Week 8 Football Outlooks

Cameron Yoe (5-1/2-0) Vs. Little River Academy (3-4/2-1)

The biggest concern for Cameron last week versus Jarrell was simply to show up and play the caliber of football they knew they could play.  It was evident pretty early that was not going to be a problem as the Yoemen racked up 40 first-half points and ended up steamrolling the Cougars for the homecoming win.  Jarrell did have a few key players out, but so did the Yoemen. Nico Vargas continues to impress at running-back and it was a pleasing sign to see Davion Bynaum and his speed return for some carries as well.  Additionally, the Yoe passing game was on point and the Brashear to Hammond connection will be difficult to stop. The defense was once again lights out.

Academy is coming off of a 46-20 loss to rival Troy in week seven.  In this game, Cameron is once again going to have the advantage at pretty much every single position on the field, so if we get another complete effort this week, I think you’re going to see that reflect on the scoreboard.  Academy is much more diverse this year as they actually throw the ball more than they run. Since Academy does not have turf and there has been a lot of rain as of late, we could see muddy conditions on Friday. Regardless of how much Academy passes, I just don’t ever see muddy field conditions or rain ever benefiting Cameron.  

Josh’s Pick: Cameron Yoe by 28+.

Pratt’s Eats: Cameron is back on the road this week and will be back in the Temple area again.  There is not much to choose from on the way to the stadium, which is why I would suggest either leaving early or late to dine in Temple.  With that said, my recommendations are going to be the same - Old Jody's, Wings Pizza N Things or The Texas Roadhouse. Also, keep in mind that IHOP is open 24 hours a day, and you can never go wrong with breakfast.  

Milano (2-3/1-1) Vs. Thorndale (4-1/2-1)

This is the first of two big Milam County showdowns with the Battle of the Bell coming up next week. There are no moral victories in district play, but if you’re an Eagles fan you have to be somewhat pleased with the close, 27-21 loss to Hearne last week.  Meanwhile, Thorndale did what was expected Thrall, posting the shoutout in the 41-0 win. Not much has changed in how I would have predicted this one in the preseason.

Josh’s Pick: Thorndale by 17.  

Troy (5-2/2-1) Vs. Rockdale (5-1/2-0)

The big matchup out of 10-3A this week will go down in Rockdale as an improved Trojans team travels to Milam County.  Troy is coming off what was a fairly easy win over Academy (46-20), in which they forced turnovers. Meanwhile, Rockdale struggled much more than I would have thought with Lago Vista, which fell to Jarrell by two touchdowns.  Rockdale did win that game, 49-28, but it was tied at half and did not get away until the fourth quarter. I am going to chalk that up as just a bad game for Rockdale, which has been ranked number one in the state by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football the last three weeks now.  As I mentioned, Troy is improved and could certainly keep this game close for a while, but I do believe that the Tigers will avoid the upset bid to setup what will be a district-championship showdown with the Yoemen in week nine.

Josh’s Pick: Rockdale by 14.

Lago Vista (1-6/0-3) Vs. Manor New Tech (1-5/0-2)

It appears that the winner of this game could avoid finishing last in district this season.  Lago Vista is certainly down as it would take nearly a miracle for this team to get into the postseason, needing to knock off Troy and Cameron to get back into the conversation.  Manor New Tech is young and simply not ready to compete at the varsity level of this district. The Vikings should get the early lead and get backups in quickly.

Josh’s Pick: Lago Vista by 28+.

Groesbeck (5-2/1-2) Vs. Grandview (4-2/1-1)

Everything was going as planned in 9-3A until last week when Groesbeck fell to Teague at home, 27-21.  Before the game, it was known that West was going to be the heavy favorite to win the district while Grandview and Groesbeck should battle it out for second and third.  Now, Teague is thrown into that picture and Whitney is starting to play better football, so at this point there is no telling how this one is going to end up. In this particular game, I like Grandview, simply because of their results and who they have played.  

Josh’s Pick: Grandview by 17.