Predicting the Biggest Week 4 Games in Texas: 6A-5A

El Paso Pebble Hills (3-0) at Odessa Permian (3-0): It’s been a flying start for Pebble Hills to open the season as the Spartans improved to 3-0 on the year after a hard fought 49-44 win over El Paso Hanks last week. RB Oscar Hernandez led a balance PHHS offensive attack with 164 yards on the ground and four scores, and he added 82 yards and a touchdown receiving. QB Joe Fernandez threw for 201 yards and a score, and he also tallied 93 yards on the ground and two scores. WR/DB LJ Bailey spent most of his time on defense last week with six tackles and an interception but expect him to spend more time offense this week. Odessa Permian pulled away from old rival Abilene on the road for a 41-29 win a week ago. It was “Air MOJO” in the Big Country last week as QB Kayden Vickers threw for 312 yards and two scores. WR Daebron McDowell was his top target with 111 receiving yards and a score. Permian’s ground game was efficient as well with Cayden Taylor chipping in 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Josh Curry added a pair of short touchdown runs. This Permian team, fresh off a third-round playoff appearance last year, looks primed to be one of the best 6A teams out of West Texas in several years. Expect Permian to pull away in the second half at what should be a raucous Ratliff Stadium. Stepp’s Pick: Odessa Permian by 16

Allen (3-0) at Prosper (3-0): District play opens with a bang on Thursday night in 6-6A as No. 4 Allen visits number 18 Prosper in a game that is very likely to have district title implications. After two dominant wins to open the season, Allen faced a little adversity last week on the road as the Eagles trailed Southlake Carroll 14-0. But Allen righted the ship to take a 35-21 lead and cruise to a 56-35 win. AHS rolled up 701 yards of offense. QB Ty Snell threw for 305 yards and three scores. His 40-yard touchdown pass to Zac Williams on the final play of the first half proved to be the back breaking play in the game. Allen’s running game was also dominant as Jrue Simmons, Lyndon Spriggs and Snell combined for 290 yards and three scores. After a shaky start defensively, Allen’s defense settled in during the middle part of the game, getting several key stops to prevent Southlake Carroll from climbing back in the game. Prosper earned themselves a big win at home last week as the Eagles offense exploded in the second half of a 49-40 win over Austin Westlake. QB Tyler Albert had a game for the ages as the senior threw for 359 yards and six scores; he added 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His top two receivers had big games as well as Marcus McCoy had eight catches for 173 yards and three scores, and Sam Houston State commit Elliott Brown had seven catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The Prosper defense, however, remains a concern. The Eagles again allowed 40 points in the win and Westlake rolled up 515 yards of offense. At some point, Prosper’s going to run into a defense that can slow them down some and I’m not sure their defense can hold up. That week looks to be this week as this Allen squad is a legitimate state title contender. Stepp’s Pick: Allen by 13

North Forney (0-2) at Longview (2-1): A year ago, District 10-6A was thought to be one of the deepest and toughest districts in the DFW area, but this year things aren’t going quite as well through non-district. One team hoping to right the ship is North Forney, which was left out in the cold and didn’t play a Week 1 game this year. After two closes losses in non-district, the Falcons must now hit the road and travel to the hostile environment of Lobo Stadium. North Forney dropped a close one on the road to Lancaster, 34-29, last week. RB Cordai Woodard had a big night with 190 yards rushing and two scores, but in key moments the Falcons defense couldn’t get Lancaster’s offense off the field and that proved to be fatal in this matchup. Longview, after two dominant wins to open the season, went on the road to take on the top team in Louisiana in Ruston and the Lobos came up short in a 36-22 defeat. The Lobos trailed 23-22 going to the fourth but the defense was on the field a long time and simply got worn down in the fourth quarter by the Ruston running game. A special teams blunder cost Longview a series as RHS recovered a pooch kickoff after a touchdown and that really took the wind out of Longview’s sails. Longview also missed two PAT’s on the night, so special teams will need to get cleaned up. UTEP QB commit Johnny Hamilton, III had two touchdown runs and ATH Jacaiden Davis had a touchdown run to pace the Longview offense. The key this week for Longview is mirroring what Lancaster did last week, use the running game to wear North Forney down and keep the Falcons explosive offense on the sidelines. Longview didn’t do that last year, and North Forney won a shootout at home. If this game stays in the low 30s or lower, huge edge to Longview; if it gets above 35 points or so, the pendulum swings to North Forney. Stepp’s Pick: Longview by 10

Katy (3-0, 1-0) vs Katy Jordan (2-0, 1-0):

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The district title in the Katy ISD district could get decided this week as state-ranked Katy will look to keep their vice grip on the district title, while newcomer Jordan has their sights set on staking their claim. Katy opened district with a very Katy win as the Tigers quietly and efficiently took down Katy Tompkins 45-21. Katy roared out to a 35-7 halftime lead and just sat on Tompkins in the second half and cruised to the finish. RB’s Tony Manuel and CJ Watts each had a pair of TD runs; QB Mason Hartwell ran for a score and threw for a score and CB David Olotu-Judah had an interception as well as Katy was dominant in running out to that big lead. Katy Jordan had no trouble with Katy Paetow in the district opener last week as the Warriors rolled to a 34-7 win. QB Thomas Eugate led the Jordan attack with 246 yards of total offense and three touchdown runs. Sophomore WR Rush Williams is one of the top WR prospects in the country and even though he didn’t find the end zone, he did tally over 100 yards receiving. Jordan’s defense held PHS to just 248 yards of offense and just one score. The big concern will be turnovers as Jordan threw two interceptions and against this Katy secondary led by junior DB Olutu-Judah can make you pay. Katy dominates in the second half with that big OL and strong defense. Stepp’s Pick: Katy by 14

San Antonio Brennan (2-1, 1-0) vs San Antonio Sotomayor (2-1, 1-0): District 29-6A play started up last week, but it really kicks into gear this week two teams hoping to contend for the district title hook up in a Saturday night showdown. Brennan opened district play last week by dominating San Antonio Taft 56-7. Junior RB Jayshawn Mitchell ran for 87 yards and three scores on just eight carries and added 101 receiving yards and two scores and QB Jeremiah Conwell threw for 223 yards and five scores as Brennan led 42-0 at the half and played backups most of the second half. Sotomayor bounced back nicely from a Week 2 loss to Smithson Valley and took care of San Antonio Holmes 35-6. Sotomayor has a dynamic pair of RBs in UTSA commit Cameron Brady and Xavier Victor will lean heavily on their ground game to try and keep a speedy and explosive Brennan offense off the field. Brennan’s defense generally defends the run well led by Utah safety commit Aiden Martin, a big and physical defensive back who isn’t afraid to stick his nose in and stuff the run. Brennan’s offense is dynamic and explosive, and they are the key in this district showdown. Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Brennan by 11

PSJA North (2-1) at Weslaco (2-1): What was expected to be a showdown of unbeaten teams ranked one and two in the Rio Grande Valley has lost a bit of its luster going into this one as both PSJA North and Weslaco suffered surprising two-point defeats a week ago. PSJA North prides itself on tough defense, but the Raiders last week really struggled to contain Vela’s attack in a 42-40 defeat. The Raiders offense was operating at top efficiency as they had three different players top 100 yards rushing led by QB Drayden Espinoza, who had 140 yards rushing and two scores; he added 110 yards through the air and a touchdown pass. Antwon Estrada ran for 137 yards and two scores, while Mark Quintanilla ran for 121 yards and two scores. Weslaco was also surprised last week as the Panthers were stunned by 5A Mission Veterans Memorial in a close 26-24 loss. The Panthers dug themselves a 23-0 hole in the third quarter, but DB Seth Moya’s interception return for a score turned the game around for the Panthers, which took a 24-23 lead late. But Mission Veterans drilled a game winning field goal to escape with the upset. The big concern for Weslaco is their offense really struggled in the loss; the Panthers only picked up 131 yards of offense on the night. That must improve this week if Weslaco wants to avoid a second straight loss, but the PSJA North offense has too much firepower and I expect the Raiders defense to come out with a different energy this week. Stepp’s Pick: PSJA North by 13

Goose Creek Memorial (3-0, 1-0) at La Porte (1-2, 1-0): District 9-5A Division I will separate the pretenders from the contenders this week and it begins in La Porte where the Bulldogs, who have had their struggles this year, look to right the ship against unbeaten Goose Creek Memorial. The Patriots got a big win at home last week against Beaumont West Brook, 35-28. QB Ricco Richards threw for 237 yards and three scores and added 133 yards on the ground and a score to pace the Patriots. WR AJ Short, who hauled in two scoring passes, caught the game-winning score with 8:33 left to break a 28-28 tie and the GCM defense rose to the occasion late for the win. After struggling in their first two games, La Porte had a “get right” game last week in the district opener as the Bulldogs rolled through Galveston Ball 59-31. RB Sean Simon led the charge with 181 yards on the ground and two scores. QB Josh Wells had a solid game with 200 yards through the air, including a 71-yard touchdown pass to RE Ryker Reynolds, a Pittsburgh commit. La Porte’s defense is still not settled and that is a concern, but with this game being in La Porte and with La Porte seemingly figuring out things on offense, the edge is with the Bulldogs. Stepp’s Pick: La Porte by 7

College Station (3-0, 1-0) at Pflugerville Weiss (2-1, 1-0):

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It’s a big showdown in 12-5A Division I this week as unbeaten College Station visits state-ranked Pflugerville Weiss in a matchup with district title implications. College Station used a dominant defense last week to open district with an impressive 22-0 victory over Killeen Shoemaker. WR Kashton Adams had four catches for 94 yards and two scores, while QB Noah Symank had 124 passing yards and a score and added 80 yards on the ground. The Cougars’ defense was stout in pitching a shutout and forcing three turnovers in the win. Pflugerville Weiss opened up district play in style last week with an easy 48-0 road win at Leander Glenn. Washington WR commit Tre Moore led the charge with 10 catches for 125 yards, while QB Jaxon Schaad added a touchdown on the ground and two touchdown passes as Weiss raced out to a big early lead and cruised in this one. College Station doesn’t have the firepower Weiss has, but they have an underrated defense and a history of rising to the occasion in big moments. But on the road in Pflugerville I think Weiss’ experience and talent is a big edge. Stepp’s Pick: Pflugerville Weiss by 10

Montgomery (3-0) vs Montgomery Lake Creek (3-0): It’s the “MoTown Showdown” in Montgomery and expect the community to buzzing this week as we get a battle of unbeatens in the district opener. Montgomery got themselves an impressive win last week by knocking off 6A Conroe Oak Ridge, 42-35. The win is even more impressive considering the Bears were without Oklahoma RB commit Keldrid Ben. He is expected to play this week after sitting out last week in precautionary measures for a slight injury. The Bears offense did not miss a beat as QB Bryce Miles had a breakout game throwing for 255 yards and four scores and he added a rushing touchdown to pace the Bears. WR Luke Piro was his favorite target with 161 receiving yards and three scores; RB Josh Warren had himself a night as well with 210 yards on the ground and a score. Lake Creek is off to a sensational start under first year head coach Cale Melton. The Lions raced past Cleveland last week, 70-6, as QB Asher Ryan continued his torrid start to the season throwing for 333 yards and eight touchdowns in the win. There’s not much you can take from the win for Lake Creek as they simply overmatched Cleveland. You can throw the records out in games like this. These are two good teams who will put on a show in front of a packed house. Both offenses are flamethrowers; this game will come down to which defense can get a key stop late. I’m giving the edge to newcomer Lake Creek in what many would consider a slight upset. Stepp’s Pick: Montgomery Lake Creek by 3

Port Neches-Groves (1-2) at Brenham (3-0): After a rare home loss last week, Port Neches-Groves hits the road for a long trip to take on a very good Brenham squad that appears to be hitting their stride. Port Neches-Groves is off to a slow start after a disappointing 28-23 loss at home to upstart Fort Bend Crawford. PNG led 17-7 at the half, but Crawford dominated the third quarter 21-0 and held on late with a defensive stand for the win. QB Jake Ashworth had a hand in all three PNG touchdowns as he ran for two scores and threw a touchdown pass to Daylan Jackson as well. Brenham travelled to first-year varsity program Richmond Tomas last Thursday and the Cubs handled business as expected with a dominant 58-7 win. RB Jakoby Dixon showed why he is committed to Oklahoma as the senior ran for 82 yards and a score on just five carries. Junior QB Roland Branch continues to improve as he threw for 290 yards and five scores, while adding a touchdown on the ground. Four different Brenham players hauled in touchdown passes for the Cubs. Stepp’s Pick: Brenham by 6

Quick Picks

Southlake Carroll (1-2) at Keller Central (3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Southlake Carroll by 14

North Crowley (3-0) at Duncanville (1-2) - WATCH THIS GAME LIVE ON TEXANLIVE.COM Stepp’s Pick: North Crowley by 20

Killeen Harker Heights (2-1) at Dripping Springs (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Dripping Springs by 4

Tomball (3-0, 1-0) at Klein Cain (2-0, 0-0) - WATCH THIS GAME LIVE ON TEXANLIVE.COM Stepp’s Pick: Tomball by 9

Colleyville Heritage (2-1) at Richland (3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Richland by 10

Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial (3-0) at Gregory-Portland (3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Gregory-Portland by 15

Prosper Richland (3-0, 1-0) at Celina (2-0, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Celina by 12

Waco La Vega (3-0) at Waco University (2-1) Stepp’s Pick: Waco La Vega by 21

Wichita Falls Legacy (3-0) at Midland Greenwood (2-1) Stepp’s Pick: Midland Greenwood by 7

Last Week’s Results: 14-6 70.0%

Season Results: 40-20 66.7%