Stephenville (6-1, 1-0) at Lampasas (7-1, 2-0): Don’t be surprised if this is the first of two meetings between the 4-4A district rivals as Stephenville heads south on Highway 281 to take on Lampasas in what should be an electric atmosphere at Badger Field. After suffering a tough loss to Ruston (La.) in the nondistrict finale, Stephenville bounced back nicely with a 63-0 blowout of Marble Falls to open district play. QB Ryan Gafford led the ‘Jackets with 222 yards through the air and four touchdowns, as SHS led 35-0 after the first quarter and put it on cruise control the rest of the way. Lampasas needed every bit of a monster effort from QB Reed Jerome in a close 42-38 win over Burnet, as the senior signal-caller had 243 yards of offense and accounted for five touchdowns in a second-half rally. Both teams are explosive on offense and feature elite QB play with FBS caliber receivers on the outside. The big difference is Stephenville’s front seven on defense, which gives the ‘Jackets the edge in this matchup that will likely decide the district title. Stepp’s Pick: Stephenville by 9

El Campo (6-1, 2-0) at Bay City (6-1, 2-0): One of the state’s oldest and most intense rivalries is renewed down in Matagorda County, as El Campo travels to Bay City for a battle of state-ranked teams with district title implications. El Campo’s been on a roll lately, as the Ricebirds have allowed just seven points in the last three games, including shutouts in the last two weeks. Last week, the ‘Birds blew past Floresville, 66-0, racing out to a 28-0 lead after one quarter and cruising the rest of the way. Since its last loss to Edna, Bay City has racked up five straight wins. Last week, the Blackcats handled a solid La Vernia squad, 40-21. You can throw the records out of the window in this game, as this series is the oldest continuous rivalry in Texas (104th straight meeting). After losing 16 of the last 17 games in the series, Bay City has to be feeling good after winning the matchup a year ago. This Bay City senior class is loaded with dynamic skill talent and that experience along with veteran leadership at the QB spot gives the Blackcats the edge. Stepp’s Pick: Bay City by 3

Gilmer (5-2, 2-0) at Texarkana Pleasant Grove (5-2, 2-0): Gilmer will head up to Texarkana to take on red hot Pleasant Grove, and the prize for the winner could be an early playoff matchup with top-ranked Carthage if the brackets hold form. Last week, Gilmer raced out to a 28-7 lead on Van late in the second quarter, but had to hang on down the stretch for a 31-23 win. Zade Taylor and Trillyon Butler led the Buckeyes' offense with a pair of touchdowns. Van controlled the ball for most of the second half and at one point cut the lead to five before Gilmer tacked on a late field goal for the final margin. Pleasant Grove, who has opened up the offense a bit more this season, went back to their roots last Friday as RB Nick Bells posted three long touchdown runs in an easy 56-14 win over Longview Spring Hill. This is the Hawks'  first big test since opening up the offense after an early season loss to Paris. That could play into Gilmer’s hands, as the Buckeyes can get into a track meet and win that battle with anyone in the state. Expect a close one, but after struggling in the second half last week, expect a breakout performance from the Buckeyes' offense and a Gilmer win. Stepp’s Pick: Gilmer by 10

Sealy (5-2, 1-1) at Madisonville (4-3, 2-0): Two teams with designs on crashing the Region III party hook up in a key district matchup that has implications on playoff seeding and possibly the district title race in 11-4A Division II. Sealy bounced back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Bellville with a dominant 34-13 win over Giddings. QB Kane Killough continues to throw up big numbers and the Tigers defense has continued to improve through the middle part of the season. After dropping three straight games to close out nondistrict play, Madisonville has put up over 50 points in each of its first two district games, including a 56-14 win over Caldwell last week. WR Tristan Whaley had a monster night with four receptions for 131 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a 59-yard touchdown run. RB Phillip Green is a force in the running game, as he’s already well over 1,000 yards rushing and displays great speed. He can also get tough yards between the tackles. Madisonville’s defense has some questions and that is why we’ll go with Sealy to go on the road and get a massive win. Stepp’s Pick: Sealy by 2

Maypearl (5-2, 2-0) at Grandview (4-3, 2-0): The race in 5-3A Division I is going to come down to the final week, and there’s a good chance tiebreakers may be involved. Every game in this district seems to come down to the final seconds. The two remaining unbeaten teams will hook up in Grandview, and the winner is almost assured a playoff spot, while the loser still will have a little work to do. A week after beating West by a score, Maypearl kept it up last week with a 26-22 win over Whitney. RB/LB JT Washington was a one-man show for the Panthers with 44 (yes 44) carries for 228 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, not to mention eight tackles on defense for good measure. Grandview is 2-0 with its two district win coming by a total of five points. Last week’s thriller was a 36-34 win over Groesbeck. QB Mason Landers tossed four touchdown passes to three different receivers to lead the way for the Zebras. This is an old rivalry just south of the DFW area, and with Maypearl’s rapid improvement, the intensity will be turned up a few notches this week. Grandview’s depth at the skill spots and size up front will be key in this one, if they can win early downs and force Maypearl into obvious passing situations, the Zebras should fare well. Stepp’s Pick: Grandview by 13

Tatum (5-2, 2-1) at Atlanta (5-3, 2-2): The race in 8-3A Division I is entering the home stretch and it appears both of these teams will earn one of the district’s four playoff spots, but critical seeding is still up for grabs in Northeast Texas on Friday night. Tatum has had an extra day to prepare for this one after the Eagles escaped Gladewater’s upset bid Thursday night with a 33-28 victory. The Eagles' three-headed monster in the backfield of QB JaCorie Bradley and RBs Cayden Tatum and Jamarri Gipson proved to be the difference as Bradley’s 45-yard scoring run with just under five minutes left lifted THS to a come-from-behind victory, as they trailed 28-19 going into the final quarter. Atlanta was disappointing last week, as the Rabbits were blasted by Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, 42-6. The Rabbits opened the scoring and trailed just 14-6 at the half, but L-E dominated the final two quarters to cruise to a lopsided win. Atlanta will come out at home with intensity, and Tatum’s scheme is a better matchup for AHS, who is good against the run. However, Tatum likes to spread the ball around and that makes them a challenge to prepare for, so we’ll go with the Eagles to go on the road and get a key win to remain in the mix for one of the top spots in the district. Stepp’s Pick: Tatum by 10

Holliday (5-2, 2-0) at Wichita Falls City View (6-1, 2-0): Surprising City View will look for another huge win, and if the Mustangs can handle Holliday at home they should put themselves in position for a district title. Holliday rolled to an easy 58-0 win over Valley View last week, as the Eagles raced out to a 37-0 halftime lead with nearly 500 yards of offense on the night. City View, after an emotional overtime win over Jacksboro two weeks ago, didn’t show signs of a hangover, as the Mustangs rolled past Henrietta, 47-0. QB Malachi Williams had a strong game, and the underrated City View defense continues to play well. City View’s team speed is a big edge over Holliday, and unless HHS can contain Williams, City View finds a way to get things done in the key moments. Stepp’s Pick: Wichita Falls City View by 6

Panhandle (7-0, 2-0) at Sunray (7-0, 2-0): The best 2A teams in the Texas Panhandle will collide in an absolute banger, as two of the state’s best offenses will decide a district title. Last week, Panhandle blasted Stinnett West Texas, 67-12, as QB Broxton Robinson ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns and added 157 yards through the air with two more scores. Robinson also tallied 14 tackles and an interception on defense. Sunray was equally dominant last week, as they rolled past Amarillo Highland Park, 68-8. The Bobcats were led by QB Armando Lujan, who threw for 145 yards and four touchdowns and added two rushing touchdowns in just one half. Sunray’s defense continued its tremendous play, holding Highland Park to just 99 yards of offense. The key in this game is which defense can step up and get stops in key situations, as this game will have the feel of a late-round playoff game and that experience and recent defensive pedigree lies with Sunray. Stepp’s Pick: Sunray by 7

Quick Picks

Longview Pine Tree (6-1, 2-1) at Tyler Chapel Hill (6-2, 3-1) Stepp’s Pick: Longview Pine Tree by 5

Bridge City (7-0, 4-0) at Little Cypress-Mauriceville (5-2, 4-0) Stepp’s Pick: Little Cypress-Mauriceville by 3

Mineral Wells (5-2, 1-1) at Graham (6-1, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Graham by 24

West Orange-Stark (6-1, 2-0) at Silsbee (5-2, 1-1) Stepp’s Pick: West Orange-Stark by 6

Waco La Vega (4-3, 2-0) at Robinson (6-1, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Waco La Vega by 1

Bushland (7-0) at Shallowater (5-2) Stepp’s Pick: Bushland by 13

Lytle (5-2, 1-1) at San Antonio Cole (4-3, 1-1) Stepp’s Pick: San Antonio Cole by 8

Grand Saline (7-0, 3-0) at Lone Oak (7-0, 3-0) Stepp’s Pick: Grand Saline by 6

Blanco (5-3, 2-0) at Lexington (7-0, 1-0) Stepp’s Pick: Lexington by 12

Holland (6-1, 2-0) at Mason (6-1, 2-0) Stepp’s Pick: Mason by 10

___

Last Week: 13-7 65.0%

Season: 99-41 70.7%