Can you believe it’s already week seven of the Texas high school football season?
The games are flying by, and teams will be preparing for the final game of the regular season in about a month. The district races are heating up. Here are three storylines to watch.
A district title race: Saginaw, Paschal and Arlington Heights
Saginaw, Paschal and Arlington Heights are all undefeated in District 4-5A D1 play, and the title race is arguably the most competitive and unpredictable in the Fort Worth-area.
The Saginaw Rough Riders went 1-9 last season and haven’t had a winning year since the 2019 season. Now, with the help of a favorable UIL realignment, they’re in a position to compete for a district championship.
Saginaw (5-0, 3-0) will face Arlington Heights (6-0, 4-0) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at Farrington Field. The winner will be one step closer to a title and a playoff birth.
Two players to watch from Saginaw include quarterback Roman Morales and senior wide receiver Aidan Collier, an elite deep threat. Arlington Heights is coming off an emphatic 63-0 victory over Fort Worth Polytechnic where quarterback Kaeden Grant notched five total touchdowns to earn a Player of the Week nomination.
Down the line, both Arlington Heights and Saginaw will have to deal with Paschal and quarterback Jashaun Thomas. The Panthers (4-1, 3-0) have a non-district loss but have looked stellar since then.
Paschal faces Polytechnic (1-5, 1-3) at Scarborough-Handley Field with a kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. The Panthers haven’t made the playoffs in more than 28 years and are in an outstanding position to break the slump this season.
Undefeated Richland looks to take down Denton Ryan
District 3-5A D1 is among the best in all of Texas high school football. Denton Ryan, a week after losing to Aledo in a highly anticipated clash, has another extreme challenge on its hands: Richland.
Denton Ryan will face Richland at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Collins Complex. The Royals are No. 3 in the Star-Telegram’s Class 5A rankings , while the Raiders are at No. 2. Both teams are potential title Class 5A D1 title contenders.
Richland and quarterback Drew Kates have an efficient, explosive offensive and are certainly capable of defeating Ryan. The Royals did suffer a setback, however. Four-star running back Michael Turner , a Baylor commit, is out for the season.
In a win over Keller Fossil Ridge, the Royals’ offense was pass-heavy, which isn’t uncommon. Expect Kates and Richland to go toe-to-toe with a Denton Ryan secondary that shut down Aledo during the first half. If the Raiders can stay consistent, they’ll be hard to stop.
Stopping Richland will be easier said than done, though. No team has been able to stop the Kates and Xavier Johnson connection. Johnson, a Memphis commit, tallied 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns against Fossil Ridge.
Can Alvarado, Justin Northwest, Mansfield stay undefeated?
There are 11 undefeated programs left in the Fort Worth-area: Alvarado, Northwest, Mansfield, North Crowley, Southlake Carroll, Coppell, Richland, Azle, Brock, Benbrook and All Saints.
Alvarado will face Irving Ranchview at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Standridge Stadium. Quarterback Cardea Collier and company are on a mission to prove they are a Class 4A state championship contender.
Another big Oct. 10 matchup is Justin Northwest vs. Keller Central. The game will be at Keller ISD Stadium and will kickoff at 7 p.m.
The Texans are undefeated but the road only gets more challenging from here. Northwest’s next three opponents are Southlake Carroll, Byron Nelson and Euless Trinity.
Undefeated Mansfield will take on Crowley (3-3) at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Crowley ISD Stadium. The Eagles have lost some games, but they are undefeated in district play. The winner between Mansfield and Crowley could potentially have an opportunity to take down North Crowley for a District 3-6A championship.
More games to watch
Azle vs. Keller Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m. Oct. 11, Keller ISD Stadium
FW Eagle Mountain at Brock, 7 p.m. Oct. 11
Benbrook vs. FW Dunbar, 7:30 p.m Oct. 11., Clark Stadium
Argyle Liberty Christian at Plano Prestonwood Christian, 7 p.m. Oct. 11
Arlington Seguin vs. Argyle, 7 p.m. Oct. 11, Eagle Stadium
Arlington Bowie vs. Arlington Martin, 7 p.m. Oct. 11, Choctaw Stadium
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