Waco La Vega (3-1) at Stephenville (4-0): Waco La Vega will look to close out non-district with a signature win as the Pirates visit brand new Briles Stadium to take on unbeaten Stephenville in a battle of state-ranked 4A squads. La Vega easily dispatched Stephenville’s arch-enemy Brownwood last week, 38-16, as QB Kourtney Parr tossed three touchdown passes, one going to Oklahoma State WR commit Jabarie Thornton, as the Pirates cruised to the big home win. Stephenville started fast and simply never looked back last week in an impressive 52-13 win over 5A Abilene Wylie. RB Zyler McClendon ran for three scores, while QB Trot Jordan ran for a score and threw for another score. Stephenville’s veteran defense, which returned 10 starters from last year, dominated as well, holding Abilene Wylie to just 36 yards rushing on the night. La Vega’s team speed and ability to throw the ball down field will be a challenge for Stephenville, but La Vega has yet to find consistency in the running game. You’ll need balance to take down the Yellow Jackets. Stepp’s Pick: Stephenville by 12

Frisco Panther Creek (4-0) at Celina (4-0): The grind in the state’s toughest 4A district begins this week with a top 10 battle as No. 1 Celina, the defending 4A-Division I state champion, hosts No. 6 Frisco Panther Creek. Panther Creek has been dominant to open the season, but the Panthers schedule hasn’t been the toughest around. Last week PCHS rolled past Kennedale, 56-17, as QB Graylyn Fry threw for 303 yards and four scores. He spread the ball around to his Division I playmakers as Oregon WR commit Jalen Lott led the way with 141 receiving yards and two scores. BYU TE commit Parker Ord had a touchdown catch, while Texas Tech RB/S commit Donovan Webb had 125 yards rushing and two scores and 57 receiving yards and a score. Celina took care of a scrappy Franklin squad last week, 33-22, as Oklahoma QB commit Bowe Bentley threw for two scores and ran for another score. The Bobcats have taken care of business the last two weeks against elite small school competition, but neither game was as lopsided as a last year. It’s hard to know what to make of that because Celina’s had some guys out with injuries. Expect the Bobcats to come out with the whole bag this week. They won’t hold anything back as they put their 20-game winning streak on the line. Panther Creek has the offensive playmakers to challenge Celina, but unless their defensive line can pressure Bentley, it could be a long night for the PCHS defense. Stepp’s Pick: Celina by 10

West Orange-Stark (2-2) at Fort Bend Crawford (3-1): After blowing past Bellaire Episcopal last wee,k West Orange-Stark makes a Saturday trip over to Fort Bend County to take on a dangerous Crawford squad that got their wheels back on after a Week 3 loss to Bellville. WOS last week rolled to a 52-17 road win as the Mustangs bruising running game was simply too much. They’ll need that ground attack to travel again this week as the Crawford passing game is among the state’s most dynamic. Last week Crawford made quite the statement as they rolled to a 63-21 win over Hamshire-Fannett. QB Braylen Fisher had a career night throwing for 410 yards and five scores, while adding a rushing touchdown. WR Alvin Mosley is a matchup nightmare for most 4A defenses as he was the recipient of three of those touchdown passes; he returned a punt for a score as well. WOS has the backend athleticism to challenge Crawford more so this will be a fascinating test of styles as RB Khelvy Jefferson for WOS is one of the state’s most dynamic players. Look for a lot of big plays, but at home I think CHS makes another statement as they look to move into the position to be a district title contender. Stepp’s Pick: Fort Bend Crawford by 6

Canyon Randall (4-0) at Lubbock Estacado (2-2): Unbeaten Canyon Randall isn’t getting the attention of their rivals from across I-27 in West Plains, but Dan Sherwood’s squad is again off to a roaring 4-0 start after a 27-0 win over 5A Wichita Falls Legacy last week. QB Kaison Benton led the offense with a pair of touchdown runs and a passing touchdown, but it was defense that carried the day for Randall as they held Legacy to negative-four yards rushing on the night. Lubbock Estacado’s offense will be a test this week as the Matadors are explosive, led by RB Cedric Ross, who ran for 98 yards and a score in last week’s 44-21 win over Sweetwater. Ross also hauled in two of QB Christian Martinez’s three touchdown passes on the night. Offense hasn’t been a problem for the Matadors, but they’ve also allowed at least 21 points in every game, including a 63-spot to West Plains. Randall’s a more complete team and they close non-district with an unbeaten record. Stepp’s Pick: Canyon Randall by 12

Tuscola Jim Ned (3-1) at Holliday (4-0): It hasn’t always been pretty for Jim Ned in non-district, but the Indians have been effective winning three out of four games, including last week’s 23-13 win over Jacksboro. QB Cash Gwinn tallied two scores and nearly 200 yards of offense to pace Jim Ned, but the real key to the fast start has been a consistently solid defensive unit for the Indians. That defense will be put to the test this week against unbeaten Holliday, which comes into this one averaging 51.5 points per game. The downside for HHS is the defense hasn’t exactly been locking teams down either; after pitching a shutout in Week 1 the Eagles have allowed at least 33 points in three straight games. Kyle Atwood’s squad won a 64-41 shootout over 4A Burkburnett last week. Sophomore QB Landon Jones had four touchdown passes, while WR Tyler Harrison hauled in two scores and returned a blocked punt for a score to lead the Eagles. Jim Ned’s defense is tough, but Holliday has too many weapons and I don’t think the Indians can keep pace. Stepp’s Pick: Holliday by 10

Paradise (3-1) at Vernon (3-0): Paradise bounced back nicely from a Week 3 loss with a dominant performance last week in a 48-7 win over Millsap. RB Luke Brown ran wild in the win with five first-half touchdowns and the Panthers defense dominated from the start. Vernon rolled past Prosper Richland last week, 42-7. The Lions have one of the most explosive running games in the state with QB Ty Scott and RB Tru Gipson; those two can take it to the house at any moment. Paradise got the better of Vernon last year, but the long road trip up to Wilbarger County is a different animal. I think Vernon gets a late big play and opens district play with a bang at home. Stepp’s Pick: Vernon by 6

Arp (4-0) at Troup (4-0): One of the state’s most underrated rivalries is renewed with a lot on the line as both Arp and Troup head into the 7-Mile Rivalry with unbeaten records and hopes of a regional title. Arp is rolling off to a 4-0 start with all four wins by at least 27 points. The Tigers blasted Sabine 61-0 last week as RB Josh Smith ran for 117 yards and two scores, while freshman Tanner Hunt ran for 89 yards and two scores. Arp’s defense was stout as well as they pitched a shutout. Troup took down 4A Rusk, 20-3, last week. The Tigers’ defense has been lockdown all year allowing just three points in the last two weeks. RB/LB Brett Wells is a force on both sides of the ball, while WR/DB Dee Hollie is a playmaker on the outside. This is a classic rivalry showdown where you can “throw the records out the window.” But Troup’s at home and they have the best player on the field in Wells. Stepp’s Pick: Troup by 2

Panhandle (3-1) at Wellington (4-0): After falling to Dalhart in Week 3, the Panhandle Panthers bounced back in a major way last week rolling to a 77-0 win over Amarillo River Road. It was all working for PHS in the victory as WR Caden Armes had three catches for 110 yards with three touchdowns. Army QB commit Broxton Robinson threw for 200 yards and three scores and he added 82 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Unbeaten Wellington took care of a tough Lubbock Christian squad, 44-22, as the Skyrockets have adapted well to their more wide-open offense. QB Callen Kane threw for 177 yards with four touchdowns, RB Noah Cantu ran for 113 yards a touchdown, and WR Kamron Brooks had five receptions for 105 yards and a pair of scores. Wellington’s defense stepped up as well with a pair of key interceptions. Look for a lot of points in this one as both offenses are as explosive as it gets at the 2A level. But Panhandle’s got a little more juice in the trenches and they’ve got the X-Factor in Robinson. Stepp’s Pick: Panhandle by 9

De Leon (3-1) at Muenster (2-2): Fresh off a big win over Hawley, 2A-Division I De Leon will head north to take on a Muenster squad that’s much, much better than their record. De Leon got a monster night from RB’s Lane Couch and Adan Salinas in their 52-28 win last week. They combined for 286 yards and seven touchdowns. Muenster suffered a close 42-33 loss to 3A-Division I Pottsboro, but remember Muenster is a 2A-Division II school, so there’s a major size difference in this matchup. QB Casen Carney has plenty of weapons at his disposal, but the Hornets do have some youth up front on both sides of the ball. Muenster has only lost to strong 3A competition in the last two years, and they’ve absolutely dominated the 2A teams they’ve faced. This will be the bounce back for the Hornets. Stepp’s Pick: Muenster by 14

Quick Picks

Lake Dallas (3-1) at Paris (3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Paris by 8

Sealy (4-0) at Needville (3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Sealy by 14

Silsbee (3-1) at Hitchcock (2-2) Stepp’s Pick: Hitchcock by 4

Columbus (2-2) at Bellville (3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Bellville by 6

Commerce (2-1) at Winnsboro (4-0) Stepp’s Pick: Winnsboro by 11

Edna (1-2) at Orange Grove (3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Edna by 17

Trinity (4-0) at Woodville (3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Woodville by 10

Post (4-0) at Farwell (2-1) Stepp’s Pick: Post by 13

San Saba (2-2) at Hamilton (3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Hamilton by 12

Overton (3-1) at Grapeland (2-2) Stepp’s Pick: Grapeland by 5

Last Week’s Record: 11-9

Last Week’s Win %: 55.0%

Season Record: 63-17

Season Win %: 78.8%