SAN ANGELO, TX-- Week 9 of the high school football season starts tonight.
Central will make their first trip to the Metroplex in district play -- Weatherford is technically just outside of Fort Worth, so that wasn't officially the Metroplex. The Wall Hawks will play in what could ultimately be the District 3-3A Division I championship game at Eastland. Lake View opens up District 2-4A Division I. And Sonora looks to get back on track after starting district 0-2.
Here are previews and predictions for area games.
San Angelo Central Bobcats (6-2, 3-1) @ Hurst Bell Raiders (1-6, 0-3); Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m.
The Central Bobcats have battled back to get into championship contention in District 3-6A.
They are also a game away from clinching a playoff berth, making this game against the district’s bottom feeder that much more important.
On the back -- rather, the legs -- of sophomore QB Malachi Brown’s record breaking performance last week, the Bobcats are heading into this game confident.
Brown has rushed for 993 yards and eight touchdowns on 124 carries while throwing for 810 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
The sophomore struggled with turnovers in his first four starts with six interceptions on 106 attempts.
Through his last two starts, however, Brown has settled down and thrown just one interception on 43 attempts.
That drop could be attributed to how much he has run the ball over the last two games. Brown has carried the ball 63 times for 516 yards in that time with 42 carries coming last week. In his first four starts, Brown had just 57 carries for 417 yards.
However, Central isn’t exactly a team defined by one aspect of the offense. Last week against Fort Worth Richland, the Bobcats were able to utilize their run game. This week against Bell, the Bobcats are undersized, meaning they may have to throw the ball around to utilize their speed this game.
The Bobcats are in fine shape, if that’s the case.
Senior Jackson Timme and junior Tanner Dabbert have led the way for Central’s receiving corps, catching a total of 65 passes for 731 yards and seven total touchdowns.
Aside from the game against Richland, Dabbert had found a rhythm with Brown, catching 11 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the three previous games.
He will likely be turned to if Central does in fact throw the ball.
Central 34, Bell 14
Seminole Indians (3-3, 0-0) @ Lake View Chiefs (1-6, 0-0); Oct. 26, 7:00 p.m.
It’s late in the season, but the Chiefs are finally kicking off district play.
The Chiefs are a few bounces away from having a good record in a respectable nondistrict schedule.
They have another tough test against Seminole to open their new district.
The Chiefs will likely need to be explosive on offense given the fact Seminole likes to run the ball and control the clock.
However, they will be without junior Johnny Espinosa who tweeted out that he is “seriously heartbroken that football was officially taken away” from him. Espinosa accounted for nine of Lake View’s 12 interceptions, 254 yards receiving and four touchdowns this season.
That means senior QB Kendall Blue will likely target fellow senior Ahmad Daniels, who has been his go-to guy this season. Daniels has a team-leading 22 receptions for 376 yards and five touchdowns in 2018.
Daniels will also be expected to step up for Lake View’s secondary in place of Espinosa. Daniels has three of Lake View’s 12 interceptions this season. Espinosa had the other nine.
That may not be a factor in this game because Seminole has thrown the ball 35 times out of their 279 offensive plays.
Seminole has six players over 100 yards rushing this season with senior Noah Mata and sophomore Makii Adams combining for 671 yards.
It may be tough sledding for the Chiefs given the injury to Espinosa.
Seminole 35, Lake View 28
Wall Hawks (4-2, 2-0) @ Eastland Mavericks (6-1, 2-0); Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m.
The Hawks and Mavericks will likely decide the District 3-3A Division I championship in this game. The winner could also clinch a playoff berth with a win.
Wall’s has gotten back in rhythm after dropping their first two games. Since finding traction with their rushing attack, the Hawks have won four straight and are one of the hottest teams in Class 3A Division I.
That resurgent veer offense has been thanks to the legs of junior QB Mason Fuchs and senior FB Sutton Braden. Those two have combined for 132 carries, 888 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing this season.
Fuchs has also given head coach Houston Guy faith in throwing the ball. The junior is 36-of-65 passing for 721 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s the most Wall has had to throw in a long while.
However, Wall gets the the other hot team in Class 3A.
Eastland, behind sophomore QB Behren Morton, is lighting up the scoreboard.
Morton, who has been offered by Texas Tech already, has accounted for 1,280 yards of total offense and 11 total touchdowns.
The coach’s son will undoubtedly try to burn Wall’s secondary. Wall has picked off five passes this season.
If they can’t get things going through the air, Eastland will be happy to hand the ball off to their star running back, Brandon Fielding. He’s rushed for 892 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.
But Wall has been able to control games through their four-game win streak. If they do that in this game, they’ll be in the driver’s seat for an eighth consecutive district championship.
Wall 34, Eastland 31
Other games in the area:
Comfort @ Sonora
- Sonora 30, Comfort 21
Eldorado @ Rocksprings
- Eldorado 35, Rocksprings 28
Menard @ Christoval
- Christoval 41, Menard 28
Forsan @ Winters
- Winters 42, Forsan 0
Coleman @ Bangs
- Coleman 37, Bangs 20
Crane @ Reagan County
- Crane 38, Reagan County 35
Bronte @ Robert Lee
- Robert Lee 43, Bronte 38
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: