3afan
11-03-2006, 06:30 PM
Class 3A Pre-Playoff Breakdown
11/02/2006
By Jake Shaw and DCTF staff
We predicted the playoff teams in the summer, so with only two weeks between us and the playoffs, what's stopping us from a few more predictions?
Below, TexasFootball.com surveys the state, first with some quick-hit information, followed by a look at the playoff picture for every district in the state. Enjoy.
(Note: over the course of today and Thursday, previews for the other classes will follow -- click here for 5A. The Games to Watch previews will be pushed back to Friday.)
SAY IT AIN'T SO MATCHUPS: These are the first-round games that we wish could be played later down the line. Highland Park gets a lot of the ink (or bandwidth) in 4A, but Abilene Wylie and Decatur's all-but guaranteed first-round matchup is a travesty. The winner here has the best shot at knocking off Gilmer in a probable state semifinal game, so it's too bad a very good team will have to go home this early ... though it has fallen out of the rankings, Liberty-Eylau should play Gilmer somewhat close in a game that looks more like a regional final ... in an all-knocked-out-of-the-Top-20 matchup, it appears Palestine will draw Carthage in the first round ... Cameron Yoe's third-place finish will most likely result in drawing upstart Waco La Vega in the bi-district round ... Bandera is 2-6, not the sparkling record most playoff teams have, but that's come against a challenging schedule to say the least -- however, it could get revenge in a first-round matchup against La Vernia, which beat Bandera in the season-opener by a single point.
ROLLIN', ROLLIN', ROLLIN': A few teams -- at this point of the season -- are moving full-steam ahead. We'll get the obvious picks out of the way: Gilmer, Cuero, Giddings, Dallas Madison, Hondo, Decatur, Celina and West-Orange Stark are all Top 10 undefeated teams ... don't leave out one-loss Wimberley, which seems just fine after its loss to Giddings to open 2006 ... Diboll is looking great since getting Gilbert Moye on the field ... Sweeny started 0-2, but has since won six straight ... A one-point win over Orange Grove has Ingleside as a team to beat in the lower half of Region IV.
HELP!: Some teams are in serious need of help. We have to first get this off our chests. With five 4-team districts, Class 3A could be more watered-down than even 5A, which is now allowing four playoff teams per district ... playoff mainstay Pilot Point needs a win over Princeton to get in ... everyone in 14-3A other than Brownsboro needs to win out to make sure it gets out of that major mess ... same thing in 17-3A, where four teams all carry one district defeat; China Spring has the toughest remaining schedule and will have to win out to get in ... no team ranked at any point this season is in a world of hurt like Carthage, which has lost two straight, including a 43-0 loss to Crockett last week ... Pearsall is out unless it can win at Crystal City this weekend.
see a district-by-district breakdown at http://bbs.3adownlow.com/vb/newthread.php?s=&action=newthread&forumid=3
11/02/2006
By Jake Shaw and DCTF staff
We predicted the playoff teams in the summer, so with only two weeks between us and the playoffs, what's stopping us from a few more predictions?
Below, TexasFootball.com surveys the state, first with some quick-hit information, followed by a look at the playoff picture for every district in the state. Enjoy.
(Note: over the course of today and Thursday, previews for the other classes will follow -- click here for 5A. The Games to Watch previews will be pushed back to Friday.)
SAY IT AIN'T SO MATCHUPS: These are the first-round games that we wish could be played later down the line. Highland Park gets a lot of the ink (or bandwidth) in 4A, but Abilene Wylie and Decatur's all-but guaranteed first-round matchup is a travesty. The winner here has the best shot at knocking off Gilmer in a probable state semifinal game, so it's too bad a very good team will have to go home this early ... though it has fallen out of the rankings, Liberty-Eylau should play Gilmer somewhat close in a game that looks more like a regional final ... in an all-knocked-out-of-the-Top-20 matchup, it appears Palestine will draw Carthage in the first round ... Cameron Yoe's third-place finish will most likely result in drawing upstart Waco La Vega in the bi-district round ... Bandera is 2-6, not the sparkling record most playoff teams have, but that's come against a challenging schedule to say the least -- however, it could get revenge in a first-round matchup against La Vernia, which beat Bandera in the season-opener by a single point.
ROLLIN', ROLLIN', ROLLIN': A few teams -- at this point of the season -- are moving full-steam ahead. We'll get the obvious picks out of the way: Gilmer, Cuero, Giddings, Dallas Madison, Hondo, Decatur, Celina and West-Orange Stark are all Top 10 undefeated teams ... don't leave out one-loss Wimberley, which seems just fine after its loss to Giddings to open 2006 ... Diboll is looking great since getting Gilbert Moye on the field ... Sweeny started 0-2, but has since won six straight ... A one-point win over Orange Grove has Ingleside as a team to beat in the lower half of Region IV.
HELP!: Some teams are in serious need of help. We have to first get this off our chests. With five 4-team districts, Class 3A could be more watered-down than even 5A, which is now allowing four playoff teams per district ... playoff mainstay Pilot Point needs a win over Princeton to get in ... everyone in 14-3A other than Brownsboro needs to win out to make sure it gets out of that major mess ... same thing in 17-3A, where four teams all carry one district defeat; China Spring has the toughest remaining schedule and will have to win out to get in ... no team ranked at any point this season is in a world of hurt like Carthage, which has lost two straight, including a 43-0 loss to Crockett last week ... Pearsall is out unless it can win at Crystal City this weekend.
see a district-by-district breakdown at http://bbs.3adownlow.com/vb/newthread.php?s=&action=newthread&forumid=3