The biggest problem I have with our high school football scheduling practices in Texas is that by the second year of the alignment period, many of those schedules are out of date and no longer suitable for schools that have been hit hard by graduation. And if you want an example of that, I’ll give you one close to home: the Cisco Loboes.
Cisco (1-4), which notched its first win of the season last week with a victory at Colorado City, is both young and thin in the numbers department. It’s one of those years that every program below the 4A level will eventually run into. And unfortunately, since the Loboes had reeled off 12 straight winning seasons, including a state title in 2013, their nondistrict schedule was merciless.
No Class 2A team was willing to take them on, so they ended up with four straight likely playoff teams from Class 3A in Clyde, Wall, Breckenridge and Jacksboro.
Hico 41, Frost 6 — In an anticipated low-scoring defensive battle, Hico blew the roof off that theory by routing the Polar Bears. 
Albany 31, Comanche 13 — Chip Chambers passed for 178 yards and three touchdowns and Adam Hill rushed for 136 yards and a score to lead the Lions to a comfortable win over the Indians.
Cisco 36, Colorado City 7 — With a brutal non-district schedule featuring likely 3A playoff teams now behind them, the Cisco Loboes settled in to face their first 2A DI opponent in their district opener. 
San Angelo TLCA 41, Stanton 0 — The Eagles were the lone team in District 2-3A DII to notch a victory in Week 5. 
Breckenridge 36, Benbrook 28 — The Buckaroos allowed more than 400 yards in total offense to Benbrook, but survived a shootout on the road.
Stephenville 21, Wichita Falls Rider 20 — A missed fourth quarter extra point allowed Stephenville to leave Wichita Falls a winner on Friday.
SWEETWATER — Both clubs may have entered Friday at 4-0. But at the end of the night, it was a senior-laden Clyde team dominating a Sweetwater club filled with underclassmen, 41-7 in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week. 
There are big games and then there are those that border on insanity. 
TUSCOLA — Jim Ned coach Matt Fanning is one of those guys who barely flinches when someone mentions his accomplishments. So it should come as no surprise that he had to be told early in the season that he was approaching the school record for career wins by a football coach. 
Albany 27, Hawley 14 — Albany improved to 4-0 with a win in this matchup of defending state champions behind three TD passes from Chip Chambers. 
Anson 21, Haskell 20 — It all boiled down to turnovers in this tough Anson road win, with the Tiger defense charting five takeaways to key the victory. 
Coahoma 48, Colorado City 20 — Boyd Cox threw for 184 yards and four scors and Jaidyn Vineyard rushed for 87 yards and another TD to lead Coahoma (3-1) to a win over its area rival. 
Wall 42, Peaster 0 — The Hawks (3-1) pounded out 221 rushing yards among nine different ball carriers in a dominating win over Peaster (1-3).
Jim Ned 38, Rockdale 12 — Dean Guffey threw for 201 yards and two scores and Aiden Ellis rushed for 150 yards and another TD to keep Jim Ned (4-0) unbeaten. 
COMANCHE — It was to be a special night for Comanche, with an overflow crowd and a game ball hand-delivered at the 50-yardline via helicopter to kick off the 2023 Homecoming celebration. 
Hico 31, Cross Plains 7 — The Tigers (3-0) remained unbeaten behind a solid effort from Carson Keller, who rushed for 129 yards and one score and threw for 91.
Albany 41, Seymour 14 — The Lions threw for only 26 yards, but with Adam Hill rushing for 326 yards and four scores, they didn’t really need to throw the football around much.
Coahoma 57, Kermit 31 — The Bulldogs raced out to a 34-6 halftime lead then held off the Yellow Jackets for the rest of the evening. 
Stamford 27, Ballinger 0 — Christian Duran threw for 205 yards and two TDs and rushed for 71 yards and another score as Stamford improved to 3-0.
Bangs 42, Grape Creek 6 — Kenny Cole threw for 201 yards and three scores and Ethan Ethridge accounted for 243 yards rushing/receiving and two TDs to lift the Dragons. 
Breckenridge 41, Cisco 6 — Breckenridge (1-2) earned its first win of the year after forcing five Cisco turnovers.
Stephenville 56, Decatur 55 — Stephenville got more than 550 yards in total offense to outlast Decatur in a wild one.
TUSCOLA — What had the early look of a Jim Ned rout got turned on its head by the visiting Wall Hawks on Friday night. And by evening’s end, the Indians needed some late heroics to escape with a 17-14 overtime win in a classic Big Country Preps Game of the Week.
As we move into Week 3 and things begin to take shape, the 2023 season is now presenting the key teams to keep an eye on. 
After two weeks, few teams are grabbing the attention of Big Country football fans more than the Clyde Bulldogs (2-0), who have opened with consecutive wins over Cisco and Eastland. 
Hico 33, Moody 0 —The Tigers improved to 2-0 behind 266 team rushing yards through seven different ball carriers. 
Archer City 21, Anson 13 — Archer City held off a determined Anson team to improve to 2-0 behind 250 passing yards.
Hamlin 19, Water Valley 14 — First-year Hamlin Coach Jason Botos earned his first victory as his Pied Pipers rushed for 201 yards as a team. 
Stamford 47, Haskell 13 — The Bulldogs (2-0) remained unbeaten with a balanced offensive effort that produced 160 yards through the air and 189 yards rushing.
Sonora 44 Coahoma 30 — Edgar Deluna rushed fo 256 yards and four scores to lead Sonora over Coahoma in a shootout. Juan Castillo added 103 yards through the air for an additional score as Sonora improve to 2-0.
Wall 27, Cisco 10 — The Hawks used a workmanlike effort on the ground, pounding out 312 yards rushing with nine different ball carriers to hand Cisco (0-2) its second straight loss. 
Clyde 34, Eastland 21 — Clyde rolled up 441 yards in total offense and shut Eastland out after the break to improve to 2-0. 
Stephenville 14, Everman 7 — The Yellow Jackets charted more than 500 yards in total offense with a balanced stat sheet. 
GOLDTHWAITE — Not since Nov. 5, 2021 had the Goldthwaite football team tasted victory — a span of time that was filled with 12 straight defeats.