Here’s a quick Texas high school football trivia question: what do 3A, Division I Hallettsville, 3A-D1 Blanco and 3A-D2 East Bernard have in common as the season enters its fifth week?

They each have 3-1 records, and they’ve all lost to the same opponent. That opponent? Shiner, the top-ranked team in 2A-1.

The Comanches have spent the non-district portion of the schedule proving something that Lake Travis coach Hank Carter said following his second – and the school’s fifth – consecutive 4A state championship. “Can Lake Travis win in the state’s largest classification?” pundits repeatedly asked when the Cavaliers finally found themselves amongst the big boys in the 2012 realignment.

“I think that when you’re good, you’re good, whether you’re in 4A or 5A,” he said. “You should be able to play with anyone.”

In addition to the wins over 3A teams – including top-10 teams Hallettsville and East Bernard, the Comanches took 4A-2 Smithville to the woodshed, 41-12.

The Comanches’ weren’t particularly convincing – or sharp – in Friday’s win at third-ranked East Bernard, but they definitely showed the resiliency required of a team with title aspirations. Shiner overcame seven turnovers and a missed field goal that would have won the game in regulation to pull out a 13-7 win in overtime.

When smaller teams take on schools from larger classifications and do it regularly, the worry becomes about the effort required week in and week out. That doesn’t seem to bother coach Daniel Boedeker, who has utilized his depth in convincing wins over Blanco and Smithville.

The Comanches begin District 13 play this week, and the schedule – if things go according to plan – affords them plenty of time to recover. Shiner has open dates on Oct. 2 and 23 and Nov. 5 and plays on back-to-back Fridays just once. That means 2A-D1’s top ranked team could roll into the playoffs rested and ready as it eyes a potential rematch with No. 2 Refugio in a Region IV meeting that could serve as the de-facto state championship game.