Lubbock Look Around: Will Coronado, Monterey football make the playoffs?

While most teams in the South Plains only begin league play Friday, District 2-5A Division I is entering its third week. A bit premature, perhaps, but the playoff race is already a topic of conversation.

This early, a lot can change. But let me try and peer into the crystal ball to see how the district will turn out, with an emphasis on the final postseason berth.

Abilene High, Lubbock-Cooper look to be a step ahead

Entering the season, it looked like a three-team race for the district title. We'll examine the third later, but Abilene High and Lubbock-Cooper have thus far lived up to that distinction.

Lowrey Field occupants have witnessed as much in consecutive weeks. The Eagles dismantled Monterey 59-14 in the league opener, and the Pirates handled Coronado 35-2 last Friday. It was the first district game for Cooper, which beat Wichita Falls Rider 34-7 in its previous contest.

Abilene (4-2 overall, 2-0 district) followed with a 42-20 drubbing of Amarillo Tascosa. Although neither opponents have a league win, the Eagles' victories have been emphatic. Plus, their only losses are to the best teams in District 2-6A.

I had questions about Cooper following a 1-2 start, but they have been answered. The Pirates (3-2, 1-0) also have lost only to district-champion contenders, including a common opponent in Frenship, each by one point. Cooper's defense, as is usually the case, has been a focal point.

I don't see anyone breaking through these top two, so expect the district title to be decided Oct. 13. Amarillo High (3-3, 2-0) seems to have found itself too, and I like them for the third seed.

Will Coronado make the playoffs?

The path: Open, at Amarillo, vs. Abilene, at Monterey, vs. Tascosa

The Mustangs' fate will be decided in the final two weeks. A win over Amarillo Caprock in hand, if Coronado (2-4, 1-1) beats Monterey and Tascosa, that should be enough to get in.

The Mustangs found traction with consecutive wins before last week. That included a 21-7 decision over Caprock that featured second quarterback Dom Parrish for ¾ of the game. Starter Isaiah Vazquez is slated to return against Amarillo, although QB play wasn't the biggest issue against a relentless Cooper pass rush.

Coronado's defense has shown positive glimpses, which will be crucial those last two weeks against offenses that have struggled at various points.

Will Monterey make the playoffs?

The path: at Tascosa, vs. Caprock, at Lubbock-Cooper, vs. Coronado, at Amarillo

We should know this answer sooner than later. If the Plainsmen don't win their next two, the mountain will be hard to scale.

But winning those games is doable, so long as the Monterey from earlier this season returns.

The Plainsmen were the surprise of Lubbock at 2-0, and even showed promise in a 54-52 four-overtime loss to Frenship. Monterey (2-3, 0-1) has scored 22 points since.

One could point to an increase in competition, losing to undefeated Midland High and Abilene. But Plainsmen coach Judd Thrash said at a recent luncheon he attributed the lackluster performances to a change in preparation. He hopes a return to "good on good" — the top offense facing the top defense — in practice remedies that.

Monterey is facing just the team for a "get right" game, which would've been an eyebrow-raising statement in the summer. Tascosa was a preseason contender, picked by many as the district favorite and a potential region champion. A young Rebels team has fallen on hard times, losing five in a row.

Tascosa (1-5, 0-2) hasn't lost to a bad team, but the closest margin has been 12 points. Of course, the Rebels are probably looking at Monterey as a must-win, so intensity will be ramped up.

I'll give the Plainsmen a slight edge on Thursday, and I figure they'll beat Caprock too. Assuming Coronado also takes down Tascosa, that means the final playoff spot would come down to the result against Monterey.

A rivalry game to decide a postseason berth? That'd be all I could ask for.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock Look Around: Will Coronado, Monterey football make playoffs?