Preview and prediction for the best TXHSFB games of Week 4

Waco Midway (3-0) at Mansfield (3-0): The Joe Gillespie era in Waco is off to a strong start, as the Panthers have come out of the gate at 3-0, keeping up the momentum they started to build toward the end of 2023. Defense has been Midway’s calling card early on, as that unit is allowing just nine points per game. Midway needed that defensive prowess last week in a hard fought 17-6 win over Leander Rouse. RB Lathan Whiseton’s running down the stretch gave the Panthers some much needed breathing room late in the defensive struggle. Mansfield is hot out of the gate as the Tigers got a nice win in a 63-53 shootout over Arlington Martin. North Texas commit WR Jacobe Hayes had a big night with 176 yards receiving and three touchdown passes from QB Braxton Van Cleave, who threw for four touchdowns. RB Teddy Clark added balance for the Tigers with 134 yards and three scores on the ground. This is Midway’s first foray into the meat grinder that is DFW football and this is a playoff type test on the road. Expect a close one, but Mansfield appears to have a bit too much firepower for the Panthers. Stepp’s Pick: Mansfield by 4

Southlake Carroll (3-0, 1-0) at Euless Trinity (3-0, 1-0): The district title in 4-6A could all but be decided in September. If Southlake Carroll can knock off Trinity, the Dragons would already have their two toughest tests of the district race in the rearview mirror. Last week, Carroll knocked off a scrappy Trophy Club Nelson squad, 33-21, as the Dragons' backfield duo of Riley Wormley and Davis Penn combined for 223 yards on the ground with Wormely rushing for two scores. QB Angelo Renda added a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Through three games, Trinity’s offense looks to be firing on all cylinders, as the Trojans are averaging nearly 56 points per game after routing Keller Central, 55-24, to open the district slate. Ethan Wright tallied 148 yards from scrimmage and added a rushing and a receiving touchdown. RB Josh Bell led the Trojans' balanced attack with 98 yards on the ground and a touchdown. As good as Trinity’s offense has been, the defense has struggled. Against this potent Carroll offense that features two Power 4 commits in the backfield, that could spell trouble. This one is a shootout, but Carroll’s defense finds a way to get a couple of stops. Stepp’s Pick: Southlake Carroll by 13

Willis (3-0, 1-0) at The Woodlands (3-0, 1-0): The 13-6A title came down to these two teams a year ago and Willis pulled it off taking down The Woodlands in a shootout. A lot of the faces are different for both sides, but the results remain outstanding. Willis rolled in its district opener with a 66-16 win over Conroe Caney Creek. QB Jack Emerson had another big night throwing four touchdown passes - two to WR Jalen Mickens - while Willis’ defense continues to show improvement by allowing an average of 15 points per game. The Woodlands rolled through previously unbeaten Conroe Grand Oaks, 49-14, as a pick-six right before halftime by DB Caycen Bartolazzi helped give the Highlanders momentum and allowed them to pull away in the second half. Junior QB Jack Daulton had a great night with a passing touchdown and a sizzling, long touchdown run in the third quarter. Willis has been good this year, but they haven’t been tested like The Woodlands will test them in the trenches. That play up front allows the Highlanders to seize control in 13-6A. Stepp’s Pick: The Woodlands by 9

Austin Westlake (2-1) at Cibolo Steele: Westlake travels south down I-35 to the northern suburbs of the Alamo City where the Chaps will take on an explosive Steele squad that is San Antonio’s best hope of a title contender. Westlake saw their seven-year home winning streak come to an end as the Chaparrals were knocked off by Humble Atascocita, 39-21. WHS led 21-17 at the half, but the Eagles' team speed across the board was too much for the Chaps to handle. Junior QB Rees Wise tossed a pair of first-half touchdown passes, but the Westlake offense was shut out in the second half. Steele has played on Saturday night the last two weeks and looked nearly unstoppable as the Knights destroyed San Antonio Brandeis, 56-10, last week. Steele had their 56 points with seven minutes left in the third quarter before emptying the bench. QB Chad Warner and WR Royal Capell connected for three touchdown passes, while SMU commit WR Jalen Cooper returned a punt for a touchdown. Steele’s defense will get its biggest test of the year and the Knights' offensive line will need to keep Warner clean so they can take advantage of their three Division I caliber receivers against Westlake's secondary. This may indeed be Steele’s year, as the Knights have the look of a team that can finally give the Alamo City a win over its tormentors from Austin. Stepp’s Pick: Cibolo Steele by 4

Lufkin (2-1) vs Tyler (2-1): An old East Texas rivalry gets renewed Friday night as former district rivals Lufkin and Tyler hook up in a non-district clash with the two teams now sitting in different regions. After a season-opening defeat against Longview, Lufkin has bounced back nicely with back-to-back blowout wins, including last week’s 57-12 win over Little Rock Southwest. The Panthers raced out to a 43-6 halftime lead and never looked back in the win, emptying the bench in the neutral site victory in Texarkana. QB Quincy Coutee led the offense with 225 yards and four touchdowns through the air and ran for another, and the defense, led by DT LSU commit Zion Williams, has allowed just 19 points in three games. After getting blown away in its season opener, Tyler has settled in nicely with two straight wins, including a dominant 48-7 victory over Seagoville a week ago. The Lions were led by QB Caden Granberry, who threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns, and the CUJO defense dominated while allowing just four first downs on the night. WR Trey Haralson is back after an injury and hauled in his first touchdown of the season for the Lions, and that should help a Tyler passing attack that had some struggles early in the year. The key in this game is the Lufkin defense, as the Panthers have one of the most ferocious units in the state. Tyler’s offensive line has struggled some early in the year, and that big edge for Lufkin is the difference in this one. Stepp’s Pick: Lufkin by 9

College Station (3-0) at College Station A&M Consolidated (3-0): Is this the year for A&M Consolidated? In what is still one of the wildest stats in Texas High School Football, A&M Consolidated has never beaten rival College Station in the “Same Town Showdown” game (CSHS has six straight wins). The game is typically always close, but College Station finds a way to win late, as was the case in last year’s 49-42 thriller. Both teams come into this one state-ranked and unbeaten and each has a district win under their belts. A&M Consolidated had a tough road test but survived a good Pflugerville Weiss squad, 25-19, as the Tigers picked off four Weiss passes and had two fumble recoveries in the win. Even in the win, the Tigers' offense struggled a bit. They’ll need that unit, led by four-year varsity starter QB Will Hargett, to be a little more consistent this week. College Station took down a tough Austin Anderson team, 34-17, to open up district play. QB Cade Corcoran and TE Jackson Verdugo connected for a pair of touchdowns and RB Ayden Martinez-Brown ripped off a long touchdown jaunt to pace the Cougars. This is a rivalry game and anything can happen. On paper, I think College Station may be the better team, but so much has gone wrong for A&M Consolidated in this game over the years. I think the odds even out and the Tigers, led by that tremendous front seven, get some key breaks and win a thriller. Stepp’s Pick: College Station A&M Consolidated by 4

El Paso Del Valle (2-0, 1-0) at Canutillo (3-0, 1-0): It’s the game of the year in the Sun City to date, as unbeaten El Paso Del Valle visits the west side of town to take on one of the state’s best defensive units in Canutillo. Del Valle had its season opener canceled but has looked strong the past two weeks, including a 62-6 win over El Paso High to open district play. The Conquistadores have among the best offensive talent in the city with four-star QB Jake Fette and Utah commit Shelton Fuller leading the way. That unit will face a stiff test against a Canutillo defense that’s traditionally among the best defenses in the state. The Eagles pitched shutouts in the first two games of the year and finally allowed points last week in an easy 34-10 win over El Paso Burges. RB Rene Huerta ran for two scores, while versatile two-way playmaker Lalo Carillo picked off a pass and had a touchdown run for CHS. This game is a fascinating contrast of styles. These two teams have had some great battles in the past and this should be another one, but the difference is, Del Valle has "that guy" in QB Fette. Stepp’s Pick: El Paso Del Valle by 5

Fort Bend Marshall (3-0) at Richmond Randle (3-0): Two possible regional contenders hook up in a battle with major implications in Region III, as the 9-5A Division II race opens up with a bang and a playoff rematch. A year ago in bi-district, Randle earned their first playoff win in school history over Marshall. Fort Bend Marshall seemed to have a little bit of a hangover after going to DFW and beating 6A Dallas Skyline, as the Buffs struggled with a short week against a game Crosby squad. Marshall was able to escape the upset bid with a 27-14 win on the road, as junior RB Peyton Long led the way with a pair of touchdown runs. For the second straight week, Randle put up over 60 points as the Lions ripped past Fort Bend Travis, 62-7. QB Tyler Skrabanek has a bevy of weapons at his disposal, and the Lions look to be firing on all cylinders. If Marshall plays a clean game, they have the firepower to keep up, but inconsistency has plagued them a bit early on. Randle has been more consistent, but Marshall is by far the best team they’ve played all year. How do the Lions handle that higher level of talent going into this week? Stepp’s Pick: Richmond Randle by 3

Quick Picks

Waxahachie (2-1) at Duncanville (2-1) Stepp’s Pick: Duncanville by 16

Klein Cain (3-0, 1-0) vs Klein Oak (1-2, 0-1) Stepp’s Pick: Klein Cain by 22

Round Rock (3-0, 1-0) vs Round Rock McNeil (1-2, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Round Rock by 7

San Antonio Brennan (2-1, 1-0) vs San Antonio Harlan (2-0, 0-0) Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Brennan by 5

San Antonio Pieper (3-0) at San Antonio Wagner (1-1) Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Pieper by 13

Harlingen (2-1) at Laredo United South (1-2) Stepp’s Pick: Harlingen by 17

Frisco Reedy (2-1, 1-0) vs Frisco Wakeland (2-1, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Frisco Reedy by 2

Lovejoy (1-2, 1-0) at Anna (1-1, 0-0) Stepp’s Pick: Anna by 4

Waco University (3-0) at Killeen Shoemaker (2-1) Stepp’s Pick: Killeen Shoemaker by 6

Edinburg (2-1) at Edcouch-Elsa (3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Edinburg by 11

Last Week: 16-4 (80.0%)

Season: 44-16 73.3%