Week 8 of the Texas High School Football season is here, and district races are starting to heat up. 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.
After seven weeks of the football season, a dozen teams in Central Texas and the Brazos Valley remain among the unbeaten. That list includes Aquilla, Brazos Christian, Bremond, Brenham, Central Texas Christian, Chilton, Fairfield, Jarrell, Leon, Lexington, Waco Texas Wind, and Waco Valor Prep. With four weeks left in the regular season, some of these schools will be facing each other as Brazos Christian and Central Texas Christian play each other this week and next week Bremond will play Chilton.
RED ZONE GAME OF THE WEEK
COPPERAS COVE BULLDAWGS (5-1, 2-0) at HARKER HEIGHTS KNIGHTS (5-2, 3-0)
7PM Leo Buckley Stadium, Killeen
- Both teams come into the matchup with 2-0 records in district 12-6A play. The winner of this game puts themselves in the driver seat for the district championship. With Harker Heights guaranteed to go into the 6A Division 2 bracket, this game has a lot a seeding implication for the playoffs. Copperas Cove could go either 6A Division 1 or Division 2 based on whether Shoemaker makes the playoffs.
- In Rodney Sothern’s first year at Copperas Cove the Bulldawgs are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. And with five wins already, the Bulldawgs have the most wins in a season since that 2018 season where they lost to Longview in the Bi-District round. For Cove the path to the playoffs is not guaranteed with four playoff teams from a year ago still on the schedule Harker Heights, Shoemaker, Temple and Midway.
- As head coach at Harker Heights, Mark Humble is 13-1 in district play, the lone loss was his first ever district game in 2023. Hudson Humble leads the Knights offense at quarterback, averaging over 44 points per game. The Knights defense will play a big part if they can maintain their district average of just over 14 points per game.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE BRAZOS VALLEY
CALDWELL HORNETS (3-2, 1-0) at MADISONVILLE MUSTANGS (4-2, 1-0)
7:30 pm Mustang Stadium, Madisonville
- In his third season with the Hornets, Michael Sean Witherwax is showing what building a program from the ground up looks like. One game into district play and Caldwell has eclipsed their 2024-win total. The Hornets have been led by Coy Becka who lead the team in rushing, touchdowns, and is second in receptions. Predicted not to make the playoffs in the preseason, the Hornets have a clear path into the postseason. A win against Madisonville would not end the Hornets playoff hopes but would help them in their search for their playoff birth since 2017.
- Madisonville leans heavy on the run game. Jaden Simpson is averaging over 200 rushing yards a game and 17 touchdowns. Madisonville’s two loses have been to the defending 3A Division 1 state champion, Columbus, and a one-score loss to rival Navasota.
MOODY BEARCATS (4-2, 1-0) at ROSEBUD-LOTT COUGARS (5-1, 1-0)
7:30 pm Cougar Stadium, Travis
- With four wins this season Moody has surpassed the win total of their last two season combined. The Bearcats returned 15 starters from a team last year that struggled with injuries. In Weston Cooper’s second year as head coach, he is proving to be putting something special together one win at a time.
- Rosebud-Lott comes into this game with a defense that has is averaging less than 10 points per game and have not allowed a point since their only loss at Bosqueville nearly a month ago.
#3 BREMOND TIGERS (6-0, 3-0) at GOLDTHWAITE EAGLES (4-2, 2-1)
7pm Gary Proffitt Stadium at Eagle Field, Goldthwaite
- Bremond has only given up 20 points in the last 4 games and is averaging just over 12 points allowed per game all season. The Tigers have held the #3 spot in the 2A Division 2 rankings all year, but they are not watching Shiner and Muenster, who are ahead of them. Bremond is on a mission to first take the district crown this year and then make it back to the state semi-final and a possible date with #1 Shiner.
- After a fourth-place finish in the district last year, Goldthwaite looks to make an improvement in 2025. The Eagles have only allowed 14 points in three district games so far, with all 14 at the hands of Chilton. They have outscored district opponents 107-14.
BRAZOS CHRISTIAN EAGLES (6-0, 1-0) at CENTRAL TEXAS CHRISTIAN LIONS (6-0, 1-0)
7 PM Frazee Field, Temple
- This late into the season and there are not many matchups of the unbeatens, but on Friday night in Temple, someone’s “0” must go. With every school in district 2 of TAPPS Division IV at a .500 record or better, the winner of this game has a leg up for the top spot in the district.
- Last year Brazos Christian made it all the way to the state championship game in TAPPS Division IV. Then head coach Correy Washington left for the defensive coordinator position at McMurry University. But new head coach Jordan Black has not let the Eagles fall off.
- Central Texas Christian is looking to avenge their only district loss from last year. The defense for the Lions has been their strength. After giving up 35 point to Brentwood Christian in week one, the Lions have held their opponents to 10 or fewer points.
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 (6-0) – Coming off a 53-0 win over Meridian, the Tigers travel to an improved Goldthwaite team they bea by 28 points last year. .
- AQUILLA COUGARS (7-0) -The Cougars won 64-14 over Coolidge last Thursday night. This week they travel down Farm Road 933 to face Gholson.
- BRENHAM CUBS (6-0) – The Cubs shutout Waco on the road last week and return home to face Bryan Rudder.
- LEXINGTON EAGLES (6-0) – Lexington started district play with a win over Thrall. The Eagles are idle this week before playing at Blanco next week.
- FAIRFIELD EAGLES (6-0) – Fairfield handles rival Teague to open district play last week and are a heavy favorite this week against Huntington.
Chilton, Richland Springs, Jewett Leon, and Waco Valor Prep are all outside of the top 5 and inching closer to getting in the Midfield Rankings Top 5.
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 10:10 p.m.
