So let's look solely at those matchups (didn't think I needed to tell you I think Holliday will beat CIty View, etc.).

Here they are:

** Olney at Bowie -- Because I think Henrietta and Holliday will both win, that makes this one a win-and-you're-in game, just like it was last year. Olney stayed alive last week with a dominant showing against City View, and the Cubs offense has still been pretty effective with QB Kyle Turner in there. Some of that has to do with WR Reed Mankins, who already has 1,000 receiving yards. But I can see Bowie's offense having a big day because the Cubs' defense had allowed at least 34 points in each of the five games before City View. I think the Jackrabbits have too much speed and should win, although it wouldn't surprise me if this ends up being close. I expect a shootout.

** Seymour at Windthorst -- I think the Trojans can win this game (and therefore prevent a coin flip) but I'm going with Seymour here. I think the Panthers should be able to pass the ball against the Trojans' secondary. I think they've solved their biggest problem, which was turning the ball over too much. And I know the Panthers still have something to play for. Technically, they aren't in the playoffs yet. Obviously, the Trojans almost beat the 9-A champ at home a couple weeks ago, and if they can do what they do best and methodically move the ball down the field and convert once they get there, then I Trojans' upset wouldn't be all that surprising. Still, I like Seymour in a decently close one.

** Munday at Petrolia -- If the Pirates win this one, they won't have to worry about a possible coin flip. But I don't see Kenyin Thompson and the Moguls having a letdown, although they will be without Blanford Paul, who broke his leg last week and is done for the season.

** WFHS vs. Rider -- OK, I lied. This game doesn't mean squat, but I still feel inclined to pick it. I'm a firm believer that defense wins championships, therefore Rider should be the pick. But the Raiders have been the area's worst offensive team. They should be able to move the ball against WFHS, but in a game like this, whoever makes the most big plays wins. And Devontay Chaffin will make a couple big plays that lead the Coyotes to victory,

There's a few playoff spots up fro grabs. Nothing too crazy (except for a possible coin-toss tiebreaker in 9-A) but there should be some drama going on.

Here's the breakdown:

In: Denton Guyer, Denton Ryan, Lake Dallas, Little Elm

Out: Rider, WFHS, The Colony, Denton

WIn and they're in: No one -- this thing is over.

Scenarios: This playoff race is over. Guyer can clinch the district title by beating Denton Ryan, if not there will be a three-way tie. Little Elm is in because even if it loses to Denton (not likely), it will be tied with the Rdier-WFHS winner, but will have beaten them.

5-3A
In: Bridgeport, Burkburnett

Out: Hirschi

Win and they are in: Iowa Park

Scenarios: Iowa Park takes third with a win. We'll assume Decatur loses to Bridgeport. In that case, the Hawks can get in with a 5-point loss, too. If Vernon beats IP by 6-8 points, then that would give Decatur the 2-3 playoff tiebreaker (Decatur is a +1, and now IP is a +6 and Vernon a -7. So a Lions 7-point win would get them back to even, drop IP to -1 and get the Eagles in). If Vernon wins by nine or more, then the Lions will make the playoffs.

District 5-2A

In: Holliday, Henrietta

Out: I think CIty View and Nocona (more on this later)

Win and they're in: Bowie

Scenarios: Bowie can get in by beating Olney. If the Jackrabbits lose, then there is a possible four-way tie at 2-4. That won't happen because I can't see Holliday and Henrietta both getting upset by CIty VIew and Nocona. I think Nocona and CIty View are eliminated in the four-way tie because they'd both be 1-2 against the teams they are tied with; Bowie and Olney would be 2-1. Basically, if Henrietta and Holliday take care of business, Olney-Bowie has the same stakes as last year -- winner gets in.

District 9-A

In: Munday

Out: Electra

Win and they're in: Seymour

Scenarios: There are two different tiebreaker scenarios. The least likely is if Windthorst beats Seymour and Petrolia beats Munday. Then those three teams are tied at 3-2 for two playoff spots. Another tiebreaker is if Archer CIty wins, both Windthorst and Petrolia lose, then all would be at 2-3 and a coin flip will be needed to determine third place. And there's a chance a tiebreaker won't be needed. Like if Seymour and Petrolia were to win, they'd both be in.

Others

** I can't see a way Graham isn't in. Even if they were to lose to last-place Breckenridge, Wylie was also upset and Snyder beats Brownwood, four teams would be 3-2. But Graham would be a +16 points, so that would have to get them one of the spots. As it stands now, it looks like there will be a three-way tie for first, and if that's the case, then the Steers would be the second seed in Div. II.

** Jacksboro is in with a win. I'm sure there's a way they could get in with a loss too, but since the Tigers are playing last-place Chico (which hasn't even scored a point in district), I'm not going to waste time fuguring it out.

** Quanah is eliminated from the playoffs. The Indians' game against Memphis will decide fourth place in 4-A.

** Throckmorton and Chillicothe are both in the playoffs. The Eagles have won their district, and Throckmorton can do the same against Northside.

Northside and Crowell are the only other two teams that have a chance at the playoffs in 6-Man 5A DIv. I. Assuming Throckmorton wins and Crowell beats Paducah, then Crowell is also in. If Throckmorton and Paducah win, then Northside is runner-up. And if Northside pulls a shcoker and upsets Throckmorton, Northside is champ and Throckmorton is runner-up.

Also, Benjamin-Guthrie will determine who finishes behind Chillicothe.

Still, last weekend had plenty of high-stakes action and surprising results.

We'll start with Henrietta's big 41-30 win over Holliday, which probably would have been its own blog if not for my mini-vacation.

I do remember Colin Leggett rushing for 303 yards in a playoff game against Lockney, which would probably be the biggest rival to this one. I've seen some other impressive games, but usually they aren't in as important of games as this one.

Crumpton rushed for 284 yards, 5 touchdowns, and made nine tackles and broke up a couple passes. I usually don't notice Crumpton on defense (he did have a pick-6 against Jacksboro) but he was flying around all over the place. And the guy is so impressive when he gets a sliver of space.

** Also very impressive was how the Henrietta O-line was dominant. I've never seen Holliday get pushed around like that up front. They did a great job.

** Can't believe how a defensive slugfest turned into a second-half shootout.

Before Crumpton's big TD run on the last play of the half, there were nine possessions that produced one TD and one field goal. After the run, eight touchdowns on eight possessions.

** I haven't done much research on Cisco this year, but if they're like any other Cisco team, they will be big and will prefer to run right at and over you. Which means Holliday better get some stuff figured out soon.

** In my breakdown of the game in an earlier blog, I said Crumpton would be the best player on the field, but Holliday had the 2-4 guys. Crumpton was the best, the OL was 2-6, and No. 7 was Holliday QB Colton Englishbee. He led the Eagles in rushing and had a gutsy 300-yard passing performance.

** Not very often I witness a game with no turnovers. And neither team even put the ball on the turf.

** There were a couple empty slivers of benches on Holliday's side. Henrietta was packed on its end -- I don't think I have ever seen so many people sitting near the track at Holliday before. They definitely brought the whole town.

** Can't go to a Holliday game without mentioning the awesome job the booster club does for the media. Three different kinds of shrimp, corn, potato, gumbo, dirty rice (I love that stuff) and apple pie. That's a top-notch meal.

And other thoughts on the weekend

** Pretty surprised WFHS-Rider won't have any meaning other than bragging rights. And I really can't believe the Raiders didn't make the playoffs.

** Kudos to Graham for a huge win over then No. 3 Abilene Wylie. You can't win by having turnovers, and Wylie found that out after committing eight of them.

** Burkburnett-Iowa Park was a thriller too. It seemed like the three or four huge area games lived up to their billing.

** The coin toss for 9-A is still a strong possibility. The game that has the biggest chance of ending it is Windthorst-Seymour, but the Panthers are really playing well. It sounds like the coin toss would be on Saturday.

** I think, like I thought all along, that Bowie will get the last 5-2A spot. But the way Olney put a beatdown on City View means the Jackrabbits can't overlook the Cubs.

** Archer CIty hung with Munday, and I think a healthy Wildcats team would be one that would be in the 9-A title hunt.

** Don't think a QB has ever led the area in rushing, but Kenyin Thompson should after a 300-yard game against Archer. The dude can fly.

** Great wins for Burkburnett, Graham, Henrietta, Bowie, Seymour and Chillicothe.

** Tough losses for Rider, Iowa Park, Holliday, Nocona and Archer City.

I got 11 right, and it would have been two more if I hadn't changed a couple picks on the last day -- I've been making the same choices in both places all year, and I finally decide to switch it up a bit and it comes back to haunt me.

So Lyndon, email me at duncanz@timesrecordnews.com so we can hook you up with a black "Football Freak" T-shirt.

This next week is the last week of the regular season, but we'll still do "Sack Zach" in the playoffs. So there's not a lot of time left to see who'll win the yearly contest.

Here's the latest standings:

1) Me -- 100 (and no, I'm not allowed to collect the prize)
2) Rcc -- 98
2) Jacksooner -- 98
4) Football12 -- 95
5) OldWIldcat -- 93

I haven't checked my email -- after working till 2 a.m., I drove the family to Waco, took a small nap, went to the Nebraska-Baylor game and then am hanging out with my in-laws while writing a column for the Sunday paper.

But I'm a little scared to. That's because I figure there will be some angry/annoyed Bearcat fans, and for good reason.

Moments after Henrietta whipped Holliday, a couple Bearcat coaches said they expected some big headlines in the Saturday paper. And deservedly so.

I expected to come back to the paper and see a huge Henrietta headline and picture. But it wasn't so.

Last year, this would have been our fault (although it wouldn't have happened). But readers may have known we switched fonts and styles over the summer. What you may not know is we also don't lay out our pages anymore.

Abilene, San Angelo and Wichita Falls are all sister papers with Corpus Christi, and it is there at a regional copy desk where our pages are designed (they are still printed in WF).

We had told them we wanted Holliday-Henrietta as the big story, but I ave a feeling since WFHS and RIder's games ended earlier (they are 7 p.m. starts), those stories and art came in first, and that's what they made big.

Also, making matters worse was the Tyler Cole picture on 1C, not one of Henrietta. I obviously wasn't very happy, and I was able to have them change the pic to one of a Henrietta defensive guy making a tackle for the final edition.

But anyone in Henrietta didn't get the final edition. Those are only around the WF city limits.

There was a big pic of Crumpton on the jump, and I felt like I wrote the story like it was, but I was disappointed how our paper showcased the game. So I can only imagine how the Henrietta people feel.

I'm not naive enough to know that people think we have a Holliday bias at the paper. Honestly, I've never thought that to be the case since I've been around -- if you're good, you're going to get more writeups, and Holliday has been one of our best teams around.

But like I said, I can see where Henrietta people would be upset. I just wanted to blog this because I know there are some Henrietta blog readers on this site, and I wanted to explain it wasn't our fault. And if Holliday would have won, it still would have been played up just as small.

I expect Henrietta to make a deep playoff run, and if that's the case, then they will definitely get their due (plus some good-sized play on 1C). I'm sorry it didn't happen this time.

Anyway, if you know any peaved Henrietta people, please refer them to this blog. Because like I said, I want people to know this wasn't done by us.

I'll be out of town til Sunday night (gotta celebrate that monotonous 20-10 win over Baylor), so I'll blog about everything that happened over the weekend then.

I already broke down the Holliday-Henrietta showdown in a previous blog post, so let's look at the other meaningful games this weekend.

** Denton Guyer at WFHS -- Guyer by a bunch. I think anything less than 30 is keeping it close for the Coyotes. But WFHS doesn't need to win this one -- just stay healthy enough to win the next one.

** Abilene Wylie at Graham -- The home team has won the last four games, but I think that trend may end this weekend. The Bulldogs are as legit as they come, and while Graham is very, very good, I think Wylie's depth will be the difference. I think Graham can win if it plays a perfect game, but anything short of that won't be enough.

** Iowa Park at Burkburnett -- When I saw these two teams play Graham in back-to-back weeks against Graham earlier this season, I came away giving the edge to the Hawks. But Burk's offense has really fell into a groove. Malachi Naef really gave the team an unexpected burst on offense, and the Bulldogs have the edge in the passing game, too. Burk by a touchdown is my pick.

** Vernon at Decatur -- Pretty much an elimination game for a playoff spot. Both of these teams have only one win, and it came against Hirschi. Haven't seen the Eagles, but I watched Vernon get picked apart by Burk a few weeks ago. To be fair, the Bulldogs did the same to the Eagles last week. I think Decatur has the edge offensively, so I'll go with them. This could be pretty high-scoring, too.

** Hirschi at Bridgeport -- The Huskies aren't eliminated from the playoffs yet, and I believe Neil Searcy when he says his team hasn't hung their heads and will be ready to play. However, Bridgeport's offense should be way too much for the Huskies. Bulls by a bunch.

** Bowie at Nocona -- The Indians have a shot at winning if they can move the ball well on the ground (like Holliday did to the Jackrabbits) and prevent the big plays that Bowie is capable of every time they take a snap. Having said that, if they can prevent turnovers, then the Jackrabbits should be in great shape for a win.

** Petrolia at Seymour -- Without Mitchell Heaton, I think it will be hard for the Pirates to beat 9-A's best two teams in the next two weeks. Seymour rolled over Electra last week, and while I think Petrolia could keep it close for a while, I'll be surprised if the Panthers don't win by double digits.

** Archer City at Munday -- The Wildcats, I'm afraid, have been cursed with injuries. They needed to be healthy going into this one to have a shot; instead. they lose another solid lineman to a broken leg and their best liebacker (Cooper Twyford) to a knee injury last week against Petrolia. Archer CIty could make this a game, but I don't tink they have enough ammo to pull out the win.

People might have said the whole "one game at a time routine" and the coaches most likely had their players buying in.

But eveyone else has been circling this one on the calendar ever since it was evident these two teams were two of the best 2A has to offer.

Before I give you my pick, I want to break down the game and offer some thoughts and comments.

Holliday has taken the last four meetings, but three were determined by a field goal or less. One thing that's truly quite amazing is that Henrietta hasn't scored more than 13 points against Holliday in eight years.

The last three meetings (counting 2009) have seen both teams undefeated in district when they meet.

And assuming these two will finish 1-2 in 5-2A this season, it marks the sixth time in seven seasons they'll finish as the top two (a couple ties included). Ironic though that the one year Holliday was 4th and missed the playoffs (2005) -- and Henrietta even won district -- the Eagles still won the game.

I can't find anywhere when these teams have met with a better combined record of 15-1. That makes this one even more anticipating.

And simply put, this one is more important than a district title. I think both teams are capable of beating CIsco if they play well, but the loser will meet the state-ranked Loboes in the first round (provided Bowie goes big school).

Henrietta will have the best player on the field in QB Seth Crumpton, but Holliday might have No. 2-4 in Chris Sadberry, Tyler Cole and Tyler Jolly.

If you want to look at who has what edges, then this is what I think.

Henrietta has a better QB (although Holliday's Colton Englishbee is no slouch), better WR group and an edge in the kicking game.

Holliday has a deeper backfield and more playmaking linebackers.

Both o-line and d-lines are very good. The Eagles have more size, but I think the lines are about even. Both have been real impressive.

And I'm not sure who has the edge in the secondary either. Holliday has had some coverage problems a couple times this year, but they sure looked good against Bowie, forcing 3 INTs and not letting any Bowie receiver tack on yards after the catch. Henrietta also has a strong secondary.

I do know this. Everybody should throw out common opponents when comparing the two teams because it doesn't do a bit of good.

Henrietta beat Jacksboro by 39 points on the road, while Holliday lost to them at home.

But more recently, the Eagles manhandled Bowie by 32 points (Henrietta beat them by 8) and they also rolled over Olney a lot easier.

So all that goes out the window. I've seen Holliday play twice (against Windthorst, Bowie) and Henrietta once (Jacksboro). All three times the teams looked very stellar.

In the past, this one has been low-scoring. I'm not predicting a shootout because both defenses are too good. But I expect the scoring to be in the 20s, maybe a 28-24 or 24-23 type of final.

That's because besides Graham, there aren't any offenses in the area better. I can see Crumpton making a couple big plays with his feet and stringing together a couple nice drives with some precision passing. Last year Crumpton ran for 109 hard-earned yards. He should be in that range again.

But even though Henrietta is holding opponents to 3.7 yards per carry, I can't see them shutting down the area's best running attack. Tyler Cole rushed for 171 yards last year in the 10-7 win, and I think another pretty big output can be in store. Plus, you may not let them get very many big plays, but Tyler Jolly and Chris Sadberry are the type of backs who can where down defenses.

I can see both teams winning. I bet both teams will play well, and I'll be shocked if this one isn't close (although with the outcomes I've had recently, nothing should surprise me).

My prediction in the paper is the Bearcats-- I picked Henrietta at the start of district, and since I could tell most people were picking Holliday, I went with the Bearcats. This game is too good not to have both teams picked equally.

If it was a life-or-death situation though, I think I'd go with Holliday. It's not because they have had Henrietta's number. It hs more to do with I think Holliday will be able to move the ball better.

And the Eagles defense put pressure on Bowie's Tim Metts consistently. I'm guessing Crumpton will break off some long runs scrambling, but Sadberry and company will be in his face all day. The Crumpton-Sadberry matchup should be a fun to watch.

That's about all I've got. Should be a wonderful game and a great test before the playoffs. May the best team win (and don't forget to check out Friday's paper on my rivalry story).

There's a couple that are pretty clear-cut. And there's also some districts with infinite possibilities.

Like did you know that besides the coin flip scenario in 9-A I blogged about the other day, there's also the possibility of five teams (everyone but Electra) ending up at 3-2.

So in this blog, I'll tell you who is in, who is out, who can get in with a win this week, and how I see it playing out. This does not look at DIvision I or DIvision II routes or possible down-the-line playoff matchups.

And full disclosure -- there's still a chance I missed some scenario that has a team making it after this week or something along the lines of that. I did talk to several coaches about this stuff, but there's still lots that can happen. So if you still think your team has a chance, etc., feel free to comment.

Who's in: Denton Guyer, Denton Ryan Lake Dallas

Who's out: The Colony, Denton

Win Friday and they're in: Little Elm (which is why WFHS will be rooting for Rider this Friday)

Most likely scenarios: If Rider beats Little Elm, then it can make the playoffs with a win over WFHS. But don't count out the Coyotes. I think it's possible that WFHS (which won't beat Guyer this weekend) could take down Rider, forcing a three-way tie for fourth. Then it'll go down to points. Little Elm is a +3, and WFHS is a -3 right now. Rider is a 0 because it hasn't played either team yet.

5-3A

Who's in: Bridgeport

Who's out: No one, although Hirschi is close.

Win Friday and they're in: Burkburnett

Most likely scenarios: Hirschi is still in because it still has a small, small chance of getting in a tiebreaker if everything plays out right (I explain it more in-depth in Wednesday's 3A roundup). Burkburnett makes the playoffs with a win over IP, and if the Hawks beat the Bulldogs, they can make the playoffs if Decatur beats Vernon. Decatur-Vernon is pretty much an elimination game. I think Burkburnett and IP are the two next-best teams, so I expect Burk to beat Hirschi even if it loses to Iowa Park. And IP-Vernon could be a heads-up game in Week 10 for the last playoff spot, too.

5-2A

Who's in: Henrietta, Holliday

Who's out: Nobody -- I found a way for Olney to have a shot

Win Friday and they're in: Nobody

Most likely scenarios: First, Olney still has a chance if it wins out, plus Bowie beating Nocona and Holliday/Henrietta takes care of business the last week. Olney and Bowie would be tied at 2-3, and the Cubs would have won the head-to-head. While third place looks pretty wide open on paper, I think Bowie wins out (Nocona and CIty View still have a game against the co-leaders). If Nocona beats Bowie and City View beats Olney, then a 3-way tie for third at 2-3 is possible. But Bowie controls its destiny and is favored in the last two games.

District 9-A

Who's in: Nobody

Who's out: Nobody (although Electra is hanging on a limb -- I had to change up scenarios after someone commented on my first one not working)

Win Friday and they're in: Munday

Scenarios: I've already blogged about what I think will be the most likely scenario -- a coin flip between Petrolia, Archer and Windthorst for third place. Electra is still alive because if it won out, maxed out points against Windthorst, and got in a three-way tie with Seymour and Windthorst at 2-3, then the Tigers would get into a coin flip situation, bu they need Petrolia to beat Seymour. And Munday hasn't clinched yet because the Moguls could still lose out (not very likely), and if Seymour and Archer CIty win out, and Petrolia beats Munday, then they'd be on the wrong end of a 3-way tie. The important thing to remember is, no matter what happens, Seymour, Petrolia, AC and WIndthorst will most likely be playing meaningful games in Week 10.

Other districts: Even if Graham loses to Abilene Wylie to fall to 2-2 in district, the Steers will beat last-place Breckenridge to finish 3-2. At worst (and this is if Snyder beats Brownwood) they'd get in a three-way tie for two spots at 3-2. Graham is a +13 among those teams, so obviously that will get them in. So all Graham has to do is win one of its last two games.

Jacksboro must beat Alvord. A loss and they are eliminated. I assume the TIgers will beat winless Chico and a win over Alvord would put them at 3-2 in 9-2A. I can see a three-way tie for two spots between them, Millsap and Alvord. RIght now, Alvord is a +8, Millsap is done with a -2, and Jacksboro is a -6. The top two point totals go (not the top one, then head-to-head, which is another way to do it), so Jacksboro HAS to win by 5 against Alvord or they are done -- unless Alvord turns around and loses to Paradise in the season finale.

Quanah still has one last chance -- but it basically requires wining out (which is totally possible) and hoping Clarendon loses to Memphis this Friday -- which would be a real big upset if that happened. Even then, a tiebreaker scenario at 2-3 doesn't guarantee anything.

So I decided to go with the person nearest the tiebreaker who hadn't already won as this week's winner, and it was redmen_71. He missed the Graham and Newcastle games.

Redmen_71, please e-mail me at duncanz@timesrecordnews.com for your shirt.

I didn't have a good week, missing four of the 13 picks. There's a lot of good, close games that are toss-ups this week, so things could be interesting.

Here's the season-long "Sack Zach" leaders:

1) Me -- 89
2) Rcc -- 88
2) Jacksooner -- 88
4) Football 12 -- 86
5) OldWildcat -- 84

One is Henrietta-Holliday. I think this one has the possibility of being phenomenal. I've been looking forward to this game for weeks, and the game deserves its own blog, which will come in a couple days.

The other is the coin flip that is becoming more and more likely every week in 9-A. As a matter of fact, if the favorites win out the rest of the way, we'll be flipping.

By maxing out on points against Petrolia, Archer City has guaranteed that a three-way tie between them, Petrolia and Windthorst won't be decided by points. All will be at zero.

So what needs to happen to get to this point, you ask?

Petrolia has to lose to Seymour and Munday, which isn't that much of a stretch since I heard their QB Mitchell Heaton might be done for the year (he didn't play against the Wildcats).

Archer City has to lose to district leader Munday, then beat last-place Electra, Also not stretches.

And Windthorst needs to beat Electra, then lose to Seymour. The Seymour game may be the one that keeps the coin toss from happening. The Panthers could have already locked up a playoff spot by then, and as Windthorst showed against Munday, it still has lots of fight left.

So there you have it. There's the potential for an upset in every 9-A game, but by this time next week, we'll have a better idea if this will happen.

Now onto some other thoughts of mine from the weekend:

** Bowie's new stadium is really nice, but I was surprised by something that no readers probably care about. The pressbox can't be much bigger than the old stadium's. I didn't expect the huge one that Jacksboro had, but the media area is built for about 6 people tops. Two radio stations for two people each, two video guys (one for each team) and one reporter, and we're pretty crowded. If more than one newspaper guy had been there, we're sardines. Also, thought it was weird there were no programs at the game -- can't remember if I've ever been to a HS game where there weren't programs.

** WFHS will be rooting for RIder this week against Little Elm. A Little Elm win means they'll get the fourth playoff spot in 5-4A. If RIder wins, then the Coyotes could force a three-way tie for fourth with a win over the Raiders.

** In last week's predictions, I wrote that I could see IP-Hirschi and Windthorst-Munday being close. So I wasn't too surprised by the results. The Trojans' power running game was bound to give a small Munday team fits. And Hirschi's speed at the skill positions provided some big plays against the Hawks.

** Graham-Brownwood lived up to the hype. And then some. And then some more. Graham can't afford to get off to another slow start this Friday against Abilene Wylie, or they'll be in some trouble.

** Hate to bring it up, but Olney without Callen Pittman hasn't won a game yet. The Cubs are 0-5.

** I didn't think Bowie could run on Holliday. Some very good running teams (like Iowa Park) struggled against the Eagles defense, and Bowie's strength is in its passing game. Bowie finished with 52 yards on 16 carries, but take out a Tim Metts draw early on and an Aaron Chokas run in garbage time, and those 14 other carries went for -3 yards.

** And in case anyone missed reading the Holliday-Bowie game story, the Eagles have outscored their first three 5-2A opponents 105-6 by halftime. That's rediculous.

** This is probably the best weekend of area games this season. We have Henrietta-Holliday, Graham-Wylie, Burkburnett-Iowa Park (which will decide second place in 5-3A), plus Seymour-Petrolia are currently tied for 2nd in 9-A. That's good stuff.

** Seymour really knows how to pour it on after halftime. The Panthers turned a 1-point lead into a 27-point win against Electra.

** SInce Brad Green left Windthorst three years ago, the Trojans have a 6-7 district record. That comes after a 30-something game winning streak from the Trojans.

** I picked Petrolia to beat Archer CIty, but that's before I knew Heaton was out. That's a big blow to the Pirates.

** Even though I saw them lose by 32, I still say Bowie is the third-place team in 5-2A. A win against Nocona this Friday would put them in a great spot.

** Huge wins for Burkburnett, Nocona (which saw the return of QB Trevor Fenoglio), Munday, Archer City and Northside, which by beating Newcastle really stirred things up in that 5-A Div. I 6-Man district.

** Tough losses for Graham, Hirschi, Olney, Jacksboro and especially Windthorst.

So next week will feature the first of two weekly blog breakdowns on who's in, who can get in and who is out. For now, I'll make my predictions for this week:

** Lake Dallas at Rider -- Before the season started, I thought this matchup -- which decided the 5-4A title last year -- would decide third place this season. But the Falcons have proved to be a notch above the Raiders this season. If Rider can pull off an upset, its playoff prospects look a lot better. I just don't see it happening. Lake Dallas by 14.

** Hirschi at Iowa Park -- I'm not saying the Huskies are done just yet, eve though I think they have very, very slim playoff chances. I think they are capable of an upset, but there's no denying they really needed to start 2-0 insted of 0-2 to have a legit shot at the playoffs. That said, Iowa Park has been playing better and is finally getting healthy. Hawks are the pick.

** Bridgeport at Vernon -- I can't see this one being close. The Bulls should cruise to victory, keeping their 5-3A lead in tact.

** Burkburnett at Decatur -- I liked what I saw from Burkburnett last week (the first time I saw them play, Graham whipped them pretty good). Decatur can be a tough place to play -- just look at how IP needed OT there a couple weeks ago -- but I think the Bulldogs will execute well enough offensively to leave with a win.

** Graham at Brownwood -- While the MCoy-Shipley storyline is the main theme (see my feature in today's TRN), Coach McCoy stressed at a Monday meeting that this game is about the team, and everyone on the Steers will need to play well to win. This is a toss-up; Brownwood is a tough place to play. But I'll go with the team starting a DIvision I quarterback (Graham) over the team starting their third-string QB (Brownwood).

** Holliday at Bowie -- This is where I'll be, and I'm looking forward to seeing a tightly contested game. Last year's 37-27 Holliday win was very exciting, too. The trick here for Bowie will be to get off to a good start. It went down 14-0 to Henrietta and 13-0 to City View. A two-touchdown deficit will be too much for the Jackrabbits to overcome, I'm afraid. Also, this is Holliday's first tough test since it lost to Jacksboro -- the Eagles have responded well since then, and I expect them to squeeze out a victory.

** City View at Henrietta -- CIty View was without its QB and a couple other key guys last week, but the defense didnt play very well at all. I expect Henrietta to score a bunch of points and win this one going away.

** Olney at Nocona -- Both are 0-2 in 5-2A, so it's a must-win for both. If I'm Olney, I'm thinking I lost to the best two district teams the last two weeks, and even played against Henrietta pretty well. If we can win out, we go to the playoffs. If I'm Nocona, I need a win to even think about having a chance against Bowie next week. I'm going with the Cubs, who have the more prolific offense.

** Boyd at Jacksboro -- I thought this would determine the 9-2A winner a couple weeks ago. That was before the Tigers let one slip away last week against Millsap. So I'm going with the Yellowjackets in this one.

** Wellington-Quanah -- Don't know where this game will be at off the top of my head, nor does it matter. The Indians raised some eyebrows by playing Clarendon so close last week, but Wellington should easily roll to victory, knocking Quanah from the playoff chase.

** Munday at Windthorst -- The Trojans will be looking to bounce back after losing to Petrolia last week, but this is the wrong team to face next. The Moguls are too fast, and Munday should win, although I can see this one being a lot closer than people think.

** Seymour at Electra -- The Panthers, who rebounded last week against Archer City, should take down the Tigers. If they limit their turnovers like they did last week, I can't see it being very close.

** Petrolia at Archer CIty -- This one is pretty intriguing, and I can see either team winning. I don't expect the Wildcats to go down without a fight in this 9-A race, but Petrolia has been the hotter of the two teams of late. I don't know how many Wildcats are now healthy, but I just have to go with the team that's been playing the better ball the past couple weeks. The Pirates in a very close one.

It was a far cry from the last couple years for the district.

In 2006, Archer City beat Petrolia in the season finale to win the third-place tiebreaker over Munday (who had lots of juniors that would win the 2007 Class A title) and the Pirates. Besides the games state finalist Windthorst played in, every game was pretty much a toss-up.

In 2007, Munday and Seymour were the elite, but Windthorst won a third-place tiebreaker against Archer City and Petrolia. The Wildcats upset the Trojans in the penultimate week, then lost to the already-eliminated Pirates in an equal shocker the last week of the season.

I have a feeling another tiebreaker is headed 9-A's way. Unlike in 2007, Windthorst might not be able to overcome this one.

If Windthorst beats Electra, then loses to Seymour, then they'll be at 2-3. And Seymour would take second at 4-1.

So a possible tiebreaker at 2-3 would be between them, Archer CIty and Petrolia. For this to happen, Archer would need to beat Petrolia, and the Pirates would have to lose out. But right now, Petrolia is a +13 (the district's max points) and Windthorst is a 0. AC is a -13. So unless the Wildcats beat Petrolia this week by 13 or more, the Pirates would go over the Trojans.

Also, I have no idea what would happen if all three are tied at 0. In the past, this type of thing has come down to a coin flip (it happened to Stratford, Sunray and Gruver in 2005) in some districts. I'll find this out if the Wildcats do win by 13 or more this week.

Say if Petrolia wins, but the Pirates lose out to Seymour and Munday and goes 3-2. Munday is already in at 5-0, and Seymour (with a win over Electra and Petrolia) is 3-1 heading into the last game of the week against Windthorst, who now sits 2-2 after losing to Munday and beating Electra.

Now we have a possible three-way tie at 3-2 with two teams getting in if Windthorst beats Seymour. Most districts - again don't know what this one's rules are -- take the top points team first, then breaks the last playoff spot with head-to-head.

Say Seymour beats Petrolia by 10. Then the Panthers are +10, Petrolia is +3 and Windthorst is -13. The Trojans would need to not only win, but win by 8 or more. Because a 5-point win would still keep the Panthers with the most points (at +5), and Petrolia has the head-to-head advantage over Windthorst.

Basically, there is still tons of football to be played in this district. Electra is capable of pulling a upset like Petrolia did last week, and that could furthermore shake things up.

But Windthorst is in a rough position as of right now with its tiebreakers because of the 14-0 loss to Petrolia. We'll see what happens.

Awesome game that was competitive the whole way through.

And the other five games I have covered -- well, not so much. As I was driving back to the office Friday night, I realized I haven't witnessed another close game all year.

It's not like I picked blowouts on paper. Granted, I have thought one team would win by 10-14 in a couple games, but nothing like this.

Holliday-Windthorst, Graham-Burkburnett and Burkburnett-Vernon were all 35-7 at the half. The closest halftime score was Graham 25, Iowa Park 0. And then there was Henrietta beating Jacksboro 42-3 a few weeks ago.

I'm hoping my luck will change this week. I expect Holliday-Bowie to be very competitive, and next week's Holliday-Henrietta should be a great one.

At least I hope so.

Now onto some of my other thoughts from the weekend:

** I'll blog about this topic more later in the week, but the Trojans are in some trouble with their playoff streak and 9-A is probably going to come down to a tiebreaker, I think.

** Bridgeport is going to win 5-3A. I'll be shocked if this doesn't happen. They've already beaten the best two teams (IP, Burkburnett) in the district.

** As sure as I am about the Bulls' 5-3A title chances, I'm equally sure about Hirschi's lack of playoff chances. The Huskies lost to two teams who hadn't won games yet and only scored 6 points doing so. They have the toughest three 5-3A teams left. I think they're in serious trouble.

** Rider has a big game coming up, and it's not Lake Dallas this week. No, the Raiders go on the road to Little Elm in two weeks. Little Elm already beat WFHS and just played Denton Ryan to within 17-14 (Rider lost to Ryan by 45). If Rider doesn't get that road win, then WFHS-Rider will be for 5th place in 5-4A.

** I know Holliday has a big game against Bowie this week. And I know Coach West has Henrietta focused on CIty VIew and City VIew only.

But I'm not on either team, so screw it. I can't wait for Henrietta-Holliday next week. It's the biggest area game of the year. This one should be a classic. So much on the line too -- 5-2A title (if both take care of business this week), and the loser gets a ranked Cisco team right off the bat in the playoffs.

They'll be more on this game in a later blog, but I can't wait to see if Holliday's Chris Sadberry can keep Seth Crumpton in check. And I can't wait to see if Henrietta's scrappy defense has an answer for the Tyler backfield. I've had Oct. 30 circled on the calendar for weeks now.

** That said, why does Graham-Abilene Wylie have to be the same week. Why can't I be in two places at once. If the Steers beat Brownwood this weekend, it'll be a matchup of top 6 3A teams.

** Three teams are still undefeated -- Graham, Henrietta, Throckmorton. Of the three, Graham has the best chance of losing this week.

** It's almost time to look at possible playoff pairings. But I guess we should wait for teams to clinch some spots first.

** Munday's Kenyin Thompson has 8 rushing touchdowns the first two 9-A games. That's sick.

** Good weekend wins for: Petrolia (which hadn't beat Windthorst since its state title year of 2002), WFHS, Burkburnett, Bowie and Seymour.

** Tough losses for: Vernon, Iowa Park, Hirschi, Olney, Archer City and Windthorst.

Four others, including me, got 12 of 14 right.

The important year-to-date standings (remember there is a prize) are:

1. Me -- 80
2. Rcc -- 78
2. Jacksooner -- 78
4. Football -- 77
5. Oldwildcat -- 76

The Bulldogs are winning 35-7. The amazing thing is they have 340 rushing yards in one half. They are averaging 11.7 yards per attempt.

I don't think I have ever seen this before. And 500 yards should be a shoo-in, even with backups playing the second half.

What I want to know is how did Vernon shut out Hirschi? Because the Lions look like they've never seen the option before.