The road to the high school football playoffs begins this week for much of the Brazos Valley as teams gear up for their district openers, including District 10-5A Division II’s A&M Consolidated and Rudder and 12-6A’s Bryan.
Things also are heating up for smaller schools as they face familiar faces around the area. Close games and dynamic performances could be a theme as teams try to set a winning tone in their first week of district play.
THREE TO WATCH
1. Rudder at Huntsville, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Rudder (3-0) has had this game circled on the calendar for months. Huntsville knocked Rudder out of playoff contention in 2019 and won in last year’s district opener.
But unlike in past seasons, Rudder has a solid defense to back up its offense. The unit has held opponents to just 30 points through three games, which has paired well with quarterback EJ Ezar’s 1,204 total yards on offense and breakout receiver Jaquise Martin’s 226 receiving yards.
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Huntsville (2-1) no longer has the Bobino brothers, who put up a 600-pound wall in leading a strong defensive line. The Hornets may look different defensively, but head coach Rodney Southern still has them in good shape thanks to last year’s 10-5A-II newcomer of the year Calvin Simmons, who had 66 solo tackles last year. Senior quarterback AJ Wilson also returns to lead an experienced offense that boasts wideout Cameron Cole and running back Jaylon McClain, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2020.
Rudder has proven it’s a physically stronger team this season, but Huntsville is one of the district’s strongest every year and plays especially tough at Bowers Stadium.
Prediction: Huntsville 31-24
2. Cameron at Caldwell, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Cameron (0-4) hasn’t won this season but has talent, and the Yoemen have come close to taking each game with second-half comebacks. They got within seven points of Class 3A Division II’s top-ranked Franklin in the third quarter a couple of weeks ago before the Lions ran away for a 41-21 victory. While Cameron has had trouble keeping teams out of the end zone, the Yoemen have faced some of the best offenses in the area, which is experience that should help them against Caldwell quarterback Ryan Shupak.
Caldwell (2-2), meanwhile, played well under first-year head coach Boone Patterson with two blowout victories to start the season. But the Hornets have stumbled a bit over the past two weeks, including a 28-14 loss to previously winless Giddings last Friday on the road.
Head coach Rick Rhoades is looking for that elusive first win in his return to Cameron, and barring any surprises, the Yoe should get it this week.
Prediction: Cameron 42-22
3. Temple at Bryan, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Bryan is looking to turn things around after going 0-3 in nondistrict play, but the Vikings will need a stellar performance from their offense to pull off an upset. Bryan is averaging 14 points per game and hasn’t found a spark in its run game after losing starting quarterback Malcom Gooden to an injury in the season opener. The Vikings are much deeper on defense, which has worked overtime while holding teams to a respectable 238.7 yards per game this season.
Temple has had similar issues offensively, averaging 274.5 yards in its first two losses to Austin Westlake 54-13 and Magnolia West 27-14. But the Wildcats are consistently the team to beat in 12-6A, and they’re coming off a big 60-53 win over Hutto, which still managed over 500 yards. The Wildcats also return running back Samari Howard, who ran for 122 yards in last year’s 44-7 win over Bryan.
Both teams have had a bye week to prepare and are eager to prove themselves. Bryan’s offense would love to make some noise at home, but if Temple takes an early lead, the Wildcats are good enough to hold onto it.
Prediction: Temple 35-14