Week 1 Football Outlooks

Cameron Yoe Vs. Mexia (at Alvarado)

The Cameron Yoemen will be opening 2018 with what is somewhat of a tricky game to predict. Firstly, Mexia is predicted to finish second to last in their district by DCTF, but is fifth in their region according to the coaches. The Blackcats don’t appear to have exceptional talent across the board, but they do have speed and limiting big plays could be the number one key in this game, as all of Mexia’s scrimmage scores were a result of explosive plays. The Yoemen certainly showed improvement from their week one to week two scrimmage, and in terms of scoring they were dominant throughout against Madisonville. I look for the Yoe rushing attack to be much more consistent this year as I have been most impressed with the offensive line and the quality of backs that have been running the ball. If Cameron can get back to being a true dual threat team that can execute with both the run and the pass they will be hard to stop, as there is plenty of skill out there on the field. Mexia is going to be a run-first team, so this is going to be a big test for a new and young defensive line.

Josh’s Pick: Cameron Yoe by 7.

Pratt’s Eats: This year I am going to start up a weekly pick of a few restaurants that I recommend on your way to the game. I will personally be making a trip to the Texas Roadhouse in Waco before this week one contest. The Roadhouse is my favorite chained restaurant and I have never had a bad meal there. Also in Waco, is George’s, which serves up a bunch of American classics, including chicken fried steak and onion rings. If you’re looking for a snack on the way back, there is always a Whataburger or a Freddy’s right off the interstate.

Rockale Vs. Giddings

It does not come to much of a surprise to me that Rockdale struggled in their opening two scrimmages with Groesbeck and Mexia. Mexia outscored Rockdale last week, three scores to zero. The Tigers are breaking in multiple key positions, including replacing the player of the year in 3A football in Torry Locklin at quarterback. On the other hand, Giddings is bringing in a new coach after Chris Jones left for Pecos after spending seven seasons in charge of the program. Giddings had a down 2017 compared to their standards, coming in with a 5-5 record and first round playoff exit to Fairfield, 42-2.

Josh’s Pick: Giddings by 14.

Rogers Vs. Academy (@ UMHB)

These two rivals will once again be opening up the season at UMHB in Belton on Thursday night. Last year, it was pretty obvious after kickoff that this was going to be a struggle for both teams, and it was in a 7-6 Bee win. Both teams were limited on the offensive end and that seemed to carry over the rest of the season as each team only picked up a few victories. The big storyline here is that Academy has a new coach. That generally means a new way of doing things, so we will see what happens in the early going.

Josh’s Pick: Academy by 3.

Salado Vs. Troy (@ UMHB)

Is this the year for the Trojans? On paper, this seems to be it as Troy is returning more than anyone in a district that simply does not appear to be as strong as normal. Troy has struggled with the top end teams such as Cameron and Rockdale in the past, so if these guys want to be contenders and not pretenders this should be a competitive ball game.

Josh’s Pick: Salado by 10.

Manor New Tech Vs. Weimar

We will know a lot more about this new school in Cameron’s district after Friday night. Not many people are expecting New Tech to do much in 2018, and rightfully so, as these guys have never played a game together before and they will not have a senior class. The positive is that they are drawing from Manor High School, which has had good success in the past.

Josh’s Pick: Weimar by 21.

Lago Vista Vs. Blanco

This is certainly an intriguing game. Blanco, which had been a regional threat throughout much of the 2000s, was down in both 2016 and 2017, picking up just a handful of wins each season. Lago Vista is moving back over to region III with the likes of Cameron and Rockdale and I believe this is a game they could dominate if Blanco is not improved.

Josh’s Pick: Lago Vista by 14.

Teague Vs. Malakoff

These two are no longer in the same district as Malakoff has moved over to a revamped region II. Many feel the Tigers could be a contender in the region while Teague took big hits to graduation. Based on pre-season rankings, this is a game that Malakoff should walk away with, but I’m not sure if it will be quite that easy.

Josh’s Pick: Malakoff by 10.