« It just doesn't feel like the playoffs yet | Main | It's now up to the 3A and A schools »
Bi-District playoff predictions
November 13, 2008Four area games are on the docket this weekend.
Jacksboro takes on Pottsboro tonight, and the three District 5-2A playoff representatives square off against 6-2A tomorrow.
Here is what I think about all four of those matchups, starting with the game that I am covering:
Holliday vs. Merkel: Holliday won't be the best team Merkel has faced this year. Cisco, Clyde and Roscoe are probably all better than any team the Eagles beat.
Still, I think the Eagles have a chip still on their shoulders, and I think the players who were on varsity last year have not forgotten how their season ended quickly against Boyd in bi-district.
Merkel has a really good QB, but I have been majorly impressed with Tyler Cole (probably because he rushed for about 400 yards in the two games I saw him play). The Eagles can hurt you in many ways -- don't forget they can throw the ball -- and Holliday does a pretty good job avoiding the turnover bug.
Merkel is a solid squad, and in most districts, it would be 8-2. This will not be an easy game for Holliday, but I think they win by a touchdown.
Henrietta vs. Cisco: I was right when I said last week that Henrietta would come out and play everybody in a season-ending game against Nocona.
I was wrong when I said if the Bearcats did that, they would win. Coach West told me the team was flat all week after a crushing loss to Holliday. I am sure they will not be hanging their heads as the playoffs loom, but I think Cisco is too much to handle.
For Henrietta to win, its defense will have to force some turnovers, and somebody besides QB Seth Crumpton will have to step up. The Bearcats' second-leading rusher has a little over 200 yards.
I saw Cisco blast Olney two years ago in the playoffs, and the Loboes whipped Nocona even worse the year after. It is just too tough a matchup for Henrietta, although I could definitely see the Bearcats keeping it close for a while.
Bowie vs. Clyde: Congrats to Bowie for making the playoffs. Unfortunately, I do not see its playoff ride lasting real long.
Clyde lost to a very good Sweetwater squad, then ran the table, including beating Cisco. It has a multiple of weapons on offense, and plays well defensively, too.
Bowie's offense can move the ball with most schools it faces, but here is my concern. Against Holliday, the Jackrabbits allowed 400 rushing yards. They also gave up several big plays to Henrietta and Olney. Bowie has a pretty big defensive line, but there are some holes to be found in the defense.
Plus, Bowie seems to turn it over a lot in some games (ex. Look at any loss this year). If it keeps control of the ball, then Bowie can make it a close one. If the Jackrabbits turn it over, then it may get ugly.
Either way, I like Clyde to advance.
Jacksboro vs. Pottsboro: Full disclosure here. I am usually one of the first to pick games in the TRN periscopes.
A couple of days after making my picks, I opened up the page again and saw everyone chose Pottsboro. So I thought, "What the heck. Let's go out on a limb here."
Jacksboro is a solid team, but it lost to all three of the area teams mentioned above (so it would not have made the playoffs in 5-2A). The Tigers are on a roll now, and I think they have a chance in this one.
That being said, Pottsboro has the better team on paper and better stats. So Pottsboro is probably the safe pick here, but since I picked the Tigers in the paper, I will stick with them.
Posted by at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
