Area Football Outlook

Cameron Yoe (9-2) Vs. Woodville (10-1) - Friday, Nov. 18 at Buddy Moorehead Stadium (Conroe), 7:30

Cameron overcame miscues on both sides of the ball in last week’s 35-19 win over the West Trojans.  Next up is the Woodville Eagles.  The Eagles easily won 11-3A, which has all four teams in the area round this week.  For the Yoemen to have success in this game, I will look at two key points.  Offensively, Cameron will need to have an effective passing attack early.  Woodville has not played a team this year that has a strong air game, and an early passing presence could benefit the ground attack as the game wears on.  On defense, Cameron knows what will be coming.  The Eagles are a run-heavy team out of the double wing offense.  Big plays will come on outside runs and the occasional pass over the top.  The Yoemen will need to force Woodville to drive the field and not give up those explosive plays. 

Josh’s Pick: Cameron Yoe by 21.

Milano (4-6) Vs. Falls City (7-4) - Friday, Nov. 18 at Seguin, 7:30

For Milano, things were looking up heading into Saturday’s bi-district game with D’Hanis.  Burton, Granger and Snook had all played on Thursday or Friday and all of those teams had won their games.  There are always a few one versus four upsets in the first round, and this year it was Milano that pulled off one of those in a 30-26 win over D’Hanis, the 14-3A champions.  This week, things get a little tougher.  Falls City has lost four games this year, but the strength of schedule has been one of the best in the state.

Josh’s Pick: Falls City by 14.

Rockdale (10-1) Vs. Coldspring (5-5)  - Friday, Nov. 18 at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium, 7:00

It was not the greatest of weeks for 10-3A.  West challenged Cameron, Malakoff overwhelmed Troy, Teague easily handled Franklin and Rockdale got more than they bargained for in a 42-28 win over fourth place Groesbeck.  The Tigers now get Coldspring, a team that had one of the more impressive performances of the bi-district round with their 40-7 over La Marque.  Coldspring will not have seen a team with the speed that Rockdale will present in open space and that will probably be the difference in this game.

Josh’s Pick: Rockdale by 14.

Teague (9-2) Vs. Buna (7-4) - Friday, Nov. 18 at Willis, 7:30

I had the opportunity to watch Teague play Franklin in the bi-district round of the playoffs on Friday.  I expected a close, hard fought game.  Instead, we got a lop-sided affair in favor of the Lions.  Teague has very nice size up front on both sides of the ball and limited what the Lions did on the ground.  Additionally, Teague hit multiple big deep passes on Franklin.  Buna pulled off a big upset of Hitchcock in the first round, 33-30.  However, I do believe Franklin is a couple of notches better than Buna, so I would be surprised if this was close.

Josh’s Pick: Teague by 28

Malakoff (11-0) Vs. Kirbyville (8-3) - Friday, Nov. 18 at Nacogdoches, 7:30

Malakoff had overwhelmed most of the teams they have played this year.  That did not change in the bi-district round as the Tigers jumped all over Troy at the half, 40-14, before cruising to the 47-16 final.  Malakoff may have the top dual threat offense in the region, and that is going to be a challenge for Kirbyville to stop.  The Wildcats will need to chew clock on offense and finish drives with points to stay competitive.

Josh’s Pick: Malakoff by 28.

Bellville (8-3) Vs. Salado (7-4) - Saturday, Nov. 19 at Kelly Reeves Stadium (Round Rock), 6:00

Ever since their early struggles with Cameron and Stafford, Bellville has been able to right the ship.  The Brahmas won their district convincingly and easily got by the Orangefield Bobcats in the bi-district round, 45-21.  Next up is upstart Salado.  The Eagles have been in or near the cellar of their district for years now, but Coach Haire has turned things around in 2016. 

Josh’s Pick: Bellville by 14.

West Orange-Stark (11-0) Vs. Robinson (9-2) - Friday, Nov. 18 at Woodforest Bank Stadium (Shenandoah), 7:30

With the top two offenses in 4A division II, we could see a lot of points scored in this game.  West Orange-Stark has averaged 54 points per game while Robinson sits at 52.4.  The problem for the Rockets is that they are giving up over 40 points per game while West Orange-Stark has only given up 30 points all season.  The Mustangs are considered a heavy favorite to repeat as state champions, so if the Rockets were going to pull this off they will have to score on nearly every possession.

Josh’s Pick: West Orange-Stark by 28+.