Predicting the Biggest Week 1 Games in Texas: 4A, 3A, 2A

Brock (1-0) at Anna (1-0): Class 5A Anna will host 4A state-ranked Brock in an underrated matchup in Texoma after both teams are coming off impressive Week 1 victories. It’s Brock’s second straight state-ranked matchup as last week the Eagles made quite the statement with a dominant 42-20 win over Springtown. The Eagles dynamic duo of QB Holt Frazier (three touchdown passes) and RB Bryer McDonald (three touchdown rushing) led the way, while Brock’s defense, especially in the first half, shutdown a very dynamic Springtown attack. Anna opened the season in style as the Coyotes raced past Colleyville Heritage 49-31. Seth Parr’s squad rolled up 505 yards of offense in the win. QB Zephyr Kreye threw for 232 yards and four scores, while San Diego State RB commit Juelz Carter ran for 117 yards and chipped in 76 yards receiving and two touchdowns receiving. Anna’s defense stymied the Colleyville ground game and also picked off two passes, which is a positive sign heading into this week’s game. Anna’s overall team speed and depth across the board will be a bit much as 4A-Division II Brock is punching up two divisions in this one. Stepp’s Pick: Anna by 13

Texarkana Pleasant Grove (1-0) at Sulphur Springs (0-1): Two East Texas teams who were on opposite ends of surprising Week 1 results get together in a showcase matchup along I-30. Pleasant Grove’s win over Kilgore wasn’t a surprise in Jonathan Darby’s debut as head coach, but the level of dominance was surprising as the Hawks blasted Kilgore to the tune of 42-7. RB Marcus Floyd had a strong night with 104 yards on the ground and a score; he added in 55 yards receiving and a score as well. DL Kedrid Smith led a dominant defense; the junior with multiple Power Four offers had seven tackles, a sack and a blocked kick that resulted in a PGHS touchdown. Sulphur Springs struggled in their opener as the Wildcats were drilled by 5A Mount Pleasant, 38-14. The Wildcats young defense looked like a youthful squad and they’ll be jumping from the frying pan into the fire this week against state-ranked Pleasant Grove. QB Deuce Timmons, who ran for a score and threw for a score in the loss last week, will need to have a big game if Sulphur Springs wants to keep things close. Stepp’s Pick: Texarkana Pleasant Grove by 21

Seminole (1-0) at Shallowater (1-0): Despite losing a huge senior class, Seminole’s offense looks to be just fine as the Indians rolled up 603 yards of offense in a 62-42 win over a strong Bushland squad. Sophomore RB Buddha Guerra exploded for Seminole as he ran for 296 yards and six scores; he also had 62 receiving yards and a score. QB Jacob Gonzales looked plenty comfortable in his first varsity start as he accounted for 288 yards passing and three scores for the Indians. Shallowater took care of business last week against Childress as the Mustangs rolled to a 35-21 win. Shallowater held a 21-7 halftime lead and each time Childress threatened, the Mustangs had the answer. QB Logan Winn was efficient in his first start for Shallowater throwing for 226 yards and two scores with WR Micah Blackshear chipping in 66 receiving yards and a score. Seminole’s firepower is going to be too much for Shallowater in this one. The Indians tempo and offensive balance is going to make them a real handful in 4A-Division II Region I. Stepp’s Pick: Seminole by 11

Malakoff (1-0) at Palestine Westwood (0-1): This game will have a lot of eyes on it in East Texas at the 3A-Division I level as Malakoff, looking to re-establish themselves as a state title contender, takes on Palestine Westwood, which is looking to get their footing as a contender. Last week, Malakoff drilled a rebuilding Edgewood squad, 42-14, as sophomore Germarquis Robinson ran for three scores and QB Canyon Marsh added a pair of touchdown passes. The Tigers led 35-0 at the half before taking their foot off the gas. Palestine Westwood had a disappointing opener last week as the Panthers got hammered 48-21 by Jefferson. Westwood had a tough time protecting Texas Tech QB commit Kavian Bryant on the night and the Panthers offense had issues with turnovers. Bryant did tally 232 yards of offense and two touchdown passes in the losing effort. Westwood’s defense, which has struggled the past couple of years, struggled again last week and that’s not going to instill a lot of confidence going into this one. Stepp’s Pick: Malakoff by 15

Orangefield (1-0) at Bridge City (1-0): One of the top small school games in the Golden Triangle has some ties as former Orangefield head coach Josh Smalley leads his new team Bridge City against his old team. Orangefield slipped past a sneaky good 4A program in Hardin-Jefferson, 30-24, last week as RB Gage Lucas put on a show for the Bobcats with 133 yards and a touchdown on the ground; he added 103 receiving yards and a score as OHS was able to find enough in the tank despite being outgained. Bridge City rolled to an easy 35-12 win over Kirbyville last week. The Cardinals got out to a 28-6 halftime lead and put things on cruise control in the second half. RB Joshua Luna had 100 yards and two scores on the ground and the Cardinals defense stepped up, despite losing Arkansas LB commit Bryce Breeden to an injury. I’m expecting a really close and competitive game. These two towns are located just five miles apart so there’s plenty of familiarity. I’m leaning to Orangefield and their experience in a close one. Stepp’s Pick: Orangefield by 4

Canadian (1-0) at Bushland (0-1): Canadian’s offense looked to be in mid-season form last week as the Wildcats rolled past Panhandle 63-38. The Wildcats rolled up 733 yards from scrimmage led by QB Weston Mitchell, who threw for 523 yards and six scores and ran for 156 yards and a score. Sophomore WR Brooks Wall had an impressive varsity debut with eight catches for 254 yards and three scores. If there was one blemish on the night it was the defense allowing 38 points to Panhandle. Speaking of points, Bushland was able to throw up 42 points in last week’s 62-42 loss, but the defense has to be smarting after getting shredded by Seminole. This week’s test against Canadian will be similarly tough, in fact it might be even tougher considering Canadian’s pedigree. Stepp’s Pick: Canadian by 9

Newton (0-1) vs Franklin (0-1): It’s a showdown of state-ranked 3A opponents in Franklin as these two powers will be looking for their first win after falling to 4A opponents last week. Newton got a big night from Houston RB commit Kendray Porter, Jr. as the senior ran for three scores. But Newton had no answers for West Orange-Stark’s ground game in a 44-28 defeat. Franklin with a young team looked solid for a half as the Lions only trailed powerful Waco La Vega 14-9, but mistakes doomed the Lions in the second half of a 42-16 defeat. Franklin lost four fumbles, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and the Lions came away with no points on two separate drives that moved inside the five-yard line. If you like physical football with two teams who like to punch you in the mouth, this is the game for you. I like Newton’s senior experience and ability to hit the big pass in this game. But with the game being moved to Franklin and Newton’s struggles to stop the run last week, I’ll take the home team. Stepp’s Pick: Franklin by 4

Stratford (1-0) at Panhandle (0-1): Panhandle will look to bounce back this week after a tough outing to open the season in a 63-38 loss to powerful Canadian. The Panthers will look to get back to the drawing board on the defensive side of things, but the offense showed some glimpses of being stout as Lukas Purcell ran for 170 yards and a pair of scores. Panhandle will need to take better care of the football as they turned the ball over three times in last week’s defeat. They’ll have a real task on their hands this week as they deal with Stratford who despite some offseason losses looked to be in midseason form as the Elks rolled to a lopsided 78-6 win over Sunray. WR Darius Jones led a balanced effort with 127 receiving yards and three scores, while RB’s Alejandro Casas and Abraham Goss combined for 168 yards on the ground and four scores. I expect Panhandle to be much improved this week and their offense will keep them in it, but Stratford’s offense looks quite scary after one week. Stepp’s Pick: Stratford by 10

Mason (1-0) at Hamilton (0-1): It was a beautiful night in Mason in front of a packed house at a revamped Puncherdome as the Punchers opened the season with a dominant 58-0 win over Reagan County. QB Ryder Balmos only needed eleven completions to throw for 235 yards and five touchdowns and the Mason defense was 100 percent up to the task. Things get tougher this week as Mason heads north to take on last year’s 2A-Division I state champions in Hamilton, which won’t get the chance to defend their state title as they are moving up to Class 3A. A young Hamilton team took it on the chin last week on the road falling to 2A-Division II power Bremond 26-21. Hamilton dug themselves an early 14-0 and the Bulldogs just couldn’t climb out of the hole. At home, I expect this young Hamilton bunch to play much better at home, but Mason is a legitimate title contender. It’s a close one, but the Punchers, especially in the trenches, have an edge. Stepp’s Pick: Mason by 9

Quick Picks

El Paso Andress (1-0) at El Paso Americas (0-1) Stepp’s Pick: El Paso Andress by 8

Robinson (0-1) at Springtown (0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Springtown by 4

Waco La Vega (1-0) at Austin LBJ (1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Waco La Vega by 12

Gilmer (0-1) at Tyler Chapel Hill (0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Gilmer by 5

Stephenville (1-0) at Brownwood (1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Stephenville by 20

La Marque (0-1) at Bay City (0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Bay City by 2

Commerce (1-0) at Canton (1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Canton by 6

Tidehaven (0-1) at Goliad (0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Goliad by 3

Rio Vista (1-0) at Rosebud-Lott (1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Rio Vista by 7

Ropesville Ropes (0-0) at New Home (0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Ropes by 11

Last Week’s Results: 15-5 75.0%

Season Results: 15-5 75.0%