Midland Legacy (2-0) at Arlington Martin (1-1): Midland Legacy returns to the site where their 2020 playoff run ended in shocking fashion, this time it’s a non-district game with not as much on the line, but the opponent is plenty talented in Arlington Martin. This top 25 matchup features plenty of star-power and the five-hour road trip won’t phase the Rebels who are plenty used to long road-trips. Legacy rallied from an eleven-point fourth quarter deficit last week to knock off a strong Amarillo Tascosa squad 51-48. RB Makhilyn Young ran for 197 yards and three touchdowns, while also returning a kickoff for a touchdown as well. WR Chris Brazzell hauled in five passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns to as the Rebels rolled up 450 yards of offense. Arlington Martin rolled past Hebron 59-15 a week ago as QB Cydd Ford threw for five touchdowns in just over one half of action, while junior running back Javien Toviano ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns for the Warriors. The Martin front seven was dominant as well holding Hebron to just two first half first downs. This is by far Legacy’s biggest test of the year in this 6A Top 25 matchup, the Rebels offense will push Martin, but the Warriors balance in all three phases of the game will be the key. Stepp’s Pick: Arlington Martin by 13

Abilene Cooper (1-1) at Abilene Wylie (1-1): South Abilene will be rocking as Abilene Cooper takes the short trip down the road to take on Abilene Wylie in a battle of teams who are feeling good after evening their record at 1-1 a week ago. Cooper knocked off rival Abilene High in impressive fashion last week in a 31-14 win. Cooper trailed 14-0 in the second quarter and scored the final 31 points of the game as QB Chris Warren tallied 291 yards of offense and a touchdown pass, while RB Mikei Flye ran for two touchdowns as well. Abilene Wylie bounced back from a lopsided season opening loss and were able to knock off Lubbock Monterrey in a 30-22 thriller. Wylie’s ground game got rolling as Josh Carpenter ran for 143 yards and four touchdowns, while Trey Gomez added another 121 yards on the ground for the Bulldogs. Wylie’s secondary which struggled in Week 1 will be tested this week as the young Abilene Cooper offense seemed to find themselves in the final three quarters last week. Stepp’s Pick: Abilene Cooper by 8

Magnolia (1-1) at College Station (2-0): District play in 8-5A Division I opens up this week as Magnolia, led by a stout defense gets a huge challenge this week against a College Station squad that has been sensational through two weeks. Magnolia’s defense has allowed just 24 points through two games and last week they were outstanding in a 20-6 win over Brenham as MHS allowed just 87 yards of offense. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns were the difference for Magnolia to pull away. College Station through two weeks has outscored two 6A opponents 108-18, including last week’s 49-7 rout of Fort Bend Bush. QB Jett Huff tossed six touchdown passes in the win, three of which went to Traylen Suel, but the Cougars defense, which often gets over-shadowed by the offense played another outstanding game. Magnolia’s defense will keep them in it for a while, but College Station’s dynamic offense will be too much in the second half. Stepp’s Pick: College Station by 13

Katy Paetow (2-0) at Richmond Foster (1-1): Katy Paetow thus far has lived up to the high expectations they had going into the season as the Panthers are off to a 2-0 start after rolling past Katy Morton Ranch 43-14. RB Jacob Brown led the way for PHS with 184 yards rushing and three touchdowns, while QB CJ Dumas was efficient throwing for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Foster, after their shocking season opening loss to Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated, found their stride last week taking down Fort Bend Travis 28-7. QB JT Fayard threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns, with WR Kendal Stewart being his top target. Stewart caught eight passes for 182 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons. Paetow’s got the look of a regional title contender and their depth across the board and underrated defense will be key in this showdown. Stepp’s Pick: Katy Paetow by 10

Round Rock (2-0) at Cedar Park (1-1): Round Rock after back-to-back strong performances pushed their way into the 6A state rankings, last week the Dragons dominated Belton in a 35-0 win. It’s been the running game that’s paced RRHS early as after throwing up over 500 yards on the ground in Week 1, Round Rock again dominated on the ground. Trayvian McCoy-Gay ran for 152 yards and a touchdown, while Mason Cochran chipped in 71 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Cedar Park after a disappointing start to the season bounced back nicely last week with a 29-7 win over Round Rock Cedar Ridge. The “Black Rain” defense was sensational last week for CPHS with a defensive touchdown and a key second half goal-line stand that ignited a fourth-quarter outburst that helped put the game away. QB Josh Pell tossed a pair of second half touchdown passes to put the game out of reach for the Timberwolves as well. Cedar Park’s defense is going to have their hands full with this Round Rock ground game, they’ll hang in there, but the Dragons depth in the trenches wears Cedar Park down. Stepp’s Pick: Round Rock by 8

Weslaco East (1-0, 1-0) at Brownsville Veterans Memorial (1-1, 1-0): District play is heating up in 16-5A Division I and we head into Week 2 with a key matchup of teams who took care of business in their district opener. For Weslaco East, last week’s district opener was their season opener and the Wildcats looked sharp in a 24-0 shutout win over Donna. Brownsville Vets bounced back from their season opening loss to a good Harlingen South with a dominant 45-14 win over Brownsville ISD rival Porter. RB Jay Valdez had two rushing touchdowns and hauled in one of QB Reece Sampayo’s two touchdown passes. Brownsville Vets struggled a year ago, but they look much improved under first-year head coach Kelley Lee, they’ll keep this one close, but Weslaco East’s tough defense will keep their run-oriented offense at bay. Stepp’s Pick: Weslaco East by 9

Quick Picks

Austin Vandegrift (2-0) at San Angelo Central (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Austin Vandegrift by 8

Ennis (2-0) at Waxahachie (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Waxahachie by 3

Cypress Bridgeland at The Woodlands (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Cypress Bridgeland by 5

Katy (2-0) at Dickinson (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Katy by 20

San Antonio Brennan (2-0) vs San Antonio Harlan (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Brennan by 15

Longview (1-1) at Tyler Legacy (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Tyler Legacy by 7

Eagle Pass (1-1) vs Eagle Pass Winn (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Eagle Pass by 10

Converse Judson (1-1) vs College Station A&M Consolidated (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Converse Judson by 6

Amarillo Tascosa (1-1) at Odessa Permian (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Amarillo Tascosa by 7

Canutillo (1-1) at El Paso Chapin (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: El Paso Chapin by 3