6A-5A Ultimate Preview: Week 1

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Wolfforth Frenship vs Trophy Club Nelson at Shotwell Stadium:

Frenship’s two losses a year ago both came in heartbreakers to teams from 4-6A in Abilene - the season opener to Byron Nelson and an agonizing area round loss to Southlake Carroll. The similarities don’t stop there; Frenship got up big early in both games and let leads slip away. Expect the Tigers to be better on defense with seven returning starters, but the pace is always set by their offense, which has some questions. Mainly, how Bushland transfer QB Quaid Ferris adjusts to 6A competition. WR is not a question with Texas Tech commit Chase Campbell and his partner in crime, Hayden Wilson, leading the way. Byron Nelson is also going through some transition after the passing of their head coach Travis Pride in late May. The Bobcats have dedicated their season to his memory, but on the field they have some questions as well with just three starters back on offense. Baylor commit TE Parker Almanza is not one of those questions as his vertical ability in the middle of the field makes him a tough matchup, while sophomore ATH Nolan Hawkins will be asked to contribute at multiple spots. There is some exciting young talent in the pipeline, but Week 1 on the road in West Texas could be a big ask for those young guys. Frenship wins what I expect to be a shootout. Stepp’s Pick: Wolfforth Frenship by 7

Lancaster at North Crowley:

In Week 1 a year ago, Lancaster pushed North Crowley tougher than anyone else did. If not for a controversial missed call on a pick six, Lancaster may have handed the eventual state champions a season opening loss. Fast forward to 2025 and both teams come in with plenty of promise, but plenty of questions as well. Lancaster has one of the most productive backs in the state with Vanderbilt commit Izayah Lee, while sophomore ATH James Foster is one of the state’s most explosive playmakers in the Class of 2028; he first burst on the scene last year as a freshman in the secondary for Lancaster in this season opener. Lancaster’s questions are mainly with youth on the offensive line and inexperience at the QB spot. That youth on the offensive line is bad news against a North Crowley defense that has a chance to be absolutely ferocious at all three levels. The secondary is loaded with front-line prospects led by Texas Tech S commit Aaron Bradshaw, but there’s at least three other FBS prospects in that unit. NCHS must replace a star-studded offense, but there’s plenty of pieces in place with WR Damarion Mayes, QB Hayes Cloutier and tough running junior RB Kiante Ingram. Texas commit John Turntine, III leads a rebuild offensive line that graduates four starters. It’ll be a low scoring defensive slugfest, but North Crowley gets a couple of big plays in the passing game to break things open. Stepp’s Pick: North Crowley by 14

Lufkin at Longview: One of the fiercest rivalries in all of East Texas adds another chapter as Lufkin, led by new head coach Carl Abseck, visit Lobo Stadium. This game was played in a driving rain storm last season, with Longview pulling out a 7-3 win. I would anticipate a few more points to be scored in this matchup. Lufkin will have a new look on both sides of the ball, but the return of QB Javion Johnson should put Panthers fans at ease; he missed much of 2024 with an injury but looked sharp all summer. His running game will be a strength as well with the return of RB’s Kenneth Waters and Kylon Coleman. LB Desmon Hood is a big-time talent and will be the leader of a defense that will be rebuilt after losing a strong group of seniors. Longview will look a little different in 2025 under a new offensive coordinator, but the soul of the Lobos offense will still be the same. They will run the football, but for the second year in a row the Lobos lost a FBS running back. The new feature back will likely be Mason Washington, but there will be multiple ball carriers who get looks as well. Junior QB Johnny Hamilton took over the offense in the area playoffs a year ago and got four playoff starts under his belt. The Lobos passing game should take a step forward along with talented sophomore WR Jaden Hurndon. Longview lost some outstanding playmakers in the front seven, so there will be some questions that need to be answered. Longview’s secondary had a great summer and they look like they’ll be a real strength for the defense. Going into Longview and leaving with a win is among the most difficult feats in the state and with both teams having a similar amount of questions, the arrow points to Longview continuing their dominance in the series. Stepp’s Pick: Longview by 8

Cy Ranch at Katy Tompkins:

One of Houston’s most intriguing teams heading into 2025 is Cy Ranch. The Mustangs enter Will Blaylock’s second season with a lot of potential with eight offensive starters back and several headline talents on defense. The ringleader of that group is North Carolina LB commit Calvin Thomas; DL Amari Barnes-Vickerson is just a junior and holds offers from multiple elite programs at the college level. QB Braden Baker will take over the offense, he impressed as a backup throwing for eight scores and nearly 1,000 yards and he’ll have plenty of veteran playmakers to spread the ball around to. Katy Tompkins will lean heavily on their big offensive line and a pair of strong RBs with the return of Ethan Meadows and Carter Young who will lead the way. The Falcons defense has some experience back with seven starters back led by DE Ryan Machado and LB Colton Simonton. Tompkins has some key questions going into this one, while Cy Ranch has the makings of a regional contender in 6A-D1 Region II. Stepp’s Pick: Cy Ranch by 7

Austin Vandegrift at Dripping Springs: Vandegrift vs. Dripping Springs has turned into a nice rivalry in the Austin area over the past few years and there’s a chance this could be the first of two meetings in 2025. Vandegrift got over the hump a year ago and got that elusive state championship. With a veteran offense returning, a repeat isn’t out of the question. Kansas State QB commit Miles Teodecki will lead the Vipers attack along with talented WR’s Brock Chilton and Gavin Koester. Vandegrift’s defense does have questions with just three starters back, but HC Drew Sanders always manages to field a strong defense; there may just be some growing pains early. Dripping Springs expects to be a real problem in Region IV and it starts with their two big outside WR’s in Arizona State commit Cooper Reid and Merrick Bloomgren - both are 6-foot-4 or taller and will make life difficult for opposing secondaries. QB Mateo Perez is expected to step in and direct the attack, but the tale for Dripping Springs will be told by their defense and their improvement. I think this one could be a shootout, but the lean here is to the defending state champions. Stepp’s Pick: Austin Vandegrift by 10

San Antonio East Central at San Antonio Harlan: A Saturday night special to open the season features two of the Alamo City’s more underrated programs as these two won a combined five playoff games a year ago. East Central graduated a large and talented senior class so the Hornets have a lot of questions. One area that Coach Joe Hubbard feels good about is their pair of stout linebackers in Braylon Blair and Gabriel Chavarria, both of whom tallied over 100 tackles in 2024. WR’s Joseph Kelly and Dei’Rionn Smith-Claire are a pair of reliable targets on the outside, but ECHS has to replace a veteran QB and the vast majority of their offensive line. Harlan is fresh off their best season in school history as they advanced all the way to the regional final and the Hawks have the pieces in place to again be a threat in Region IV. It starts with speedy TCU RB commit G’Ivori Graham who is one of the state’s most complete running backs. QB Aldric Trotter returns after tossing 25 touchdowns a year ago, while DB Taveion Ford is one of the state’s most underrated prospects in the secondary. Harlan’s overall team speed and veteran experience gives them a big edge in this matchup. Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Harlan by 19

Amarillo Tascosa at Amarillo Palo Duro: Palo Duro made a statement in the Panhandle with an upset win over Tascosa a year ago, but in the end Tascosa got the last laugh by advancing to the playoffs and getting all the way to the regional semifinals. Palo Duro, on the other hand, in a tough 5A-Division II district, failed to get into the playoffs. Tascosa’s option-based offense will be led by a returning signal-caller in Coltyn Fulton who really emerged as an operator of the Rebels attack. The THS defense is led by DL Krush Johnson, a Texas Tech commit. Palo Duro brings back a wealth of experience with eight starters back on both sides of the ball. QB Julian Reese (20 TD Passes in 2024) guides the offense and he’s got a bevy of talented playmakers to distribute the ball to. The Dons defense should be elite on the back end with North Carolina commit Darien Lewis and UNLV commit Vern Blair leading the way. Last year PD took Tascosa down by 12. I expect this year’s game to be much closer, but I’ll take the Dons in a high-scoring affair. Stepp’s Pick: Amarillo Palo Duro by 5

Frisco Lone Star at Argyle: The headline game in the DFW area at the 5A level is a top five matchup featuring Lone Star, a Division I favorite, and Argyle, a favorite on the Division II side. Lone Star is loaded with Florida ATH commit Davian Groce, ATH Karece Hoyt, who moves to RB after putting up monster numbers at the QB spot, and TE Ryder Mix, an Oklahoma commit. There’s no question Lone Star has the offensive firepower to win Region II, the question will be how the Rangers young defensive unit matures during the course of the season. Argyle has been to the state semifinals in two of the last three years and this senior class has been a group that Eagle fans have been waiting for. There’s plenty of offensive playmakers back led by QB Maguire Gasperson, WR Julian Caldwell and TCU TE commit Braden Bach. LB’s Max Bland and Brody Bomar lead a defense that will be tough against the run. The key for Argyle in this matchup and in a possible playoff run will be how well the Eagles secondary performs as Lone Star has the playmakers to test the Eagles. Lone Star won a thriller last year. I expect another close one, but a bit more high-scoring and the lean is to Argyle with the veteran offensive experience, especially at QB. Stepp’s Pick: Argyle by 3

Huntsville at Brenham: Another top 10 matchup in 5A-Division II features Huntsville traveling to Cub Stadium to take on a Brenham squad that has their sights set on a possible state title run. It’s the debut of new head coach Todd Moebes at Huntsville. It’ll be interesting to see how the Hornets take to the new schemes, but RB Trae’Shawn Brown is back after a monster junior season, while sophomore QB Zay Adolphe displayed flashes of brilliance as a freshman. How has he progressed as a passer in the new Huntsville schemes will be intriguing. Huntsville’s speedy defense will have their hands full with a loaded Brenham offense that brings back eight starters. The late offseason departure of star RB Jakoby Dixon leaves some major questions about the Cubs rushing attack. WR Chris Guidry is one of the state’s most underrated prospects and gives Brenham’s offense the ability to stretch the field; he’ll be a bigger factor on the offense with Dixon’s departure. Another question for Brenham’s offense will be how the new signal-caller settles into his role leading the offense. Brenham’s defense is a veteran crew as well; expect the Cubs to load the box and dare Huntsville to beat them throwing the ball, which, going into the season, is still a major question. After last year's loss at home, Huntsville will be looking for a measure of revenge and with Brenham's late distractions, we'll go with Huntsville in a close one. Stepp's Pick: Huntsville by 4

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Cibolo Steele at Liberty Hill Stepp’s Pick: Cibolo Steele by 8

Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial vs Corpus Christi Miller Stepp’s Pick: Corpus Christi Miller by 6