SIX-MAN LOOKAHEAD: Week 8 light on games but full of intriguing matchups

With district play in full swing and most of the squads in our four-team leagues idle, we only have 23 area matchups this week. But what’s lacking in quantity is more than made up for in quality in Week 8.

With a slate full of potential thrillers at both the top and bottom of our district races, there’s plenty of action to talk about and preview.

Let’s go ahead and take a look at some of the matchups that make this week’s schedule so intriguing, shall we? And when you’re done reading, we encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for standings, schedules and results.

GAME OF THE WEEK

• Knox City (5-2, 1-0) at Newcastle (4-3, 1-0) — In a week full of interesting games, this one rises above the rest to claim top billing as our “Big Country Lookahead Game of the Week.” This matchup between the Greyhounds and Bobcats could well decide the District 6-1A Division I championship before it’s all said and done, and it will almost certainly help shape the league’s playoff race. The winner of this matchup, which has a spread of two to five points depending on the source, will be sitting pretty at 2-0, while the loser will have fellow playoff hopefuls Perrin-Whitt (5-2, 0-1) and Bryson (4-2, 0-0) nipping at its heels.

OTHER TOP MATCHUPS

• Perrin-Whitt (5-2, 0-1) at Bryson (4-2, 0-0) — While this matchup will play second fiddle to our “Game of the Week” in District 6-1A DI, it’s also an important matchup. It’s particularly so for the Pirates, who fell to Newcastle 77-36 in their district opener last week and can’t afford another loss if they hope to stay in postseason contention. The stakes aren’t quite as high for the Cowboys, who were off last week and still have games remaining against Knox City and Newcastle. But a win over slightly favored Perrin-Whitt would add a little more margin for error heading down the stretch run.
• Ira (4-2, 1-0) at Westbrook (4-2, 1-0) — On paper, the ninth-ranked Wildcats are a heavy favorite in this one. But if Ira, which downed Roby 64-12 last week, hopes to stay in the District 7-1A DI playoff race, the Bulldogs are either going to have to pull off an upset here or on Nov. 1 against a top-15 Hermleigh squad. Westbrook, meanwhile, can solidify its standing as the district favorite with a win, which would likely set Wildcats on a path toward a high-stakes Week 11 matchup at Hermleigh.
• Veribest (6-1, 1-0) at Water Valley (4-2, 0-0) — This is another game that could potentially have district title implications, as both the Falcons and the Wildcats are favorites — along with Robert Lee (5-2, 1-0) — to compete at the top of District 8-1A DI. Water Valley, which has only lost to Hermleigh (36-28) and still-unbeaten Buena Vista (54-52), is favored to take this one after cracking the top 10 in the SixManFootball.com and PigskinPrep.com power rankings. But Veribest will ride a six-game win streak and a huge wave of momentum into the game.
• Three Way (7-0, 1-0) at Kopperl (4-1, 0-0) — There may not be a bigger surprise in the state than the Braves, who have been utterly dominant in James Rigdon’s first year as head coach after going winless in 2023. Three Way has outscored its opponents 354-6 this season, winning six of its seven games by shutout, including a 45-0 rout of Bluff Dale in last week’s District 11-1A DII opener. Kopperl will be the Braves’ best opponent to date, and a win would put Three Way in position to play No. 7 Iredell for the district championship on Nov. 1.
• Gustine (5-1, 0-1) at Sidney (3-2, 0-0) — This is another matchup that’s not expected by the computers to be close, with Sidney entering the game as a heavy favorite. But Gustine, which suffered its first loss of the season in last week’s District 13-1A DII opener against still-unbeaten Blanket, deserves some level of respect. The Tigers likely need to win this one to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Eagles will be looking to create a three-way race for the league championship with Blanket (6-0-1, 1-0) and Zephyr (6-1, 1-0).
  
• Lohn (5-2, 1-0) at Rochelle (2-3, 0-0) — If you were to judge this matchup strictly by the team’s records, you might surmise that Lohn is the team to beat in this game. But records can be deceiving, and that’s the case here. Rochelle played and competed well against a slate of nondistrict opponents that entered this week with a combined 38-19 record, and they’re favored to win their District 15-1A DII opener comfortably. Lohn will be a determined opponent, though, as the loser of this matchup will likely have to upset a top-five Richland Springs team to reach the postseason. 
• Abilene Christian (4-2, 1-0) at Crowley Nazarene Christian (4-3, 0-1) — In a Week 8 slate filled with intriguing matchups, this could end up being the most competitive game of all. The spread here is between two and seven points, and SixManFootball.com and PigskinPrep.com can’t agree on which team is the favorite. Nazarene Christian has already lost to TAPPS Six-Man DII District 1  favorite Fort Worth Covenant Classical — 50-46 last week — so you can expect the Lions to play with some urgency. But the ACS Panthers have won three straight games and are bringing some positive momentum into this road trip.  

UNDER THE RADAR

While the sections above are meant highlight the week’s biggest, most meaningful and/or most high-profile matchups, here we’re looking for competitive games that might not draw the same level of attention state- and area-wide. Here are a couple of under-the-radar matchups worth keeping an eye on in Week 8:

• Highland (2-4, 0-1) at Roby (3-3, 0-1) — After dropping their District 7-1A DI openers last week, both the Hornets and Lions have uphill climbs to playoff contention. And any hope either team has rests on winning this game, which could come down to the fourth quarter.
• Loraine (3-4, 0-1) at Blackwell (2-5, 1-0) — Looking at the records of these two teams, you might not expect to see either in the playoffs. But both will have an opportunity to play their way into the postseason in a wide-open District 6-1A DII race. And this game could reflect the competitiveness of that league, in general.
• Throckmorton (0-6) at Forestburg (1-6) — It’s been a rough go for the Greyhounds, but they have a chance to go into District 9-1A DII play on a high note if they can knock off the Longhorns here. Forestburg is favored by about a touchdown, but this one should be competitive.
• Evant (1-5, 0-0) at Mullin (2-5, 0-1) — This is another matchup where you can throw out the records. With Oglesby being the only team in District 14-1A DII with more than two wins, this game could well decide a playoff spot. 

PREDICTIONS

• LAST WEEK: 24-2, .923
• SEASON TOTAL: 174-49, .780

(Projected winners capitalized)

PERRIN-WHITT (4-3, 0-1) at Bryson (4-2, 0-0)

Knox City (5-2, 1-0) at NEWCASTLE (4-3, 1-0)

Rotan (3-3, 0-1) at HERMLEIGH (5-1, 1-0)

Ira (4-2, 1-0) at WESTBROOK (4-2, 1-0)

HIGHLAND (2-4, 0-1) at Roby (3-3, 0-1)

Paint Rock (0-6, 0-1) at ROBERT LEE (5-2, 1-0)

Veribest (6-1, 1-0) at WATER VALLEY (4-2, 0-0)

Lingleville (1-4, 0-1) at BAIRD (5-2, 1-0)

GORDON (7-0, 1-0) at Ranger (2-4, 0-1)

LORAINE (3-4, 0-1) at Blackwell (2-5, 1-0)

Olfen (0-4, 0-1) at TRENT (3-3, 0-0)

GUTHRIE (2-4, 0-1) at Chillicothe (4-2, 0-1)

ASPERMONT (4-3, 1-0) at Lueders-Avoca (0-6, 0-0)

JAYTON (7-0, 1-0) at Rule (3-4, 0-1)

FORESTBURG (1-6) at Throckmorton (0-6)

THREE WAY (7-0, 1-0) at Kopperl (4-1, 0-0)

Rising Star (3-4, 0-1) at BLANKET (6-0-1, 1-0)

Gustine (5-1, 0-1) at SIDNEY (3-2, 0-0)

EVANT (1-5, 0-0) at Mullin (2-5, 0-1)

BROOKESMITH (3-3, 0-1) at Panther Creek (0-5, 0-1)

RICHLAND SPRINGS (6-0) vs. West Texas Tornadoes (3-3)

Lohn (5-2, 1-0) at ROCHELLE (2-3, 0-0)

ABILENE CHRISTIAN (4-2, 1-0) at Crowley Nazarene Christian (4-3, 0-1)

IDLE: Gorman (2-4, 0-1); Lometa (6-1, 0-0); May (7-0, 0-0); Santa Anna (3-4, 0-0); Bronte (2-5, 1-0); Benjamin (4-1, 1-0); Paint Creek (5-2, 0-1); Moran (1-6, 0-0); Strawn (4-2, 0-0); Woodson (4-3, 0-0); Zephyr (6-1, 1-0); Priddy (1-5, 1-0)