
Match-up: Look. Frisco Centennial is 8-1 – with its only loss to a very good Prosper team – for a reason. And Heritage, bless their hearts, are 1-8 for a reason (specifically, they’re only scoring 15 points per game). I like the Centennial defense of Kevin Smith and Ranthony Texada to romp, plus a big game from QB Lamar Jordan.
Tepper’s pick: Frisco Centennial 41, Frisco Heritage 14
Forney (4-5, 3-3) at Carrollton Newman Smith (4-5, 2-4)
What’s at stake: Literally everything, for both teams. This is a de facto playoff game, as the winner gets the fourth seed, and the loser goes home. Let’s forget seeding and divisions for a moment and just enjoy the purity of a true win-or-go home game.
Match-up: To me, it all comes down to who finds their offense first. Both teams have struggled to move the ball at times, but both also have weapons, like Forney’s QB Jack King and Newman Smith’s QB Cole Brewer. Who hits the big play? Who makes a key defensive stop? In a do-or-die game, the little things will decide this one.
Tepper’s pick: Forney 27, Carrollton Newman Smith 24
Dallas Adams (6-3, 5-1) at Dallas Lincoln (8-1, 6-0)
What’s at stake: A District 12-4A title, and seeding. The winner will be the district champion, but for Lincoln, their situation – top Division II seed – won’t change regardless. For Adams, a victory would clinch the top DI seed, potentially meaning that they get away from Kimball in the first round.
Match-up: Can Adams break through Lincoln’s relentless defense? The Tigers’ Shondrick Williams, Michael Gati and Decoven Taylor have made the line of scrimmage a “Do Not Pass” area this season. It’ll take a big game from Adams QB Jordan Harvey to break through.
Tepper’s pick: Dallas Lincoln 28, Dallas Adams 17
Dallas Spruce (1-8, 1-5) at Dallas Conrad (1-8, 1-5)
The only drama here is which team finishes 2-8, and which team finishes 1-9, as both teams are out of playoff contention.
Denison (2-7, 2-4) at McKinney North (2-7, 2-4)
It’s been a mildly disappointing year for both of these squads for different reasons, and that year will end tonight, as both teams are out of the playoff race.
Elgin (5-4, 3-3) at Bastop Cedar Creek (1-8, 0-6)
There are no playoff consequences in this one. Elgin’s locked in to the No. 2 Division II seed out of District 17-4A, while Cedar Creek is looking to spring a Week 10 upset to notch their first district win as a varsity program.
Houston King (2-7, 2-5) at Humble (2-7, 2-5)
Sorry if I’m starting to sound repetitive, but neither of these teams are in the playoff hunt in District 19-4A.
Fort Bend Marshall (9-0, 6-0) at Fort Bend Willowridge (3-6, 3-4)
What’s at stake: An undefeated season for Marshall, and not much else. The Buffaloes will be District 22-4A’s No. 1 seed out of Division II, while Willowridge is out of the playoffs.
Match-up: Have you seen what Marshall’s been doing this year? The offense, led by everyone from JW Ketchum to Davon Crookshank to Caleb Pete, is averaging over 52 points per game, while the defense is giving up fewer than 10. Sorry, Willowridge; you’re running into a buzzsaw.
Tepper’s pick: Fort Bend Marshall 52, Fort Bend Willowridge 14
Santa Fe (0-9, 0-6) at Baytown Goose Creek Memorial (5-4, 3-3)
Nothing of note here as far as playoff implications. Goose Creek Memorial is locked in as the second Division II seed in District 24-4A, awaiting a bi-district date with Rosenberg Terry. Santa Fe’s season mercifully comes to an end tonight.
Mercedes (7-2, 5-1) at Mission (9-0, 6-0)
What’s at stake: Playoff positioning, an unbeaten season and a district title. Mission is locked in as far as playoff positioning, earning the No 1 seed in Division I out of District 32-5A; their big motivation here is an undefeated season and an undisputed district crown. Mercedes is in the playoffs, and will be in Division II, but has a chance to improve its standing, needing a victory tonight and an Edcouch-Elsa loss to lowly Rio Grande City to move into the top seed in DII.
Match-up: I love the way Mission plays defense, flying around with Erick Flores and George Gonzalez, and holding opponents to 11.7 points per game. It’s a tall task for Mercedes QB Isaiah Garza, but perhaps more important is making sure the Mercedes defense keeps them in the game.
Tepper’s pick: Mission 24, Mercedes 13