BELLMEAD, Texas (KXXV) — Week 7 of the Texas High School Football season is here and there are more great matchups than you can shack a stick at. Your Midfield Report has all the information you need about the Red Zone Game of the Week and several other great matchups across the area.
With just five weeks left before playoffs begin, several teams are showing a big improvement over their 2024 season. Copperas Cove, Rogers, Bosqueville, Valley Mills, Crawford, Moody, Chilton, Hubbard, Morgan, and Cranfills Gap have all eclipsed their 2024-win totals.
RED ZONE GAME OF THE WEEK
GATESVILLE HORNETS (5-0) at #9 LA VEGA PIRATES (3-2)
7PM Willie Willaims Stadium, Bellmead
-12-4A Division 2 gets started this week as the Gatesville Hornets travel up Highway 84 for a meeting with the La Vega Pirates. La Vega looks to hold the streak in this matchup as they have won the last nine games against Gatesville dating back to 2013.
-Gatesville finished non-district play at 5-0, the best start to a season since 2017, when they started 7-0. The Hornets have outscored their opponents 183-49, but have yet to play a team with a winning record. The Hornets offense has relied on the pass so far with Amos Phillips has over 600 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.
-La Vega enters district play ranked number nine in the state despite their two loses. Those loses are to the #1 and #2 ranked teams in 4A Division 1, in Celina and Stephenville. The Pirates return 14 starters from a team that lost the state championship game last year. Kourtney Parr lead the Pirates offense with over 1,100 yards passing and 13 touchdowns this season.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE BRAZOS VALLEY
TEMPLE WILDCATS (4-1) (0-1) at MIDWAY PANTHERS (5-1) (1-1)
7:30pm Panther Stadium, Hewitt
-After two weeks of 12-6A play, this district is still a wide-open race. Copperas Cove and Harker Heights lead the way at 2-0, but Bryan, Midway, Shoemaker, and Temple are all right behind them with one loss. As teams start battling for position in the district, this week’s matchups could be the difference in starting the playoffs at home or on the road.
-Temple and first year head coach Chad President made it through the non-district schedule at 4-0, but dropped their district opener to Shoemaker. With back-up quarterback Kylan Basinger leading the offense after Champ Mayo went down with an injury in the second game, Basinger has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ramauhn Brown has been a favorite target, averaging over 130 receiving yards per game and has scored 11 touchdowns.
-Midway started district play with a three-point loss at home to Harker Heights but bounced back last week with 66-47 win at Shoemaker. The Panthers offense is very balanced, gaining 1,400 yards both in the air and on the ground. Andrew McNair has thrown for over 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns. Lathan Whisenton leads the ground attack with four games rushing over 100-yards and 13 touchdowns and Jeyden Field-Vaughn is averaging 13 yards a carry with nine touchdowns and two 100-yard rushing games.
NEEDVILLE BLUE JAYS (3-2) at NAVASOTA RATTLERS (4-1)
7pm Navasota Rattler Stadiuam, Navasota
-The 12-4A Division 1 district race is predicted to be a heated battle that comes down to final week of the regular season, just like it did in 2024. Week 7 of the regular season sees two of those contenders starting district action in Navasota.
-In Trey Allen’s first season at Navasota the Rattlers went 7-6 and made it to the region semifinals. Now in his second year, Allen and Rattlers have their eyes set on accomplishing more. Navasota has gone 4-1 through their non-district slate, the lone loss came in week one against Sealy.
-Needville enters district play with a 3-2 record and a surprising win against the defending 3A Division 1 state champion, Columbus. The Blue Jays won against the Rattlers 28-21 last year but finished ended up one win away from a district championship.
LORENA LEOPARDS (2-3) at ROBINSON ROCKETS (4-1)
7pm Rocket Field, Robinson
-A big rivalry in Southern McLennan County as Lorena make the trek over Bull Hide Creek into Robinson for homecoming at Rocket Field. Recently the Leopards have owned the rivalry, winning seven out of the last ten games. Last year, the Rockets got the win at Leopard Field 41-6.
-The Leopards have faced some stiff competition so far this year, with their first three games against ranked teams. Quarterback Jaxon Blancett has thrown for over 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. Brady DeLeon has run the ball over 100 yards a game four different times this year and has crossed into the endzone 11 times.
-Robinson’s explosive offense is led by quarterback Brice McCurdy and running back Evan Moreno. McCurdy averages over 180 yards passing per game and spreads the ball around well. Of his nine passing touchdowns, four different Rockets have been the beneficiary of the play. Moreno is one of Central Texas’ few 1,000-yard rushers and has scored 11 touchdowns.
GROESBECK GOATS (2-3) at MEXIA BLACKCATS (0-5)
7pm Blackcat Field, Mexia
-The 83rd meeting of the Battle of the Navasota River in a huge rivalry game in Limestone County. Mexia won last year 41-13 and leads the all-time series Mexia leads the series 55-24-3.
-Mexia graduated a lot from last year’s district championship team, and it has shown so far. The winless Blackcats have been outscored 65-211. If Mexia wants to get back to the playoffs, they need to start getting wins in a tough district.
-In Nelson Kortis’ first season at Groesbeck the Goats have shown signs of life in wins against McGregor and Centerville. As district 5-3A begins, the Goats are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
COOLIDGE YELLOWJACKETS (5-1) at #4 AQUILLA COUGARS (6-0)
7:30pm Cougar Stadium, Aquilla
-In their last 20 games, Aquilla is undefeated against opponents not named Abbott. The Cougars have climbed to #4 in the 1A Division 1 rankings.
-Coolidge looks to knock off their third undefeated team in as many weeks. The Yellowjackets have beaten Oglesby and Mount Calm since suffering their only loss against Oakwood in week four.
MIDFIELD RANKINGS
The Midfield Rankings is a listing of the pound-for-pound best teams in Central Texas and the Brazos Valley regardless of their classification.
- BREMOND TIGERS (5-0) – Bremond took care of business with a shut out of Wortham. The undefeated Tigers now focus their attention on Meridian.
- AQUILLA COUGARS (6-0) -The Cougars got their second shutout of the year against Bynum. This week they host a hot Coolidge team.
- BRENHAM CUBS (5-0) – The Cubs had an open date last week before they start 10-5A Division 2 play. This week they travel to Waco to face a winless Lions team.
- LEXINGTON EAGLES (5-0) – Lexington’s game at Caldwell was ruled a no-contest in the third quarter tied at 28 after Eagles running back Jurian Moore suffered an injury that required a care flight to an Austin hospital. The Eagles start district play this week with Thrall.
- FAIRFIELD EAGLES (5-0) – Fairfield averages over 58 points per game, while only giving up 13. 9-3A action gets started as the Eagles make the short drive to Teague to face the Lions.
Chilton, Richland Springs, Lampasas, and Waco Valor Prep are all within reach of the Midfield Rankings Top 5 in their point totals.
Don’t forget to watch Red Zone on Friday where Shahji Adam and Donna Conrad will have all the high school football action starting at 10:10PM.
