Class 6A Top 25 dominates in Week 3
Of the 23 teams in the Class 6A Top 25 that played in Week 3, an incredible 22 of them took care of business with wins. The only team that lost in the 6A poll was number 14 Spring Westfield who lost a heartbreaker 24-21 to No. 5 Galena Park North Shore. Westfield, despite the loss, did not drop in this week’s rankings.

Beaumont United making waves in year two
A year ago, there were a lot of questions about how Beaumont United would fare as the Timberwolves were created after the merging of two rival high schools, Ozen and Central. Year one was tough as United posted just a 2-8 record, but longtime area coach Arthur Louis had a blueprint for success and his team stuck with the plan and it's paying off early in 2019 as United is an improved 3-0 with a dominant 35-6 win over Port Arthur Memorial. Most of the talk in the district will center around Galena Park North Shore and Beaumont West Brook, but overlooking United would be a big mistake as this has the look of a dangerous team.

Edinburg Vela loses to a Valley program for the first time since 2016
Since taking over at Edinburg Vela in 2017, John Campbell’s squad has done one thing very well, that’s dominate the competition in the Rio Grande Valley. Vela since losing 31-28 to Weslaco East in the first round of the 2016 playoffs had won 21-straight games against their counterparts from the RGV. That streak ended Friday in emphatic fashion as McAllen Memorial rolled past the Sabercats 33-22. The crown for the top team in the Valley in Class 6A is certainly much more wide open now than it’s been in the past two seasons.

Highland Park’s winning streak ends
If you are looking for a statement win then look no further than Jeff Rayburn’s Frisco Lone Star Rangers, who did something no team from Texas had done since Denison in 1998 and that’s beat Highland Park in Highlander Stadium. The Rangers used a huge first half to jump out to a 24-0 halftime lead, while holding off the Scots down the stretch for a 30-19 win and ending Highland Park’s 33-game winning streak. WR Marvin Mims was huge for Lone Star with over 300 all-purpose yards and two touchdown receptions, while the Ranger defense (which held Highland Park to just 10 points in a close loss last year) picked off Highland Park QB Chandler Morris four times.

San Antonio Burbank’s historic start
Lots of history is being made over at San Antonio Burbank in 2019 as for the first time since 1978, the Bulldogs are 3-0 after opening up district play Friday with a hard-fought 27-24 win over San Antonio Edison. Considering the Bulldogs were without the Alamo City’s leading rusher in Matthew Salazar, who sat out the game with an ankle injury, the win is all the more impressive for Phil Barron’s squad. Burbank will look to improve to 4-0 and put itself in the playoff discussion with a win next week over a tough San Antonio Brackenridge.

Port Neches-Groves hits a milestone
Port Neches-Groves joined some elite company on Friday night with its 28-9 win over Tomball as the Indians earned their 600th win in program history becoming one of just 60 programs in the state of Texas to reach that mark. Even more impressive for PNG is its overall program winning percentage is over 62 percent which is a mark of decades of consistent winning.

San Angelo Lake View 3-0 first time since 1983
It’s been a magical start for the Lake View Chiefs and second-year head coach Hector Guevara in 2019 as Lake View, often overlooked in their own city, are making major waves. The Chiefs on Thursday knocked off Snyder, 39-12, to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1983. The Chiefs have gotten it done with an explosive offense and a defense that has a knack for forcing turnovers in key moments, including last week when they notched three interceptions and Austin Bandy had a 90-yard fumble return for a TD in the first quarter that put momentum on the side of the Chiefs.

Sealy maintains shutout streak
The No. 4 team in Class 4A-Division I continues to play incredible defense as the Tigers improved to 3-0 with a 14-0 win over Class 5A Waller on Friday. The Tigers, through three games, are one of just two UIL 11-man teams in the state of Texas to not yet allow a point.

Malakoff survives a scare from Mexia
After two blowouts to open the season, 3A-Division I runner-up Malakoff finally got its first test of the year surviving in Week 3 with a 17-14 win over 4A-Division II Mexia. The Tigers next week gear up for their state championship rematch with Grandview who defeated the Tigers twice in 2018, including their win in the state title game a year ago.

More Carnage in 2A-Division II Top 10
Week 3 Friday the 13th and there’s no doubt small town newspapers across the state had some cheesy lede’s after some odd results, but no classification embodied that craziness more than 2A-Division II, which had a nightmarish evening. Eight of the top 10 teams in the state’s smallest 11-man classification lost on Friday night and several in lopsided fashion. All is not lost for these teams as the eight losses all came to teams ranked in either 2A-Division I, 3A-Division II or 3A-Division I.

Top-ranked Hamlin may retain its status at No. 1 after a narrow 46-44 loss to 2A-Divison I Top 10 Hawley. Grapeland and Albany ranked two and three both suffered lopsided losses at the hands of good 3A-Division I squads, while Wellington was blown out by a strong 3A-Division II team in Abernathy. Mart dropped a heartbreaker to 3A-Divison I Franklin, while Burton was drilled by the No. 2 team in 2A-Division I, Shiner. Gruver, last year’s state runner-up, was knocked off by explosive 2A-Division I Stinnett West Texas, while No. 9 Muenster was beaten 39-12 by a good Pottsboro squad from 3A-Division I. Only Falls City and Bremond were ranked teams who got wins on Friday night.