Football: Week 7 preview

After defeating A&M Consolidated and Lufkin in back-to-back games, The Woodlands High School football team takes a week to catch its breath. And while the Highlanders have a bye, key match ups in Week 7 continue to shape the landscape.

Oak Ridge War Eagles (6-0, 2-0) at Conroe Tigers (4-3, 1-2)

Up Next: The Oak Ridge High School football team visits Buddy Moorhead Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday to take on the Conroe Tigers in a District 14-5A clash.

Last Week: The War Eagles had a bye week while Conroe dropped a 48-28 decision to College Park.

What to Watch For: Oak Ridge’s relentless ground attack against Conroe’s susceptible defense that has yielded 56 and 48 points in its last two district losses to The Woodlands and College Park respectively. The War Eagles are close to 2,000 yards this season on the ground alone with Kwami Etwi and quarterback Braden Letney leading the way.

Analysis: After being held to its lowest scoring output of the season, the Oak Ridge offense will be looking to get back to its previous average of scoring 42 points per game. Add to that Conroe’s Stedman Bell, who can light it up as well, and it could become a track meet on the artificial surface of Moorhead Stadium.

College Park Cavaliers (4-2, 1-1) at A&M Consolidated Tigers (4-2, 2-1)

Up Next: The College Park High School football team goes on the road to College Station for a 7:30 p.m. Friday contest with A&M Consolidated in a key District 14-5A game.

Last Week: The Cavaliers got into the win column in district play with an impressive 48-28 victory over Conroe while A&M Consolidated recorded a 56-20 triumph over Bryan.

What to Watch For: College Park’s stout defense against a Tigers offense that has surpassed the 40-point mark in four of their six games this season. The Cavaliers recovered three fumbles last week, bringing their total to nine for the season to go along with six pass interceptions. Eric Harrell has three fumble recoveries so far while Stephan Johnson has picked off three passes.

Analysis: So far only The Woodlands has held A&M Consolidated to under 32 points this season. If they can continue to be an opportunistic unit, the Cavaliers defense could do the same. It helped them to their biggest scoring output (48) of the season last week. Tristen Newman scooped and scored and the defense provided the offense with a short field on other occasions as well.

The John Cooper School Dragons (5-2) vs. St. Stephen’s Spartans (3-2)

Up Next: The John Cooper School football team hosts St. Stephen’s for a 7 p.m. Friday Homecoming Game.

Last Week: The Dragons won for the fifth consecutive time, defeating St. John’s junior varsity team by a 17-8 score. St. Stephen’s won for the third time in four games, defeating St. Mary’s Hall 26-14 in its Southwest Preparatory Conference opener.

What to Watch For: Which winning streak will continue? The Dragons have won five in a row since dropping the first two games of the season. St. Stephen’s has won its last two and three of the last four. The Dragons must play until the final whistle, being mindful of the Spartans overcoming a 29-0 deficit to defeat Covenant Christian 35-29.

Analysis: If Cooper plays defense like it has the last three games, it should extend the team’s win streak to a half dozen. The Dragons shut out Northside, allowed just seven points to Rosehill Christian, and only eight to St. John’s JV last week.

The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors (4-2, 1-0) at Galveston O’Connell Buccaneers (1-3, 0-1)

Up Next: The Woodlands Christian Academy football team travels down to Galveston for a 7 p.m. Saturday contest with O’Connell in a TAPPS District 6 Division III game.

Last Week: The Warriors opened TAPPS District 6 Division III play with a 36-0 victory over Rosehill Christian. O’Connell was defeated 61-7 by Legacy Christian in its district opener.

What to Watch For: The Warriors’ stingy defense against a Bucs offense that has had trouble putting points on the boards as of late. The Warriors have shut out their last two opponents and allowed just six points in the previous game. Conversely, O’Connell scored just seven points last week after being shut out the week before.

Analysis: The Warriors will add to their current win streak if they continue to play lights out on defense and grind out a ball-control attack led by Luke Hudson, who rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns last week.