Top 5 Playoff Football Games to Watch in West Texas This Week

SAN ANGELO, TX — Here are our top five high school football games to watch in West Texas in the second round of the playoffs this week:

Wall (10-1) vs. Childress (6-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Slaton

The No. 4-ranked Wall Hawks will meet Childress in the second round of the playoffs for the third year in a row. Wall has won the last two meetings, including a 21-14 decision last year. The Hawks will be clear favorites again, but Childress may be more formidable than its record suggests. The Bobcats played a strong schedule, and all of their losses were to quality opponents — Greenwood (10-1), Sunray (11-0), Wichita Falls City View (9-2), Stratford (7-3) and Canadian (8-3). They’re battle tested to say the least, and they earned a 27-24 playoff win last week over a seven-win Slaton team.

Wall is coming off a 74-6 rout last week over Anthony. It was the Hawks’ ninth straight win. Wall hasn’t been tested in quite some time, because the Hawks romped through their district, winning every game by 41 points or more. The Hawks had a stacked schedule early and responded with impressive wins over Mason (10-1), Jim Ned (8-3), Sweetwater (6-5), Monahans (6-5) and Idalou (9-2). Wall’s only loss was 17-7 against Class 4A Brownwood.

Wall’s defense is one of the best in the state, allowing just under 12 points per game. With quarterback Landon York running the Hawks’ spread offense at a high level, this looks like a team ready to march deep in the playoffs. The winner of this game will meet Crane or Littlefield in the Class 3A Division II regional semifinals.

The pick: Wall 35, Childress 14

Mason (10-1) vs. Weimar (7-4)

7 p.m. Friday, Georgetown

The No. 6-ranked Mason Punchers have won 10 games in a row since a season-opening loss to Wall, and every one of those wins was by 23 points or more. Mason could find itself in a competitive game for the first time since August when it takes on Weimar in the area round. The Wildcats have won six of their last seven games, with the only loss a 41-0 shutout against No. 4 Ganado. Weimar went 10-3 last year and reached the third round of the playoffs.

Once again, Mason is led by a rock-solid defense that is allowing less than 13 points per game. The Punchers also have an explosive offense that is putting up nearly 49 points per game, led by running back Sutton Silerio, who has racked up 1,898 yards and 32 touchdowns. He’s averaging an absurd 14.5 yards per carry. It’s hard to imagine any team slowing Mason down until a potential rematch in the regional final with Ganado, which ended Mason’s season last year. 

The winner of this game will play Marlin or Schulenburg in the 2A Division I regional semifinals.

The pick: Mason 42, Weimar 20

Junction (10-1) vs. Falls City (8-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Hondo

The No. 10-ranked Junction Eagles won their first playoff game since 2016 last week with a 61-26 win over Iola. Junction can continue its breakthrough season with a win this week over Falls City. If the Eagles win again, they’ll be past the second round for the first time since 2009. That shows the contrast between these two programs. Falls City has posted 17 straight seasons of seven wins or more. The Beavers reached the state semifinals last year and played in the state final in 2021.

There’s concern Junction hasn’t been tested enough this year. The Eagles simply didn’t have any district competition. However, they earned wins over San Saba and Goldthwaite during nondistrict play, and even their 35-12 loss to Mason was the closest anyone has played the Punchers over the last 10 games. Falls City’s losses were to Shiner, Three Rivers and Poth. These two teams have one common opponent, Brackettville, and they had similar scores. Junction won 38-14, while Falls City won 35-16.

Junction’s lack of playoff experience could hurt the Eagles, especially against a tradition-rich program like Falls City. But Junction’s talent is for real, and the team has a wave of momentum and excitement behind it. Two years ago, Junction was 2-8. Now they’re playing for a spot in the Class 2A Division II regional semifinals. The winner of this matchup moves on to play Somerville or Ben Bolt.

The pick: Junction 28, Falls City 27

Water Valley (9-2) vs. Knox City (8-3)

6:30 p.m. Friday, Hermleigh

It’s almost as if Water Valley never left the six-man world at all. The Wildcats reached the state quarterfinals in 2021 — spent two years in 11-man football — and now they’re right back on the doorstep of the state quarters again. Water Valley has been impressive in its return to six-man, fending off challenges from Robert Lee and Veribest for the district title. The Wildcats then handled Ira 64-32 last week in their playoff opener. They’re led by a balanced core of weapons with quarterback Landon Lacy, running backs Anthony Quintana and Boston Wiese and wide receiver Gunnar Brooks.

Knox City is in the second round of the playoffs for the third straight year, though the Greyhounds lost the last two times. They were edged in their regular-season finale 48-42 by Perrin-Whitt to finish as the runner-up in district, but they took down Valley 64-52 last week to open the playoffs. Knox City has a solid program, and Water Valley will have to play well to advance. The winner will see Newcastle or Westbrook in the 1A Division I state quarterfinals.

The pick: Water Valley 58, Knox City 42

Menard (9-1) vs. Gordon (11-0)

6 p.m. Thursday, Weatherford

The Menard Yellowjackets have enjoyed a breakout season in their third year of six-man football that includes nine wins, a district title and the program’s first six-man playoff victory last week. Menard’s playoff path is now blocked, however, by the defending state champion, No. 1-ranked Gordon. The Longhorns have been superb this year with 11 wins, all of them coming by the 45-point mercy rule, including 56-8 over state power May last week. Their defense has only allowed five touchdowns all year. 

Menard, like any other team in Texas, will be a massive underdog against Gordon, but seeing this level of competition could help the Yellowjackets continue their climb in the six-man game. The winner will see Medina or Jonesboro in the 1A Division I state quarterfinals.

The pick: Gordon 61, Menard 16

Quick Hits

Richland Springs (11-0) vs. Zephyr (10-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Comanche

This is a Top 10 matchup between No. 2 Richland Springs and No. 10 Zephyr. Despite the records and rankings, Richland Springs will be the heavy favorite. The Coyotes contend for a state title every year, and nobody has within 45 points of them this season. Zephyr had a 9-1 record when these teams met in the playoffs in 2022 and still lost 61-16. This year, the Bulldogs own wins over Veribest, Blackwell and Blanket, and their only loss was to Strawn. They should be more competitive, but a win seems like a lot to ask for. The winner will collide with Cherokee or Oglesby in the 1A Division II state quarterfinals.

The pick: Richland Springs 68, Zephyr 32

Blackwell (5-6) vs. Jayton (11-0)

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Hermleigh

The Blackwell Hornets turned their season around after an 0-5 start to make the playoffs, then knocked out Balmorhea 56-30 last week. This week may be the end of the road, however, with No. 1-ranked Jayton up next. The Jaybirds have 45’ed everyone they’ve played, including teams like Westbrook and Knox City. Their sights are set on a state-title run. The winner will play Loraine or Benjamin next in the 1A Division II state quarterfinals.

The pick: Jayton 60, Blackwell 14

Coleman (4-7) vs. Axtell (10-1)

7 p.m. Friday Weatherford

After starting the year 0-7, no one expected the Coleman Bluecats to be sitting here in the second round of the playoffs. They deserve a ton of credit for gutting out three straight wins to close out the regular season, followed by a 40-35 stunner over Wolfe City last week in their playoff opener. They look like a considerable underdog against Axtell this week, but the Bluecats have been proving us wrong for weeks. The winner will play Mildred or De Leon in the 2A Division I regional semifinals.

The pick: Axtell 35, Coleman 20