Odessa Permian (1-1) at Abilene (2-0): An old Little SWC rivalry gets renewed in the Big Country as Odessa Permian visits Shotwell Stadium to take on state ranked 5A-Division I opponent Abilene High. Permian got the win a week ago, but it hasn’t been pretty for MOJO as they struggled to take down El Paso Eastlake last week 27-12. A pair of second half touchdown runs from Gavin Black led the way for the Panthers offense, while the defense through two weeks has shown some positive signs with strong play. Abilene knocked off Abilene Cooper in the annual Crosstown Showdown game to the tune of 34-13, as the Eagles versatile combination of ATH Brayden Henry and WR M’Aujehl Aboso led the charge. Henry passed for 119 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 76 yards and two scores and chipped in for fun 36 receiving yards. Aboso had 148 yards of offense, running for a score and hauling in a touchdown pass and after an early shaky start, the Abilene defense settled in nicely. This one comes down to the Permian offense and can they get on track against a stingy Abilene defense? Abilene’s got the speed and playmakers to challenge Permian, but the Permian offense is going to have to put on a better showing if they want to walk away with what would be a strong resume builder. The edge goes to the Abilene offense, Henry is a real difference maker for AHS when he’s healthy. Stepp’s Pick: Abilene High by 8

Southlake Carroll (2-0) at Trophy Club Nelson (1-1):

District play gets started early in 4-6A and we open up with a big one as top-ranked Carroll gets a test right out of the blocks against Byron Nelson. Carroll rolled to an easy rain-shortened 35-7 win over Hebron last week, their third win over the Hawks in a calendar year. QB Angelo Renda was sensational for the Dragons throwing for 349 yards and two scores in little more than one half of action as the game was called early in the third quarter. The one negative if there was Carroll wasn’t as sharp in the running game as they usually are, so that will be something to watch to see if that was an aberration or a credit to Hebron’s run defense. Byron Nelson jumped out to an early lead on Lewisville last week but faltered in the second half in a 38-21 loss. The Farmers outscored Byron 29-7 in the final two quarters. Baylor commit Parker Almanza, who has moved to QB from his natural spot of TE, threw for 267 yards and a pair of scores, but the negative was a pair of interceptions and the Bobcats secondary struggled against a dynamic group of Lewisville playmakers. That could be trouble with Carroll WR Brock Boyd (Ohio State commit) and that dynamic Dragons passing attack coming to town. Carroll runs away with this one. Stepp’s Pick: Southlake Carroll by 25

Longview (2-0) at South Oak Cliff (1-1): A year ago South Oak Cliff went out to Lobo Stadium and stunned powerhouse Longview, and the Lobos would like nothing more than to return the favor as they visit Kincaide Stadium, a place they’ve had a ton of postseason success in. Last week, without head coach John King on the sidelines, Longview looked a bit sluggish against rival Marshall, but they got out of there with a 20-7 win. Mason Washington ran for two scores and after a shaky start for the second week in a row, Longview’s defense was dominant in the final three quarters of action. Longview will need to be sharp from the start against a battle-tested SOC squad that nearly rallied from a 29-7 deficit to powerful Duncanville last week in a 35-29 loss. After getting shredded early in the game, the Golden Bears defense held Duncanville to just 46 yards in the second half. QB Jayden Williams had 208 yards passing and a score, while versatile WR Torrin Teague had 85 rushing yards and a score along with 94 receiving yards. RB Levon Morton ran for a score and returned a punt for a score as well for the Golden Bears. This game won’t be for the faint of heart; it will be physical, smash-mouth football and a test of wills. Last year’s game was high-scoring. I don’t expect a shootout this year, but the offense that can consistently make big plays in the passing game has the edge here and that goes to South Oak Cliff. Stepp’s Pick: South Oak Cliff by 6

Killeen Harker Heights (2-0) at Dripping Springs (2-0): Harker Heights has started the season out with a pair of dominant wins, but the real test for Mark Humble’s squad will be this week as they tangle with a stout Dripping Springs squad. Harker Heights rolled past Manor 56-0 last week behind seven touchdown passes from QB Hudson Humble. Dripping Springs didn’t have a letdown after their stunning 41-14 rout of defending state champion Austin Vandegrift in Week 1 as the Tigers roared past San Antonio Wagner 55-0. The Tigers WR duo of Arizona State commit Cooper Reid and Merrik Bloomgren is a nightmare for opposing defenses to contain, but The Drip defense early in the year has shown signs of being absolutely stellar and that will be the group that turns them into a legitimate contender in Region IV. Harker Heights head coach Mark Humble called this “a regional final type game and a measuring stick,” and the Knights will need to play their best game if they want to keep up with this high-octane DSHS attack. Stepp’s Pick: Dripping Springs by 16

Conroe (2-0) at The Woodlands College Park (2-0): District play gets started in a big way on Thursday night in 13-6A as a key matchup for playoff positioning features Conroe ISD rivals Conroe High and College Park. This will be Conroe’s first big test of the year as last week they rolled past Alief Hastings 31-0. The Tigers defense led by LB CJ Mooring has been lock-down early in the season, while the offense with QB Caleb Nunley and RB Alex Spence-Myers has been better than advertised early in the season. Speaking of better than advertised, the College Park offensive attack has been absolutely lethal early in the year. In last week’s 58-21 rout of Klein Cain, the Cavaliers were led by QB Camden Hughes who had six touchdowns passing, a rushing touchdown and he tallied over 500 yards of offense. CPHS is averaging over 65 points per game through two weeks of action, but this Conroe defense will be the best defense the Cavs have faced by far in 2025. The play in 13-6A will be competitive all year and this game will reflect that. The edge goes to College Park whose offense just seems to be rolling early on. Stepp’s Pick: The Woodlands College Park by 9

Bridgeland (2-0) at Fort Bend Ridge Point (2-0):

It’s a big Thursday night in the Houston area and the best overall game may be Bridgeland heading down to Fort Bend County to take on Ridge Point in a battle of state ranked teams. Bridgeland made a statement last week with a dominant 42-14 win over Katy Tompkins. The BHS defense dominated and chipped in a pick-six, while RB Kash Schwab had three touchdown runs and QB Tyler Begeal had a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Ridge Point had some struggles with a feisty Fulshear squad, but the ultra-talented Panthers pulled away for a 34-10 win. RB Aiden Aikens had a pair of first-half touchdown runs for the Panthers, while New Mexico WR commit DJ Darling hauled in a key second-half touchdown to all but seal the game. Ridge Point’s stout defense got in on the act with a defensive touchdown and aside from a rough stretch in the third quarter, the Panthers defense pitched a shutout. Ridge Point’s team speed across the board along with their strength in the trenches makes them a real difficult matchup for the Bears. Stepp’s Pick: Fort Bend Ridge Point by 11

San Antonio Brennan (2-0) vs San Antonio Sotomayor (0-2): The Brennan Bears have their eyes set on being the best team in San Antonio and contending for a regional title as they open defense of their 28-6A title against a tough Sotomayor squad in a Saturday night special. Brennan got things rolling last week after a slow start with a 30-21 win over defending 5A-Division I state champion Smithson Valley. RB Micai Thompson ran for 118 yards and a pair of scores, while QB Cayden Glass completed 15 of 18 passes for 155 yards and a pair of scores. After making the area playoffs a year ago Sotomayor, is off to a slow start with two losses by a combined six points to open the season. Last week they fell in a 48-46 triple overtime shootout to Northside ISD rival Brandeis. RB Alijah McAdory had a huge night for the Wildcats in the losing effort with two touchdown runs and a touchdown catch, while QB Chauncey Moon unleashed three touchdown passes. The Sotomayor defense did struggle and that’s going to be a big concern this week with the speed and athleticism that Brennan brings to the table. Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Brennan by 14

Pflugerville Weiss (2-0) at College Station A&M Consolidated (1-1):

The District 12-5A Division I race kicks off with a bang in the Brazos Valley as newly state-ranked Pflugerville Weiss visits an A&M Consolidated squad that fell out of the state rankings this week. Weiss’ defense doesn’t get the attention their offense gets, but the Wolves played extremely well last week in a hard-fought 25-15 win over 6A San Marcos with three interceptions. Weiss RB Jayon Alexander carried 23 times for 110 yards, while WR Tre Moore hauled in a touchdown pass, and WR Jordan Anderson had a touchdown run and a touchdown catch. The negative in this game was Weiss also turned the ball over three times; they’ll need to clean that up against a battle tested A&M Consolidated squad on the road. The Tigers fell on the road to 6A Forney, 38-21, last week as three turnovers and Forney’s star running back did Consol in. The Tigers offense, which looked great on the season opening win over Lake Belton, stumbled as well amassing just 203 total yards. Expect a much sharper performance this week as this one comes down to taking care of the ball. A year ago when these two teams played, Weiss turned it over four times in the first half and dug themselves a huge hole. If the Wolves take care of the ball, they have the playmakers to take a huge win to open district play on the road. Stepp’s Pick: Pflugerville Weiss by 3

Amarillo Tascosa (2-0) at Lubbock Cooper (1-1): Amarillo Tascosa’s defense has been the early story of the season at the 5A level in the Texas Panhandle as the Rebels have allowed just three total points in two games. The defensive line led by Texas Tech commit Krush Johnson has just been unblockable thus far. They forced three turnovers and allowed just 131 total yards in a 53-3 destruction of Wichita Falls Legacy last week. Tascosa’s flexbone offense got rolling as well as they had four ballcarriers with over 40 yards rushing, including Traeson Elliott who ran for 44 yards and four touchdowns. Deandre Sanders led the way with 81 yards and a touchdown run on five carries. QB Coltyn Fulton got the aerial attack going also throwing a pair of touchdown passes. After a tough season opening loss to Lovejoy, Lubbock Cooper bounced back nicely with a 49-14 rout of Lubbock Coronado. QB Ryan Rodriguez threw for 211 yards and three scores, while LB Broderick Everett had an interception return for a score and the Pirates special teams chipped in with a free kick return for a touchdown after a safety. Both defensive units are stellar, the key will be which offense can find their footing. On the road the running game travels and if Tascosa can keep the flexbone rolling they leave Lubbock with a statement win. Stepp’s Pick: Amarillo Tascosa by 7

Quick Picks:

North Crowley (2-0) at Denton Guyer (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: North Crowley by 12

Red Oak (1-1) at Cedar Hill (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Cedar Hill by 4

Katy Jordan (1-1) vs Katy Tompkins (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Katy Tompkins by 7

Austin Westlake (1-1) at Humble Atascocita (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Humble Atascocita by 11

San Antonio Jay (2-0) at South San Antonio (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: South San Antonio by 3

San Antonio Johnson (2-0) vs McAllen Memorial (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Johnson by 27

Killeen Chaparral (2-0) at Lampasas (2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Killeen Chaparral by 6

Cedar Park (0-2) at Huntsville (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Huntsville by 7

Beaumont West Brook (2-0) at Aldine MacArthur (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Beaumont West Brook by 3

Waco University (1-1) at China Spring (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Waco University by 10

Last Week’s Record: 15-5

Last Week’s Win %: 75.0%

Season Record: 29-11

Season Win %: 72.5%