Euless Trinity (2-2, 1-0) at South Grand Prairie (3-1, 1-0): A district title could be on the line in 8-6A as old rivals who haven’t played in several years renew their rivalry. Trinity, which dropped their final two non-district games to Austin Westlake and Aledo, got their wheels back on in the district opener a week ago in a 62-9 rout of Irving High. QB Mack Lineweaver only threw four passes, but he completed all four of them for 180 yards and three scores. RB Prince Ngandu tallied 87 yards on the ground and three scores as Trinity raced out to a big lead and rotated several players into the game in the second half. South Grand Prairie had a much tougher time in their district opener as the Warriors got pushed, but held off Irving MacArthur 35-20. RB Joshua Armendarez had a big night for SGP tallying 191 yards on the ground and three scores. The good news for the Warriors defense is they forced four turnovers. The bad news is the offense also turned the ball over four times. SGP can’t put the ball on the ground against a good Trinity squad that will simply grind them down if the Warriors defense is on the field too long. Stepp’s Pick: Euless Trinity by 14

Conroe Grand Oaks (3-1, 1-0) at Willis (3-1, 0-1): Playoff positioning could be at play in this one as Grand Oaks heads north on I-45 to take on a Willis squad that is smarting last week after a shockingly lopsided loss to The Woodlands College Park a week ago. Grand Oaks opened up district play with a key 41-25 win over Conroe in a game that had some major playoff implications as the Grizzlies spoiled Conroe’s homecoming. Utah WR commit Darnell Jackson, Jr. hauled in two touchdown passes and RB Kaden Carter tallied a pair of scoring runs to pace the Grizzlies, who jumped out to a quick 21-7 lead and held off a Conroe push before Carter’s second scoring run put the game out of reach. Willis came into the College Park as a slight favorite, but the Wildkats defense, which had been much-improved early in the season, took a massive step back in a 63-28 loss. QB Lincoln Frazier threw for 275 yards and four scores, but he spent much of the game running for his life as the Willis offensive line absolutely struggled. The key for Willis will be limiting the Grand Oaks big plays. Last week College Park gashed the Wildkats defense with multiple chunk plays. If they can do that and keep Fraizer clean, the Wildkats will get a much-needed win. But Grand Oaks is a dangerous squad. I expect Willis at home to come out with a sense of purpose this week and I look for a big night from Frazier. Stepp’s Pick: Willis by 10

Sheldon CE King (4-1, 2-0) at Humble Atascocita (3-2, 1-1):

WATCH LIVE RIGHT HERE!

It’s a Saturday night showcase in Humble as CE King looks to firmly establish themselves as a title contender in 17-6A, aka “The SEC of TXHSFB.” Last week the Panthers rolled to an easy 45-3 win over an overmatched Crosby squad. The Panthers showed their tremendous balance spreading the ball around to multiple playmakers. Speedy junior WR Dillon Mitchell had four receptions for 74 yards and a score, and he added 51 yards on the ground; he also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass. Tyrin Gaston has 54 yards rushing and two scores as the Panthers had four different players rush for at least 40 yards. QB Khylan Davis, a UTSA commit, had a strong day throwing for 255 yards and a pair of scores. Atascocita has to be smarting this week as Kyle Coats’ ball club was dominated last Friday night in a 35-0 loss to No. 2 Galena Park North Shore. The Eagles offense struggled against an elite front seven of North Shore and eventually their defense simply wore down in the second half. Versatile sophomore ATH Ayden Perkins left the game with an injury last week, so a lot of the Eagles offense will not fall to junior QB Corbin Smejkal, who has shown flashes this year. Atascocita will need that breakout type game this week in their second straight game against a top 10 squad. I expect AHS to keep it close because of that stout defense, but unless the offense wakes up, CE King pulls away late. Stepp’s Pick: Sheldon CE King by 14

Round Rock (4-1, 1-0) at Austin Westlake (3-1, 0-0): Two teams who hope to have a say in the 25-6A title chase will clash in what looks to be the premier game in the Austin area this week. Round Rock’s flying high after the Dragons closed non-district play with a huge win over Dripping Springs and then last week opening the district slate up with a 45-25 win over Round Rock Stony Point. It was the Dragons’ ninth straight win over their district rivals. Dylan Martinez had an interception return for a score for the Dragons and the RRHS offense was hitting on all cylinders as they dominated up front against Stony Point. Westlake, who had their district bye last week, played a non-district game as they rolled to an easy 49-6 win over Midland Lee. The Chaparrals raced out to a 42-0 halftime lead and cruised in the second half as the bench was emptied by HC Tony Salazar and his staff. Freshman RB Cooper Jones led a balanced attack as he ran for 81 yards and score while QB Patton Jones added 106 yards passing and a score. Westlake held Midland Lee to just 159 yards of offense and the Chaps offense rolled up 404 yards on the night. This might be Round Rock’s best team in a few years but tangling with perennial powerhouse Westlake is a different animal in the Capital City. The Dragons keep it close, but it’s tough to pick against Westlake at home. Stepp’s Pick: Austin Westlake by 16

Highland Park (3-2, 1-0) at Richland (5-0, 1-0): The top two teams in 6-5A Division I will matchup in a game that could be an absolute shootout as both offenses feature impressive levels of firepower. Highland Park actually picked up two wins last week as the Scots Week 1 loss to Lewisville was wiped away after a forfeit and then the Scots took care of a scrappy Garland Naaman Forest squad with a dominant first half in a 38-7 win. SMU QB commit Buck Randall again played well throwing for 232 yards and three scores; he also added 70 yards on the ground. What was key for Randall is he took care of the football throwing zero interceptions along with the Scots defense putting together their best game of the season. Richland’s offense has been unstoppable through five games as the Royals average over 50 points per game. Last week’s 63-7 win over Carrollton Creekview was a season high in points as QB Brett Kates threw for 203 yards and three scores and RB Jordan Boyd ran for 120 yards and a score. UCLA RB commit Jayshon Gibson only had three carries but had two touchdowns on the ground as Richland had their starters out of the game in the second quarter. Richland’s defense has been improved this year, but going against this explosive Highland Park attack will be their biggest test by far. The game is North Richland Hills, which is an edge for RHS, but it’s hard to pick against the Scots in district play at the 5A level. Stepp’s Pick: Highland Park by 7

Weslaco East (3-2, 1-0) at Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial (4-1, 1-0): Weslaco East looks to carry the flag for the Rio Grande Valley this week as the Wildcats head up to the Coastal Bend to take on Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial in a key 15-5A Division I matchup. Weslaco East had no troubles in the district opener last week rolling past Brownsville Rivers 65-10. QB Noah Mesa had a huge night throwing for 161 yards and two scores while adding three touchdowns on the ground. RB Jay Herrera added 106 yards on the ground and a score and he hauled in a 36-yard scoring pass as it was all working for the Wildcats in the dominant victory. Defense has been the calling card for Corpus Christi Vets this season as in three of their four wins, the Eagles defense has allowed seven points or less. Last week the Eagles pitched their first shutout of the year, a 34-0 win over Brownsville Hanna. QB Aaron Hinojosa threw for 177 yards and three scores, while tough-running RB Andrew Charlebois led the ground attack with 148 yards rushing. Veterans Memorial owns a win over the Valley’s top 6A team in Edinburg Vela and that win carries a lot of weight for me in picking this game. Stepp’s Pick: Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial by 24

Abilene Cooper (3-2, 1-0) at Amarillo Palo Duro (4-1, 1-0): A share of first place in 2-5A Division II is on the line this Thursday in the Texas Panhandle as Abilene Cooper takes the long trip up to Bivins Stadium to tangle with the defending district champions Amarillo Palo Duro in the DCTX Rising Game of the Week. Abilene Cooper opened their district slate with a stellar performance at home rolling past Wichita Falls Memorial, 49-28. A big fourth quarter surge proved to be the difference as after Memorial scored to tie the game at 28-28 early in the fourth, the Cougars dominated down the stretch. RB Markquel Sims ran for 129 yards and two scores, while RB Jamarion Dunson ran for three short touchdowns and added a 35-yard touchdown catch from QB Mason Cole to cap off a big night. Cooper’s ground game churned out yards and kept Memorial’s explosive offensive off the field and after taking the lead at 35-28 and forcing a Memorial punt, CHS sealed the game 13-play, seven-minute drive that ended with Dunson’s final touchdown run of the night. After some struggles in the non-district slate (considering the expectations in the preseason), Palo Duro looked like they were ready for primetime last week going on the road and spanking a much-improved Wichita Falls Legacy squad to the tune of 50-9. Delaware commit QB Julian Reese, II had another huge night for the Dons passing for 192 yards and two scores and adding 143 yards rushing and three scores. Even more impressive was Palo Duro’s defense, which made a big statement with a smothering performance of a good offense. Abilene Cooper and that tough ground game will be hard for Palo Duro to deal with, but a five-hour drive, combined with Reese’s exploits on the offensive side of the ball makes the Dons a challenging team to handle. Stepp’s Pick: Amarillo Palo Duro by 13

Colleyville Heritage (2-3, 0-1) at The Colony (4-0, 0-0):

WATCH THIS GAME LIVE RIGHT HERE!

After a disappointing loss in overtime to open district play last week, Colleyville Heritage will take a tough road trip over to The Colony to take on an unbeaten Cougars squad fresh off a bye week. Last week Colleyville Heritage fell to state-ranked Lovejoy 38-35 in overtime as the Panthers battled back from a 21-10 halftime deficit to take the game to overtime. Colleyville failed on a pair of two point tries in the third quarter and had to settle for a field goal in overtime, while Lovejoy followed with a touchdown to get the victory. Sophomore QB Lane Vargas had another big night for the Panthers with 353 yards through the air and three scoring passes, WR Trevi Preische was the big play weapon with 201 yards receiving and all three touchdown catches for CHHS. The Colony has been impressive in non-district and they closed that part of the schedule with a hard-fought 28-20 win over Sherman two weeks ago. Trailing 20-14 heading into the fourth, the Cougars running game got going as RB Isiah Franklin ran for 113 yards and a score. RB Ayden Gibson had 65 yards and two scores, and QB Jaylen Gaines had 100 yards of offense and a touchdown on the ground. Although The Colony’s record is impressive, the non-district slate wasn’t exactly a gauntlet. Colleyville Heritage is much more battle-tested and that difference in competition will play a key role this week. Stepp’s Pick: Colleyville Heritage by 17

Frisco (3-1, 2-0) at Anna (5-0, 3-0): Frisco has absolutely dominated teams in two district games against the bottom tier of the district, but this week will be the major test as the Racoons take on state-ranked Anna on the road. Frisco cruised past Frisco Memorial last week, 45-7. LSU RB commit Brennan Lacey ran for 65 yards and a score, while Air Force ATH commit Lowery Asel had a touchdown run and added 35 receiving yards as FHS took advantage of three Memorial turnovers, turning those short fields into touchdowns. Anna rolled up an impressive 667 yards of offense last week as they dominated Frisco Independence, 70-14. San Diego State RB commit Juelz Carter ran for 189 yards and two scores; he also had 36 yards receiving and a touchdown for the Coyotes. QB Zephyr Kreye had 164 yards through the air and four touchdowns in just one half. Anna’s played a little sloppy in some of the big games early in the year with penalties and turnovers, but last week they cleaned things up a bit. Anna has more firepower and talent than Frisco. If the Coyotes don’t hurt themselves with penalties and turnovers they should win comfortably. Stepp’s Pick: Anna by 17

Quick Picks

Denton Guyer (3-1, 1-0) at Denton Braswell (4-0, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Denton Guyer by 10

Lake Belton (3-2, 0-1) at Killeen Harker Heights (2-2, 0-0) Stepp’s Pick: Killeen Harker Heights by 13

Klein Cain (4-0, 2-0) vs Klein Collins (4-1, 3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Klein by Cain by 6

Manvel (4-0, 2-0) at Pearland (5-0, 3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Pearland by 1

San Antonio Brandeis (2-2, 0-1) at San Antonio Johnson (3-0, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Johnson by 28

Azle (3-2, 0-1) at Denton (3-2, 0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Denton by 2

Birdville (5-0, 1-0) at Garland Naaman Forest (3-2, 0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Garland Naaman Forest by 4

Baytown Sterling (4-1, 2-1) vs Goose Creek Memorial (3-2, 1-2) Stepp’s Pick: Goose Creek Memorial by 7

Huntsville (2-2, 1-0) at Montgomery Lake Creek (4-1, 1-1) Stepp’s Pick: Montgomery Lake Creek by 9

Dallas Hillcrest (3-1, 1-1) vs Dallas Wilson (3-2, 2-1) Stepp’s Pick: Dallas Hillcrest by 6

Last Week’s Results: 15-5 75.0%

Season Results: 73-27 73.0%