Area Football Outlooks

Cameron Yoe - 4-7 - Bi-District Finalist

Though Cameron had two weeks to prepare for Teague, it really did not seem to matter as the Lions just totally dominated that game from beginning to end. My number one key was to disrupt things up front defensively and make someone other than the Lion running-backs beat you, and that simply did not happen on Thursday night. There is just no way around saying that this will go down as one of, if the not most disappointing season in program history. There have been teams to finish with worse records, but with the preseason ranking and the amount of talent of the roster, it was just a real surprise at how this year played out. Cameron now loses a good crop of 21 seniors and will have major question marks at quarterback, running-back, defensive line and defensive back heading into 2018. It will be interesting to see if there is a bounce back when August rolls around.

Milano (10-1) Vs. Woodsboro (8-2) - Friday - Marion - 7:00

Milano easily crushed D’Hanis in the bi-district round of the 2A DII playoffs, 41-0. With the second place finish in their district, they will now draw Woodsboro, which went 4-0 in district 16 to capture the number one seed. What Milano should feel confident about is their strength of schedule. In the end, I believe that plays a pivotal role in this game and allows Milano to continue marching on.

Josh’s Pick: Milano by 17.

Thorndale (5-6) Vs. Refugio (9-1) - Friday - Converse - 2:00

Thorndale had no problem with two-seed Junction last week, cruising to a 48-7 win. Things change about as dramatically as you could imagine this week as potentially the most tradition rich program in South Texas awaits in Refugio. The Bulldogs have to feel good about how they have been playing the past few weeks, but it’s going to be a very tall task to take down the defending state champs.

Josh’s Pick: Refugio by 28+

Rockdale (8-3) Vs. Woodville (9-1) - Friday - Cy-Fair (Pridgeon Stadium) - 7:00

I did manage to travel over to Crockett on Friday night and got to see a hard-nosed, physical game from the Tigers in a 46-33 win over Malakoff. From the point I saw Rockdale play West to open the season, to when they played Cameron and then onto Friday night, Coach Miller and crew have done a nice job of continuously improving their football team. That is something you expect to see from quality teams, especially when the playoffs roll around. Tiger QB Torry Locklin once again put on a show, rushing for over 250 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rockdale’s offensive line also deserves a lot of credit for their improvement throughout the season. Malakoff simply was a step down from last season’s team and they do appear young at several key positions. Now is Woodville, which is probably the top team out of Southeast Texas in the playoffs. Rockdale has the toughest road out of any team in the region, but this should once again be a winnable game.

Josh’s Pick: Rockdale by 14.

Franklin (9-2) Vs. La Marque (6-5) - Saturday - Waller - 1:00

Franklin was the other 10-3A team to advance out of bi-district, winning a shootout over Groesbeck, 63-49. Giving up 49 points to a fourth place team has to be concerning, but the Lions are still playing and that is really all that counts right now. They will get La Marque, which has tradition but has been down the past few years. They were trailing Coldspring at the midpoint of the second quarter (20-14) before cruising in the second half to a 42-20 win in bi-district. La Marque should present plenty of speed, but Franklin will have their quarterback returning this week, and I’m not sure if the Cougars are prepared for this potent slot-t attack.

Josh’s Pick: Franklin by 21.

Madisonville (10-1) Vs. Lorena (5-6) - Friday - Bryan’s Merrill Green - 6:30

Much like when Rick Rhoades brought Cameron back to prominence, it appears that Rusty Nail is starting to do the same thing in Madisonville. This will actually be a rematch of a game played earlier this year that the Mustangs won narrowly, 39-36. Despite the losing record, it’s no surprise to see Lorena in this position again. The Leopards generally do not have the best talent to work with but always seem to be in the second or third round. I believe this is where it ends in 2017.

Josh’s Pick: Madisonville by 10.