Week 11 preview: Who's in, who's out?

Week eleven, the end of the high school football season kicks off Thursday and runs through Saturday. The final week could see all three of College Park, Oak Ridge, and The Woodlands make the playoffs, and witness two of our private schools squaring off against one another.

The Oak Ridge War Eagles (6-3, 3-2) vs. The Summer Creek Bulldogs (3-6, 2-3)

Next Up: The War Eagles will close out the regular season at home against Summer Creek on Thursday, November 6 at 7pm. The game will be broadcasted LIVE at woodlandsonline.com.

Last Week: The Bulldogs got bested by The Woodlands on Halloween, 63-14, while Oak Ridge rested on a bye after falling to The Woodlands two weeks ago, 33-6.

What to Watch For: Running back play. Two of the top three leading rushers in the district will take part in the game. Etwi is over 1,000 yards on the season for Oak Ridge, and Chatman could reach the same feat in this game.

Analysis: This game will be interesting for Oak Ridge, as they were pretty banged up before the bye. Will they revert back to the team that was winning games by an average of 25 points to start the season, or the one that dropped two of it’s last three? With playoff seeding and matchup already set (Oak Ridge will take on Klein Collins at Woodforest in the Bi-District round on November 11 at 7:30pm), I would expect the War Eagles to try some new wrinkles, get everyone some reps, and make sure the team is ready for next week. For Summer Creek, they are battling with Kingwood and College Park to make the playoffs, so I expect a heavy dose of Chatman (806 yards and 11 touchdowns) and quarterback Zachery Walker (868 yards passing, 129 yards rushing, nine total touchdowns). Summer Creek comes in on a three-game losing skid, so for them to make the playoffs, they will need to keep the ball out of Letney, Etwi, and the Oak Ridge offense’s hands and play from ahead. This game has the chance to be the closest of the weekend, depending on which Oak Ridge team shows up, and how Summer Creek handles the pressure of a game they can’t afford to lose.

The College Park Cavaliers (2-7, 1-4) vs. The Conroe Tigers (3-6, 0-5)

Next Up: The Cavaliers host the Tigers at Woodforest Bank Stadium at 7:30pm on Friday, November 7. The game will be broadcast OnDemand at woodlandsonline.com

Last Week: College Park dropped a game on the road to Kingwood, 29-21, while Conroe lost at home to Atascocita, 42-20.

What to Watch For: Spreading the ball around. Conroe has six players who have rushed for over 100 yards, and three more who have over 100 yards receiving on the season. College Park has four rushers who have over 100 yards (three over 200 yards) and another who has over 200 yards receiving on the season.

Analysis:This game is big for both teams. Conroe doesn’t want to finish district without a win, and after starting 3-1 on the season, this is their last chance. While lots of players will touch the ball, expect them to rely heavily on quarterback Colby Kizzie (946 yards passing, 156 yards rushing, 13 total touchdowns), and running backs Dontrell Dock (542 yards rushing, six touchdowns) and Thomas Shirer (372 yards rushing, five touchdowns) to lead the way. For College Park, if Oak Ridge beats Summer Creek and The Woodlands beat Kingwood this weekend, winning this game means a likely playoff birth. That will have College Park as fired up as any team going into their final regular season game, and with Robert Ferguson playing good ball the last month (762 yards passing, 185 yards rushing, 8 total touchdowns), expect him to try and control the game. Running the zone read and option with running backs A.J. Sanders (550 yards rushing, seven touchdowns) and Dominic Garcia (291 yards rushing, four touchdowns) will be a catalyst for the offense. If College Park can get an early turnover and go up by multiple possessions, this one may become a blowout. Expect the teams to be ready to go in this one, with neither willing to accept a loss to end their season.

The Woodlands Highlanders (8-1, 5-0) vs. The Kingwood Mustangs (3-6, 2-3)

Next Up: The Highlanders will conclude their regular season against the Mustangs at Woodforest Bank Stadium on Saturday, November 8 at 4pm. The game will be broacast LIVE at woodlandsonline.com

Last Week: The Highlanders dismantled the Summer Creek Bulldogs, 63-14, while Kingwood took care of College Park, 29-21.

What To Watch For: Defensive dominance. Kingwood hasn’t allowed a team to get past the 20’s in their last three contests, while the top defense in the district, The Woodlands, hasn’t allowed a team more than 14 points all season.

Analysis: This game means more to Kingwood than The Woodlands. If Kingwood loses, they are most likely done for the season. By getting to play Saturday, they will know the results of the other games and know if they need a win to make the playoffs. The Woodlands has clinched a share of the district crown, and can win it outright with a win. As much as this game means to Kingwood, The Woodlands defense is going to be the superior unit on the field Saturday night. The Highlander defense is giving up an average of 8.4 points per game this season, and very few teams will win ballgames with 8 points on the scoreboard. The offense for The Woodlands isn’t a joke either, as they have racked up 96 points in their last two games alone. Expect Carr (1047 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns), Bonaguidi (828 yards passing, 251 rushing) and Andritsos (427 yards passing, five touchdowns) to lead the Highlanders to a perfect district record. If Kingwood wants to pull the upset, quarterback Randall Graves (844 passing yards, 11 total touchdowns) and running backs Griffin Lay (592 yards rushing, 162 yards receiving, eight total touchdowns) and Damon Young (452 yards rushing, two touchdowns) will need to be prolific. Any turnovers or empty possessions will be problematic for Kingwood, as they won’t be able to air it out against The Woodlands defense if they get behind and have to play catch-up. If Kingwood can find a way to stay close until the fourth quarter, the idea of a playoff spot may add enough adrenaline to get the Mustangs the upset. If The Woodlands jump out early, expect this contest to end early.

The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors (9-0, 6-0) at Legacy Prep Christian Academy Lions (1-8, 1-5)

Next Up: The Warriors will travel to Legacy Prep to take on the Lions on Friday, November 7 at 7pm.

Last Week: TWCA will be looking to complete a perfect season after beating Lutheran North last week 72-7, while the Lions dropped an affair at Rosehill Christian, 40-6.

What to Watch For: Rivalry game atmosphere. While this is the first year of football for Legacy Prep and all the stats say TWCA is the better team, this game is a new rivalry matchup. Both schools reside in The Woodlands area, and would love to go home with bragging rights for the rest of the year.

Analysis: Legacy Prep gets this game at home, and will be amped to try and break TWCA’s perfect season. For them to do that, Ben Bargainer (624 yards rushing, nine touchdowns) and Travis May (633 rushing yards, 245 passing yards, eight touchdowns) will have to play their best games of the season. Bargainer had a five touchdown game recently, so playing better than that will be tough to do, but it will be required to upset the Warriors. For The Woodlands Christian Academy, they want top billing in the playoffs and for all the teams to know they don’t have a blemish on their record. Expect quarterback Jack Bento (925 passing yards, 19 touchdowns) and running back Luke Hudson (1306 rushing yards, 25 touchdowns) to add to those incredible stats on Friday. Think about those touchdown numbers for a second. Nine games, 44 touchdowns between them. That means they account for almost five scores a game. If this game becomes a high scoring affair, expect TWCA to walk away with the win comfortably. If the Lions can keep the game low, force some TWCA mistakes, and play in the 20’s or below, they will have a chance at the upset come the fourth quarter.