It’s hard to believe that another football season has come and gone in Texas, but there are still some local teams in pursuit of AT&T Stadium.
Central Texas teams will begin their journey for the championship this week and here are a few of the games to watch involving teams in our
area.
South Grand Prairie (6-4) at Belton (6-4)
The Belton Tigers are a very gritty team and they showed this during their 53-32 loss against Waco Midway. The Tigers quarterback Connor Carothers has thrown for 1,324 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Belton offsets the passing game by feeding the ball to Darren Rector, Rector has carried the ball 215 times for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Warriors are coming off a tough loss to defending State Champions DeSoto 17-14 and they will be looking for revenge against Belton, who defeated them 38-30 in Bi-District last season. South Grand Prairie has big game experience, as they are in the same district as Duncanville
and DeSoto.
The Warriors are very athletic and their defense has only allowed more than 17 points twice this season.
Last Meeting (2016): Belton 38 South Grand Prairie 30
Gatesville (7-3) vs Canyon Lake (8-2) Gupton Stadium in Cedar Park
Photo courtesy Gatesvillesports.com
The Hornets started the season off with a 7-0 record but dropped the final three games of the season. Canyon Lake is riding a six-game win streak entering the playoffs. These two teams have one common opponent this season in Lampasas.
Gatesville defeated the Badgers 49-13 in district play, while Canyon Lake beat Lampasas 35-21 in week 5. Canyon Lake is a ground and pound team that averages over 330 yards per game. Gatesville can beat teams through the air with quarterback Jett Truss, or by running the ball with running
back Anthony Costas.
Hico (7-3) vs Bosqueville (5-5), McKamie Stadium in Gatesville
Bosqueville was the only team in district 8 2A that was able to score a touchdown against Mart, but the Bulldogs still lost big 77-14.
Bosqueville has an efficient passing attack and the receivers can go up high and make plays over the secondary. Hico is physical up front and likes to run the ball downhill at their opponents. The defense is very disciplined and they hold edge containment and attack the ball carriers in numbers. The
Tigers are coming off a loss themselves to Crawford 35-3.
Last Meeting 2015 Bi-District: Bosqueville 34 Hico 27
Bruceville-Eddy (5-5) vs Rice (6-4) at Midway Panther Stadium
The Bruceville-Eddy Eagles are in the playoffs for the first time in 32 years and the senior led group won’t be ready for a one and done postseason. Head Coach JB Chaney has given life to the program and had a message for the team and community
“This is the way it’s supposed to be, it’s not a once every 30-year thing, this is how it’s supposed to be every year,” Chaney said.
Rice will play the role of the villain this game and their weapon will be offensive firepower. The Bulldogs are averaging 36.4 points per game led by sophomore quarterback Tanner Carlisle and junior running back Dee Robinson.
First-Ever Meeting
McGregor (6-4) vs West (8-2) at Waco ISD Stadium
After back-to-back losing seasons, new Head Coach Judd Thrash has gotten the McGregor Bulldogs back in the playoffs. The Bulldogs have found their offensive identity in the running game, where they have racked up 2,526 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season.
The West Trojans are more balanced when it comes to their offensive philosophy. The Trojans are averaging 27.6 points per game win 18 rushing touchdowns and 14 receiving touchdowns on the season.
Last Meeting (2015): West 38 , McGregor 35
First-Ever Meeting
Temple (7-3) vs Corsicana (6-4) at WISD Stadium in Waco
File Photo by John Glaser/TexasHSFootball
Last season the Temple Wildcats turned their play up a notch in the playoffs and found themselves playing for the State Championship, now they have the opportunity to finish what they started last season. The Wildcats are averaging 35 points per game behind a high octane offense that has put up 2,275 passing yards and 1,995 rushing yards this season.
Corsicana only lost on district game and that was last week 46-14 against rival Ennis. The Tigers will rely on senior running back Derrion Nathan to carry the load against the Temple defense. Nathan carried the ball 16 times for 119 yards in their loss to Ennis.
Last Meeting (2016): Temple 34 Corsicana 0
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