It's the eighth week of the 2023 Texas high school football season, with 600+ games scattered across the state. There are favorites...but who could spring the upset?

Using DCTF's computer projections, DCTF managing editor Greg Tepper identifies three teams that could pull the upset in Week 8.

Wichita Falls Rider (4-2) at Abilene Wylie (4-2)
Wylie projected to win by 4

The early pole position in District 2-5A DII is on the line on Friday night on the south side of Abilene when Wylie hosts Rider, and Wylie has to be brimming with confidence. After starting the year 0-2 — including a puzzling loss to Lubbock Monterey — the Bulldogs have found their footing offensively as junior quarterback Bryant Meng has grown into his role alongside bellcow back Malachi Daniels. But they’ll face a big test in Rider, which makes its second straight trip to Abilene after drubbing Abilene Cooper last week in impressive fashion. The key question here is whether Rider can run the ball on Wylie — the Raiders average 6.2 yards per carry in their four wins, and just 5.2 in their two losses. Wylie has struggled to stop the run in their last two games, including last week’s close call against Plainview; can Rider take advantage?

Center (5-1) at Van (6-1)
Van projected to win by 2

If Center is going to go on the road and grab a critical District 8-4A DII upset win — and establish themselves as chief challenger to king Carthage —it’s pretty clear what the blueprint is going to be: points, and lots of them. Center is the wildest experience in Texas high school football: the Roughriders are third among all UIL 11-man teams in scoring offense as QB Emonte Cross and RB Kaden Dixon are lighting it up to the tune of 59.8 points per game; Center is also allowing 41 points per game, one of only two teams in Texas with a winning record despite allowing 40+ points per game (Amarillo Highland Park is the other). Their 100.8 total points per game average is the highest in Texas. Van is much calmer than their foe, with quaterback Jaxon Moffatt piloting a solid offense and Colton Miller anchoring a defense allowing a respectable 20.5 points per game. Who dictates the pace? if this game is normal, Van probably wins; but if Center can lure Van into a firefight, few teams are equipped to handle it as the Roughridrers.

Needville (7-0) at El Campo (3-3)
El Campo projected to win by 8

If you glance back at the 2023 summer edition of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, you’ll note that this game was supposed to be a matchup between the predicted district champion El Campo and the predicted district cellar-dweller Needville. Oops! Needville’s been one of the stories of the year, already matching their win total from the previous two seasons combined, and thanks in large part to a revitalized run game led by Da’Shawn Burton and quarterback Keilan Sweeny. That ground attack will provide an interesting challenge to El Campo, still stinging from its rivalry loss to Bay City last week. The Ricebirds’ offense has run very hot and cold — El Campo averages 9.1 yards per play in its three wins, and 5.3 yards per play in its three losses. The running game is even more stark: 9.4 yards per carry in victory, 3.5 yards per carry in defeat. If Needville, whose run defense has been pretty solid led by linebacker Hunter Brewster, can slow down El Campo’s running game, they can keep making our preseason prediction look extremely silly.