Denton Guyer (3-1, 1-0) at Prosper (3-0, 1-0): It’s a top 25 showdown at Children’s Health Stadium on Friday as the District 5-6A race starts to take shape with a key matchup. Guyer opened up district play with an offensive explosion in a 55-35 win over McKinney. Texas A&M commit Deuce Harmon had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown, while fellow Aggies commit Eli Stowers (QB) accounted for 336 yards of offense and four touchdowns to lead the Wildcats attack. After missing two straight weeks of games due to Covid-19 protocols, Prosper came out strong on Saturday in their district opener, but held off a much-improved Little Elm squad, 30-20. TE Cameron Harpole, a San Diego State commit, had seven receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown, while RB Julian Higgins and QB Jackson Berry were both solid for the Eagles, who are the classic “greater than the sum of their parts” type of team. Prosper’s defense will need their best game of the year to contain the dynamic Guyer attack; expect a close and physical game, but Guyer gets a key win thanks to Stowers’ playmaking ability. Stepp’s Pick: Denton Guyer by 8

Harlingen (1-0, 0-0) at Harlingen South (1-0, 1-0): Up until Thursday afternoon, Harlingen thought they’d be taking last week off after their scheduled season opener against Weslaco was canceled. But the Cardinals adjusted quickly to their late scheduled game and pulled off a 21-6 win over McAllen Memorial. Harlingen’s defense forced a pair of turnovers and got multiple key fourth-down stops, while QB Joe Zuniga’s three touchdown passes carried the Cardinals through an at-times a choppy effort. Harlingen South rolled past Donna North in their opening zone game, 44-13. South fell behind early by a touchdown, but then rattled off 44-straight points behind five rushing touchdowns to turn the game into a rout. South relies on several juniors to play vital roles; in a game this big against their cross-town rivals, mistakes could be a factor. In those cases you’ve got to lean towards the veteran experience of Harlingen High. Stepp’s Pick: Harlingen by 13

Fort Bend Hightower (1-2, 0-0) at Angleton (3-1, 0-1): Don’t let Hightower’s 1-2 record fool you; this is an outstanding team that has close losses on the resume to Spring Westfield and Richmond Foster, along with a road win at The Woodlands. The Hurricanes dropped a 35-34 heartbreaker to a loaded Foster squad last week in a game that featured nine lead changes and saw HHS miss a field goal as time expired. UTEP commit QB Jakolby Longino was sensational for Hightower, throwing for three touchdowns and running for another score. Angleton dropped their first game of the year last week in a 49-28 loss to Manvel. The Wildcats had no answers for the Mavericks powerful running game. Angleton’s Wing-T offense simply cannot dig themselves a hole this week against Hightower as they aren’t built for comebacks; last week against Manvel they had multiple three-score deficits. If Angleton can start fast and control the tempo the Wildcats have a shot here, but this Hightower team is battled tested against top competition and their offensive balance is impressive. Hightower opens up zone play with a big win. Stepp’s Pick: Fort Bend Hightower by 14

College Station A&M Consolidated (5-0, 1-0) at Huntsville (4-0, 1-0): It’s a big time showdown in the Brazos Valley as unbeaten A&M Consolidated and unbeaten Huntsville hook up in a game that should once again decide the District 10-5A Division I crown. Both teams are reliant on their defenses to get the job done, with A&M Consolidated coming off back to back shutout wins. The Tigers ripped past Rosenberg Lamar, 56-0, last week as Sutton Lake and Keshun Thomas combined for 224 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns, while Lake added in an 88-yard touchdown reception. QB Kyle Willis gave AMC plenty of balance with 245 yards through the air and three touchdowns. The Tigers defense dominated the line of scrimmage holding LCHS to just 77 yards rushing, while forcing three turnovers. Huntsville got pushed a bit, but the Hornets pulled away in the second half and took down feisty Bryan Rudder, 36-17. Huntsville’s defensive line, which is among the best in the state, was sensational all night and eliminated Rudder’s ability to run the football from the jump. Justin Butcher led a solid Huntsville attack rushing for three touchdowns in the first half and Jaylon McClain added two fourth-quarter touchdown runs to put the game away. Both defenses are dominant, so the key to this one is which offense can find their footing, especially with the running game. It’s a toss-up type game and it’ll be low scoring, but the lean is Huntsville in a slight upset. Stepp’s Pick: Huntsville by 2

Dumas (7-1, 1-0) at Canyon (7-0, 1-0): The 4A showdown everyone in the Panhandle has been waiting for is finally here as Dumas looks to pick up a repeat district title. They’ll have to do it on the road against a Canyon squad playing as well as anyone in the state at the moment. Dumas opened up district play last week with an easy 48-10 win over Hereford as a 31-point second quarter proved to be the difference in the win. RB Jacob Mares ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while QB Spencer Williams added three touchdown passes. Canyon was able to hold off unbeaten Pampa last week in a 21-7 win that showed just how gritty and tough the Canyon defense can be. Canyon’s defense nabbed four interceptions and limited an explosive Pampa rushing attack in the win. Brody Cook ran for two touchdowns, while QB Jay DeFoor’s 72-yard touchdown pass to Grayson Hack proved to be all the offense Canyon would need. Expect another physical, low scoring defensive affair; despite all the returning experience on defense, Dumas’ defense has at times struggled a bit. Give the edge to Canyon, who just seems to have that right mix in 2020. Stepp’s Pick: Canyon by 6

Grandview (7-0) at Glen Rose (8-0): This matchup was canceled earlier in the year due to Covid concerns and with both teams having the week off this week, they decided to get one last playoff tune-up in before the start of the postseason. Both teams were scheduled off this week, but were facing two straight weeks off as opponents from last week’s games both canceled due to Covid-19 concerns, forcing the two teams to meet up. Grandview hasn’t been tested since a Week 2 win over 4A Salado as the Zebras last five wins are by an average of nearly 54points per contest as QB Dane Jentsch and company is after their third straight 3A-Division I state title. Glen Rose, on the other hand, has broken into the 4A-Division II state rankings with their 8-0 start. The Tigers have been every bit as dominant as Grandview in their last five games with an average margin of victory of 38 ppg. QB Austin Worthen continues to put up big time numbers and in their last outing, a 47-0 win over Hillsboro Worthen played just one half of football and still tallied six total touchdowns. This game ultimately will come down to which defense can make a few timely stops and give the ball back to the explosive offense. That edge at the moment goes to Grandview, who has the big game experience and the big time playmaker on the defensive line in Texas A&M commit DE Dametrious Crownover. Stepp’s Pick: Grandview by 8

Pottsboro (6-2, 4-1) at Mount Vernon (7-1, 4-1): The District 5-3A Division I race is a total mess at the moment. Four teams sit at 4-1 going into the last two weeks of the season with two key games left on the schedule to decide the district title, and this matchup is certainly one of them. Both teams are coming off losses; Pottsboro dropped a 57-49 decision to Mineola in overtime two weeks ago, while last Mount Vernon was stunned by Winnsboro last week, 30-28. Both offenses are high-flying, up-tempo spread attacks with Pottsboro QB Braden Plyler directing the Cardinals and QB Brock Nellor leading the Tigers. The big game experience on the field definitely leans to Pottsboro, a team that played for a state title a year ago, while you’ve got to wonder how Mount Vernon responds after a disappointing loss to their long time arch-rivals. The defenses will tell the tale in this matchup, but don’t be surprised if 45 points isn’t enough in this shootout. Stepp’s Pick: Pottsboro by 7

Bangs (7-0, 3-0) at Ballinger (8-1, 3-0): The District 2-3A Division II title is on the line as the district’s top two teams meet up in what should be an old-school physical, West Texas slug fest. Bangs rolled up 501 yards of offense in last week’s 48-14 win over Sonora; QB Ethan Cortez threw for 243 yards and three scores and rushed for 97 yards and two more touchdowns. Ballinger’s defense, save for one bad night against Llano, has been among the best in West Texas. The Bearcats again got it done defensively last week coasting to a 47-6 win over Ingram Moore. Ballinger’s defense limited Ingram to 156 yards, while Garrett Dixon rushed for 73 yards and three touchdowns and Carter Arrott threw for 109 yards and two more touchdowns. Ballinger’s offense can come and go at times, but the constant has been their lock down defense; that unit rises to the occasion once again as Ballinger all but wraps up the district title. Stepp’s Pick: Ballinger by 10

Panhandle (6-2, 3-0) at Farwell (7-1, 3-0): One of the top offenses in all of Class 2A, the Panhandle Panthers get to take a tough road trip to remote Farwell to take on one of 2A’s more underrated teams in Farwell in a key showdown that likely decides the 1-2A Division I title. In their seven games played on the field (one win via forfeit), Panhandle has scored at least 42 points in every game. Last week was no different as the Panthers routed overmatched Boys Ranch, 62-0. Quarterback Wesley Jones and running back Landyn Hack combined for seven first half touchdowns and the much-maligned Panhandle defense pitched a shutout for the first time this season. Farwell, on the other hand, had a tougher test in dealing with Stinnett West Texas, but the Steers passed the test with flying colors in a 40-6 win. Freshman phenom Corey Stancell ran for 269 yards and three touchdowns and also racked up 11 tackles. Farwell’s defense has been solid all year, but they haven’t faced an offense quite like Panhandle and that firepower earns them a shootout win and a district title. Stepp’s Pick: Panhandle by 8

Joaquin (8-0, 4-0) at Timpson (9-0, 4-0): The small school action is where it’s at in the Piney Woods as a pair of surprise state ranked unbeaten teams square off for the 10-2A Division I title. Joaquin and their Slot-T offense has controlled the clock and kept their defense fresh all year, and last week’s 32-14 win over Shelbyville was no different. Timpson’s dominance has been downright shocking as the Bears followed up their stunning 56-14 blowout win over San Augustine with absolutely no let down blasting West Hardin, 63-0, last week. The Bears closest game this year was a 41-25 win over Shelbyville on October 1; Kerry Therwanger’s squad’s average margin of victory is a whopping 42.1 points per game. Despite Josquin being ranked slightly higher, Timpson has the homefield advantage and they are playing about as well as anyone in the state. Stepp’s Pick: Timpson by 11

Quick Picks

Belton (2-3, 2-0) at Bryan (2-1, 1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Bryan by 3

Dickinson (2-0) at Katy (4-0) Stepp’s Pick: Katy by 10

Clear Creek (3-1, 2-0) vs Clear Springs (3-2, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Clear Springs by 7

Buda Hays Consolidated (3-2, 2-1) at Austin Westlake (4-0, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Austin Westlake by 34

Frisco Lone Star (1-2, 1-0) vs Frisco Reedy (3-1, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Frisco Lone Star by 5

Corpus Christi Moody (3-1, 2-1) vs Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial (4-0, 3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial by 24

Burleson (3-2, 1-1) at Cleburne (4-1, 1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Cleburne by 2

Liberty Hill (5-0, 3-0) at Marble Falls (3-0, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Liberty Hill by 17

Palestine (6-3, 4-1) at Lindale (6-2, 4-0) Stepp’s Pick: Lindale by 11

Boerne (6-2, 3-0) at La Vernia (6-2, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Boerne by 3

Waco Connally (5-3) at China Spring (7-1) Stepp’s Pick: China Spring by 15

Silsbee (5-3, 4-1) at Hardin-Jefferson (4-3, 3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Silsbee by 19

Tatum (5-1, 3-1) at White Oak (4-1, 3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Tatum by 17

East Chambers (7-0, 4-0) at Woodville (6-1, 3-1) Stepp’s Pick: East Chambers by 13

Friona (5-3, 2-2) at Spearman (7-1, 3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Spearman by 16

Waskom (7-0, 4-0) at Elysian Fields (6-2, 4-0) Stepp’s Pick: Waskom by 21

Dawson (6-3, 3-1) at Italy (7-1, 3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Italy by 16

Vega (6-2, 2-0) at Stratford (4-4, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Vega by 5

Olney (4-3, 1-1) at Quanah (3-4, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Quanah by 27

Charlotte (3-1, 3-0) at D’Hanis (5-0, 4-0) Stepp’s Pick: D’Hanis by 7