Dumas (4-1) at Canyon Randall (4-1): The district slate in 2-4A Division I gets off to a fast start in Canyon on Thursday night as Dumas head south to visit Randall with both teams fresh off a bye week. The Demons rolled past Bushland last week 37-14 as QB Colton Mills led the way with 176 yards rushing and two scores on just eight carries; he added two touchdown passes as well. RB ZJ Jara had a strong evening as well with 141 yards on the ground and the Dumas defense chipped in a score with an interception return for a touchdown.  After starting out the season 4-0, Randall had a disappointing end to non-district with a 14-7 loss to Lubbock Estacado. Randall’s offense struggled all night with just 241 yards of total offense. The primary culprit was the Raiders inability to consistently run the football and that was their undoing after an elite defensive performance. Randall led 7-0 in the fourth quarter before Estacado broke through with two touchdowns in the game’s final 10 minutes, that defense will need to stand on their head once again this week against Mills and that explosive Dumas attack. Stepp’s Pick: Dumas by 11

Bellville (3-2) at Sealy (5-0): Battle lines in Austin County are once again drawn as we get a massive district opener in 11-4A Division II featuring the two old rivals playing for the 68th straight season. Bellville’s defense the past four weeks has been stout, but the Brahmas through the first half of the season have had bouts of being offensively challenged. That was the case in their last outing two weeks ago as Bellville fell to Columbus, 20-7, in a game where their defense played well enough to win. With the game tied at seven in the fourth, Bellville’s defense gave up a touchdown run and then shortly thereafter an interception return for a score sealed their fate. Offense hasn’t been an issue for Sealy as the Tigers in their unbeaten non-district run are averaging over 46 points per game. In their last outing, they rolled past a strong Needville squad 42-21 as they outscored the Blue Jays 21-0 in the second half after the game was tied at the half. QB Kane Killough has put up monster numbers the last two seasons and triggers the Tigers attack and Bellville just doesn’t seem to have the firepower to keep up with SHS. Stepp’s Pick: Sealy by 9

Grandview (4-1) at Whitney (3-2): Grandview has designs on a deep playoff run with a talented group of seniors leading the way and a win in the district opener over a good Whitney squad would go a long way in securing the Zebras a district title. Two weeks ago, GHS closed non-district play with an offensive explosion as they beat 4A Longview Spring Hill, 63-55. QB Mason Landers had a monster night with 198 yards passing and five scores; he added a rushing score as well as GHS scored on all nine possessions in the game. Whitney dropped their non-district finale two weeks ago to Little River-Academy, 49-30. RB Jonate Johnson had a strong night for the Wildcats in the loss with a pair of touchdown runs and he returned a kickoff for a touchdown. This one has the makings of a high-scoring affair and in that kind of game I trust Grandview’s defense just a bit more. Stepp’s Pick: Grandview by 10

Fairfield (5-0) at Teague (3-2): Fairfield is off to their best start since 2013 when Larry Rose, III was toting the mail for the Eagles and leading them to a state title game appearance. This version of the Eagles gets things done a bit differently but they are equally effective as evidenced by the fast start and state ranking. QB Kohl Collins leads one of the state’s most explosive offensive attacks as Fairfield averages just shy of 59-points per game. The one downside for Fairfield heading into district play is the overall strength of schedule hasn’t been great and 3-2 Teague will be the Eagles toughest test to date. Teague’s defense has been solid early in the year allowing just over 20 points per game. The Lions are accustomed to close games as they have a point win over Mexia and a one-point loss to Tolar, so if they can keep things close with Fairfield who hasn’t had a close game all season, the edge may lie there. These two have a common opponent in Mexia - both defeated the Blackcats, but they were quite different results as Teague beat Mexia 14-13, while Fairfield rolled to a 66-0 victory. Teague with a week off keeps this one close, but Fairfield rolls in the second half. Stepp’s Pick: Fairfield by 21

Edgewood (4-2, 2-0) at Grand Saline (4-1, 1-0): Two of the top offenses in 3A-Division II Region III square off as Grand Saline takes on an underrated Edgewood squad. Edgewood last week had no troubles blowing past Quitman, 62-7, as junior QB Trevor Golightly had another monster night. He’s got lethal weapons on the outside in WR’s Jathan Johnson and Tony Smith, while the Bulldogs defense had one of their best efforts of the season in last week’s win. Grand Saline took last week off after opening district play with a dominant 42-6 win over Gilmer Harmony. QB Jett Taylor ran for 80 yards and a score while throwing for 221 yards and two scores. WR Kolton Prox had a touchdown catch and a 64-yard touchdown run as well for GSHS. After a slow start in their first three games, the Grand Saline defense has found their footing allowing just 27 points in the last three games. This game will come down to defense; both offensive units can put up 60 points. The defense that comes up with a key stop or a turnover will take this one. Stepp’s Pick: Grand Saline by 11

Newton (5-1, 2-0) at Woodville (5-1, 2-0): Newton’s long district winning streak (81 games) will face a difficult test this week as they visit a Woodville squad that seems to be finding their groove under first-year head coach Heath Clawson.  Newton has won five straight games and has outscored their first two district opponents by a combined 116-7. Last week the Eagles raced past New Waverly 54-0, putting up 46 first-half points. RB Kendray Porter leads the way averaging over 120 yards rushing per game and nine scores, while RB Deldrick Samuel with his nine rushing scores gives the offense balance along with freshman QB Izayah Foster. Woodville has also won five straight since dropping their season opener. Last week they blew past Warren 62-0. Vanderbilt QB commit Luke Babin in two district games has thrown 13 touchdown passes. Last week, in just one half of action, he threw for 288 yards and five scores. Woodville’s defense got touched up in their win over Trinity two weeks ago, so they’ll need an effort more like last week if they want to pull off the upset of Newton at home. These are clearly the two best teams in the district, matchups influence this one and that’s where Newton appears to have an edge. They are just a difficult matchup for Woodville and they get a key road win that likely establishes themselves as the Region III favorite as the playoffs approach. Stepp’s Pick: Newton by 8

Anson (5-0) at Hawley (3-2): The order of things in the Big Country at the 2A-Division I level may be getting a bit shaken up in 2025 as the unbeaten Anson Tigers are off to a fast start under first-year head coach Kyle Wheeler. A statement can be made this week as they travel to Hawley to open up district play. The reason for the unbeaten start has been the Tigers defense, which, in five games, has pitched two shutouts and allowed just 20 points total. In their 20-6 win over Albany two weeks ago, the Tigers defense surrendered just three first downs and held Albany to just 73 yards of offense. RB Malachi St John led the offense with 86 yards on the ground and two scores, while RB Ethan Lozano added 81 yards. Hawley has played a difficult schedule, but they were able to close non-district out on a positive note with a dominant 32-7 win over Eastland. HHS used two signal-callers as Aiden Robo passed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Jesse Nieto threw for 103 yards and a score. Anson’s defense and physicality has been their calling card early in the year and that’s the difference in this one as they open district play with a huge road win. Stepp’s Pick: Anson by 7

Gruver (5-1) at Stratford (3-2): The two best teams at the 2A-Division II level in the Texas Panhandle will open up district play in a big way as the winner likely gets the inside track to the 1-2A Division II crown. Gruver’s rolled off three straight wins in dominant fashion and that trend continued last week as the Greyhounds rolled to a 54-6 win over Amarillo River Road. It was once again QB Briggs Satterfield leading the charge as he threw for 212 yards and four scores, while RB Emmanuel Valverde chipped in 105 yards and a score on the ground. Stratford dropped their non-district finale to Class 3A Childress 41-26. WR Darius Jones led the charge for the Elks with 204 yards receiving and two scores, but the Elks defense was gashed on the ground by a big and physical Childress offensive line. Gruver made a big statement a year ago upsetting Stratford at home. This year they go on the road into Sam Bass Stadium as the favorite, which doesn’t happen often. How Gruver handles that role will be key, but they’ve got the difference maker in Satterfield and that’s what lifts Gruver in this one. Stepp’s Pick: Gruver by 3

Lindsay (5-0) at Muenster (3-2): This might be the most anticipated Kraut Bowl game in several years as unbeaten Lindsay takes the 10-mile trip west on Highway 82 to visit their rival and defending state champion Muenster. Lindsay has built up an impressive non-district resume, which includes a win over 3A-Division Pilot Point in Week 3. In their last outing two weeks ago, the Knights raced past Dublin 70-7 to spoil the 3A Lions’ homecoming. Muenster’s two losses were to 3A opponents who have spent time in the state rankings, so don’t let the 3-2 record fool you. They closed out non-district play in style with a dominant win over 2A-Division I DeLeon, 47-16. The Hornets offense was absolutely on fire last week rolling up 588 yards of offense. QB Casen Carney threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 145 yards and another score on the ground. WR Garrett Hess hauled in seven passes for 127 yards and four touchdowns. Lindsay’s resume is strong and they’ll be a force come playoff time in 2A-Division II Region II, but Muenster has championship pedigree and the Hornets win a hard-fought rivalry game. Stepp’s Pick: Muenster by 12

Quick Picks

Tyler Chapel Hill (4-2, 1-1) at Kilgore (5-1, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Kilgore by 12

Brock (5-0) at Eagle Mountain (4-1) Stepp’s Pick: Brock by 15yer

Canyon Lake (5-1, 2-0) at Somerset (4-1, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Canyon Lake by 8

Gatesville (5-0) at Waco La Vega (3-2) Stepp’s Pick: Waco La Vega by 13

White Oak (4-1, 0-1) at Jefferson (3-3, 0-2) Stepp’s Pick: Jefferson by 33

Jourdanton (3-2) at Crystal City (5-0) Stepp’s Pick: Crystal City by 6

Littlefield (6-0) at Slaton (5-1) Stepp’s Pick: Slaton by 7

Hico (4-1) at DeLeon (3-2) Stepp’s Pick: DeLeon by 14

Mildred (4-1) at Frankston (5-0) Stepp’s Pick: Frankston by 10

Grapeland (4-2, 2-0) at Mount Enterprise (5-0, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Grapeland by 5

Last Week’s Record: 15-5

Last Week’s Win %: 75.0%

Season Record: 91-29

Season Win %: 75.8%