Over the next two weeks across the state of Texas district championships will be decided and playoff bubbles will be burst as the regular season dwindles down to the final two weekends of play.
Of Texas’ 19 verbal commitments in the 2010 class 18 of them will be in action this weekend and there some matchups on the table with huge playoff implications and several great ballgames on tap involving state ranked teams.
The biggest matchup on the slate for a Texas commit will likely take place in East Texas as Carrington Byndom and Lufkin welcome The Woodlands to town. The Highlanders enter the game ranked No. 3 in the latest Class 5A AP poll with an 8-0 record and a roster that features Alabama commit Chad Lindsay and junior running back Daniel Lasco. Byndom and the Panthers are perfect thus far in district play and their only loss in 2009 was early in the season to state ranked John Tyler. The Panthers will look to keep their winning streak going into a game that will decide the District 14-5A title.
John Tyler, ranked No. 8 in the state in Class 5A, still has one more week to go before a clash with DeSoto but before its highly anticipated matchup with the Eagles Ashton Dorsey and the Lions must first tangle with rival Tyler Lee at Rose Stadium Friday to improve their 8-0 record. The Red Raiders have some talent and these two clubs know each other well, but Dorsey is leading a JT defense that has been as good as any in the state this fall while the offense continues to make big plays.
DeSoto made its way into the state’s top ten this week with a No. 10 showing in the AP poll in the wake of another big game by Darius Terrell on the offensive side of the ball and Adrian White on the defensive side in a win over Tyler Lee. This week the Eagles get one final tune up before next week’s showdown with JT as they host Mesquite Horn and Terrell will look to expand on a seven catch, 140-yard receiving effort last week.
Down in Class 3A Graham is out of the state rankings following a heartbreaking loss to Brownwood despite Case McCoy throwing for 355 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Steers on four impressive second half touchdown drives. If McCoy and the Steers can bounce back this week it will be a victory of great proportions as Graham welcomes Abilene Wylie, the No. 3 ranked team in Class 3A, to town. Even if the Steers lose they are almost assured a playoff berth as they face a 1-7 Breckenridge team next week to wrap up the season, but coach Brad McCoy would certainly like to see his team get back to playing consistently good football, something Graham did not do against Brownwood.
Cayuga had an open date last week which was a good for their East Texas opposition because Traylon Shead has started to get on a roll as of late. The future Longhorn running back is now in second place on the state’s all-time rushing list with 8,885 yards and ranks fifth all time in career touchdowns with 122, five scores away from tying Cedric Benson and the legendary Kenneth Hall for third place. This week however gives Shead and the Wildcats one of their toughest challenges of the season as Cayuga, No. 6 in the state in Class 1A, hits the road to face No. 9 Alto.
Another pair of Texas commits near the top of the state rankings, Aaron Benson and Taylor Bible, will look to help their respective teams stay undefeated and potentially set up huge games next weekend.
Benson and Cedar Hill have been the No. 1 ranked team in Class 5A most of the year and if the Longhorns can get past Grand Prairie this week it will set up a battle for the District 7-5A championship next week when Cedar Hill faces an Irving Nimitz team led in part by Oklahoma bound safety Eddrick Loften.
Bible and Denton Guyer, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 4A behind only two-time defending state champion Lake Travis, have torn through the 2009 schedule like a buzz saw including last week’s 56-7 destruction of Little Elm. This week the Wildcats travel to Wichita Falls and a victory in this game will have Guyer entering the final week of the regular season facing rival Denton Ryan with a talented Raider team looking for a share of the District 5-4A title.
Daingerfield received one first place vote in the Class 2A AP poll this week and Chris Jones and the Tigers currently sit at No. 3 in the state rankings as they head down the home stretch. With a victory over rival Jefferson in their back pocket after last week’s 27-6 win over the Bulldogs the Tigers will look to close the regular season strong over the next two weeks beginning Friday with a home game against Ore City.
The Garland Owls are not ranked in the state in Class 5A but if Tevin Jackson and Adrian Phillips can lead Garland to win Friday the Owls will wrap up the regular season with an 8-1 record and claim the District 10-5A championship outright. To do that however the Owls will need to stop a fellow Texas commit as John Harris and Garland Naaman Forest could certainly use a big victory to secure itself a playoff berth but a win will give Garland its second straight league crown.
After a slow start to the 2009 season Haltom has put itself in a great spot for a playoff berth and barring a wild finish to the regular season the Buffalos are almost assured of a playoff spot out of District 3-5A. This week Reggie Wilson and the Buffalos are off as they prepare for the regular season finale against Richland.
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Also see:
Demarco Cobbs Commits to Texas
Devon Hocutt: Texas Looking at Big 'Backer
In the Spotlight, the Younger Shipley Shines
The Inside Texas Recruiting Podcast
Week Eight Evaluation: DeAires Cotton
Texas Commit Week Eight Wrap-Up
Week Eight Evaluation: Case McCoy
Hicks Doesn't Make 'Bama Visit, Refocusing on Football
