Brownwood Estacado heavy-weight matchup headlines the Week 9 Concho Valley Capstone
With the conclusion of Week 8 Concho Valley High School football, this week's slate of games are right around the corner starting with Big Spring at Lake View on Thursday.
With more than 40 teams in the Standard-Times coverage area set to hit the Friday night lights this week, the newest edition of the Concho Valley Capstone series will also hit the ground running again for Week 7.
Game of the Week
Brownwood at Lubbock Estacado
The No. 8 Brownwood Lions (6-1, 2-0) are coming off a 66-0 win over Lake View at home and a 56-7 win over Big Spring on the road. The Lions' only loss on the season came against rival and No. 7-ranked Stephenville 27-17 after being held scoreless in the second and third quarters.
Quarterback Ike Hall leads the way for the Lions' offense as the only returning player from last year's offense. Even when Hall missed time with an injury early in the season, Brownwood pulled off two impressive wins over Burnet and Glen Rose.
The defense has upperclassmen stars at all three levels in defensive lineman Quinten McCarty, linebacker Sam Kallman, and defensive back Morsello Hooker — who has interest from Division I college football teams.
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The Matadors (6-1, 1-0) ran through Andrews 52-14 on the road last week behind four carries for 180 yards and three touchdowns rushing from running back James Bozeman. Estacado's offense has been held under 40 points once this season in a 51-34 loss to 4A Division II No. 9 West Plains.
Quarterback DJ Johnson has been very efficient throwing the ball this season with 14 touchdowns and one interception passing. Still, the engine of the Matadors' explosive offense is junior running back Bobby Ross who has 1,173 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing.
Last year, Brownwood won the matchup 52-14, however, Estacado was missing Johnson. And while Johnson was good last season as a sophomore, he is even better this season. If the Lions' can hold the Estacado offense to less than 300 yards rushing and less than 40 points, they have a good chance to come away with another big win on the road in a matchup that likely decides the district champion.
Prediction: Brownwood 35, Estacado 27.
San Angelo Schools
Midland Legacy at Central
The Bobcats (1-6, 0-2) took a tough district loss at Odessa High last Friday, 71-70 in overtime on a gutsy two-point conversion from the Bronchos. Outside of a 45-27 loss to undefeated Midland High, the other five Central losses were by one score.
A big reason the Bobcats stay within striking distance is because of the play from quarterback Christian "Squeaky" English who has 1,660 yards and 13 touchdowns passing and 924 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. On top of big passing numbers, he has two interceptions, which both came in Week 1 against Killeen Shoemaker.
Midland Legacy (5-2, 1-1) came into the season as the favorites to win the Little Southwest Conference. The Rebels held a spot in the state's top 25 for the first few weeks of the season, but after a 62-31 loss to Cibolo Steele on the road, they have not made a return to the rankings. Now, Legacy's chances at a district championship are more slim after a 32-31 loss to Odessa Permian at home.
Legacy will be the most balanced attack the Bobcats face defensively this season. But if they can get timely stops and limit explosive plays, the Bobcats can grab their first win since Sept. 1 against a reeling Rebels team wanting a bounce-back game on the road.
Prediction: Midland Legacy 55, Central 47.
Big Spring at Lake View
Lake View (1-7, 0-2) had higher expectations this season to surpass its three wins and last-place finish in District 2-4A Division I last season. The Chiefs, though, struggled with injuries again this season and are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.
The Chiefs have hope this season to grab a playoff spot with a matchup against Big Spring on Thursday. The Steers are coming off a bye week after a 56-7 loss to Brownwood, which was the most recent loss in a five-game skid.
Last year, Big Spring beat Lake View 21-7 to grab the last playoff spot in the district. The Steers finished last season 6-6 and won a playoff game against El Paso Riverside.
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For Lake View, this is a must-win game that could go a long way in getting Lake View back on track not only this season but in the future.
Prediction: Big Spring 28, Lake View 24.
Best of the Rest
Goldthewaite at San Saba
The Eagles (3-4, 1-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 42-14 win over Bangs before their bye week. Last year, the Eagles finished last in the district after going 0-10. This year, however, they find themselves right in the middle of the playoff hunt after wins over Santo, Rosebud-Lott and Bangs.
The Armadillos (2-6, 1-3) are in the middle of a three-game skid capped by a tough 41-38 loss to Bangs last Friday. San Saba started district strong with a 32-28 upset win over Hamilton, who had one loss at that point.
So far, It looks like Tolar, Coleman and the resurgent De Leon locked down the first three playoff spots, while Goldthewaite, San Saba, Bangs and Hamilton fight for the fourth and final spot. The Armadillos will continue to rely on running back Ethan Gonzales who averages 158.4 yards a game, while the Eagles utilize a variety of different rushers from quarterback Ethan Deeds to running backs Max Storm and Marcus Stevens.
Prediction: San Saba 28, Goldthwaite 27.
Junction at Mason
The Punchers (7-0, 1-0) are looking for their 14th straight district title this year. Last week, they kept their hopes alive with a close 28-27 win over Johnson City despite an injury to quarterback Carlton Schmidt. Luckily, Mason turned to Frankie Bolley — the starter in previous weeks — and escaped with a win to stay undefeated.
The Eagles (6-2, 2-0) doubled their win total from last season after eight games and are in contention to dethrone the Punchers this season. The Eagles started district play with a 43-41 overtime win over Stockdale who was second in the district last year. Last week, Junction continued rolling with a 41-20 win over Harper, which was the second game back for star running back Aidan Cardwell who came back from injury.
Prediction: Mason 28, Junction 21.
Ozona at Reagan County
The Lions (3-4, 1-1) average 34.9 points a game behind 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns passing from quarterback Hudson Fowler. Ozona has four receivers with more than 200 yards and multiple touchdowns this season led by senior Matthew Daniels. The Lions also boast an impressive rushing attack that averages 215.7 yards a game and 22 touchdowns on the season. After a close loss to No. 8 Sonora in the first week of district play, the Lions bounced back with a 40-18 win over Christoval at home last week.
The Owls (4-3, 0-2) took two tough losses to start district play with a 42-12 loss to Forsan and a 57-12 loss to Sonora last Friday. Outside of those losses, Reagan County boasts a high-powered offense that can score with anyone in Class 2A led by quarterback Kason Brown, who has 1,503 yards and 20 touchdowns passing this season.
While the Lions have a losing record, they have not scored less than 20 points in a game and have three losses where they scored more than 30 points. For the Owls to grab a playoff spot this season, they have three more opportunities to get district wins.
Prediction: Ozona 42, Reagan County 35.
Six-man Game of the Week
Robert Lee at Irion County
The No. 28 Irion County Hornets (5-2, 1-0) are favored by 17 points over No. 50 Robert Lee (7-0, 2-0). The Steers are coming off an impressive win over previously undefeated Veribest where they outscored the Falcons 28-0 in the first quarter and won 80-54. In the week prior, Robert Lee defeated Menard 52-8 on the road. The Hornets beat Eden last week in their first district game behind a strong rushing attack led by Wyatt Morris. With the way the district is unfolding it is likely this game will decide the district championship.
Concho Valley Power Five
Here are the best five teams regardless of class in the Concho Valley entering Week 9, along with each team's record.
Brownwood (6-1)
Sonora (7-0)
Richland Springs (7-0)
Mason (7-0)
Wall (5-2)
High school sports schedule: Concho Valley high school sports schedule for the week of Oct. 16-21
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: High school football: Week 9 Concho Valley Capstone
