SAN ANGELO, TX — Here are our top five high school football games to watch in West Texas in Week 2:
Brownwood at Wall
The Wall Hawks had an impressive 28-6 win last week over Class 2A state power Mason. Now Wall will take a step up and see what it can do against Brownwood, the No. 7-ranked team in 4A Division I. It’s one of the best matchups in Texas this week, and it’s right here in our backyard. Both of these teams reached the state quarterfinals last week, and both are in the Top 10 in their classification. Wall enters the game ranked No. 9 in 3A D-II.
This is believed to be the first-ever matchup between the two programs. Brownwood’s season opener with Abilene Wylie last week was rained out. The Lions return six starters on offense and three on defense from last year’s 12-2 team. Wall debuted its new spread offense last week against a stout Mason defense. Quarterback Landon York was 7-of-18 passing for 148 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Briggs Jones was the top target with three catches for 102 yards and two TDs. The Hawks’ defense, which allowed nine points per game last year, didn’t allow Mason to score its lone TD until the fourth quarter. Wall will be seriously challenged against a Brownwood offense that averaged 40 points per game last year.
The pick: Brownwood 24, Wall 17
Sterling City at Miles
This will be the fifth meeting between these two schools since 2022. You read that right. These teams have met twice during the regular season and then again in the playoffs the last two seasons. Each time, the team that lost the regular-season meeting won the rematch in the playoffs. They’re in different regions this year, so a playoff meeting would have to take place in the state semifinals, which would suit both teams just fine.
Miles is coming off a statement-making 32-14 win on the road over Sonora last week. Tevin Meade led Miles’ offense with 19 carries for 145 yards, while Cooper Ellison had four catches for 96 yards. Sophomore quarterback Liam Yancy threw for 116 yards on 8-of-15 passing with a touchdown and an interception. Jaxon Petillo led the Bulldogs’ defensive effort with two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 16 in the state in 2A Division II entering the year, and they have a chance to make a run at the Top 10.
Sterling City pulled off a 41-38 comeback win over Odessa Compass last week. The Eagles trailed 38-25 heading into the fourth quarter, but they rallied to take the lead with about two minutes remaining and hung on for the win. Seth Turner had 229 rushing yards and five TDs to lead the Eagles’ offense.
The pick: Miles 38, Sterling City 24
Ozona at Eldorado
These two teams have played numerous times since their first meeting 95 years ago in 1929. However, this will be the first time they’ve played since 2017. Both teams won their season openers last week, but they did so in very different ways. Ozona cruised to a 60-0 win over McCamey led by Christian Villarreal’s ridiculous performance. The junior running back turned 20 carries into 361 yards and six TDs, an average of 18 yards per carry. Michael Daniels had five catches for 97 yards and a TD, along with four carries for 55 yards and a TD. Ozona’s defense was led by Andres Quiroz with nine tackles and JP Garza with eight stops.
Eldorado is coming off a 20-13 win over Christoval last week. The Eagles managed only 172 yards of offense, but their defense was strong and even produced points thanks to an interception return for a TD by Jonah Penkszyk. JonnieRae Adame completed 9-of-15 passes for 125 yards. He had TD passes to Jasi Galindo and Garrett Walling.
The pick: Ozona 42, Eldorado 21.
San Saba at Junction
This Hill Country battle features two defenses that allowed a combined eight points last week. San Saba topped Grape Creek 14-2, while Junction beat Goldthwaite 41-6. Junction won this matchup 34-22 last year.
The Eagles’ offense was led last week by quarterback Chasen Doyal, who threw for 148 yards and two TDs on 8-of-12 passing. Wide receiver Caden Roberts had three catches for 72 yards, while tight end Bode Bierschwale had two catches for 44 yards and a TD. Running back Aidan Cardwell had 13 carries for 109 yards and two TDs. Junction has its sights set on its first district title in 21 years this fall. San Saba returns 15 starters, including nine on defense, so the Armadillos could give the Eagles a test before district play begins.
The pick: Junction 35, San Saba 17
Christoval at Ballinger
These Concho Valley schools are less than 60 miles apart, but this is the first time they’ll meet on the football field. The main reason they’ve never played is simply the disparity in the schools’ sizes for so many years. While Ballinger used to play large schools like Abilene Wylie, Brownwood and even San Angelo Central, Christoval spent many years as a six-man program. Now the two schools are both in 2A Division I.
Ballinger is coming off a 28-10 win over Merkel last week, a victory that felt particularly good after the Bearcats were winless last year. Aiden Pena led Ballinger on both sides of the ball. He had 25 carries for 126 yards and a TD on offense, and he had a team-high 10 tackles on defense. Christoval was also led by a standout running back, Manuel Riojas, who had 13 carries for 172 yards and a TD in a 20-13 loss to Eldorado last week.
The pick: Ballinger 28, Christoval 20
BONUS GAME
Robert Lee at Garden City
This list wouldn’t be complete without a six-man game, so we'll sneak an extra game on here. We already knew Robert Lee was going to be a team to watch this year. The Steers were ranked No. 23 in the state in Texas Football’s preseason poll after going 8-3 last season. They didn’t disappoint in Week 1 with a 78-28 win over Loraine. Brenner Sherwood had a stellar all-around performance. He threw for 208 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-12 passing, and he added 13 carries for 121 yards and four TDs, along with two defensive TDs with a fumble return and an interception return.
Garden City was an unknown heading into this fall. The Bearkats had only three players on their roster with any significant varsity experience. They were 3-7 last year, but it was their first time posting less than six wins since 2012, so this is a program that commands some respect. Sure enough, Garden City started this year by pulling off an upset over No. 22-ranked Nazareth last week. The Bearkats trailed 38-26 early in the third quarter before outscoring the Swifts 36-6 the rest of the way in a 62-44 win. Brody Walts had 14 tackles and two interceptions to lead Garden City’s defense. He also had a rushing TD, a TD catch and a kickoff return for a score. Carson Goodwin had 13 carries for 116 yards and a TD, and he completed both passes he attempted for 98 yards and two TDs. Preston Dehlinger had four catches for 119 yards and two TDs.
The pick: Robert Lee 58, Garden City 46
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