It's time to put up or shut up in Wise County. All seven local high school teams will compete in district action the next five weeks.
Alvord, Chico and Northwest are in eight-team districts and started the important games two weeks ago, but the rest of Wise County will join the mix Friday. Some teams will begin to fade away from playoff contention and others will look to make things interesting down the final stretch.
There was nothing interesting last week as all three teams came up short of victory. For me, however, that was no surprise as I called the sweep last week and I went 3-0 in covering the winners.
Standing at a respectable 23-7 for the season, it's also time for me to put up or shut up. There are a few interesting matchups this week, but nothing I can't handle. Let's lace 'em up folks; it's showtime.
Decatur vs. Bridgeport
This will be my fifth Battle of Big Sandy and I have yet to see a close game. A 14-point Decatur win a couple of years ago was the as close as it has been for me.
Perhaps I'm good luck for the Eagles, or bad luck for the Bulls. Whatever the reason, DHS coach Kyle Story and his staff are chasing a sixth straight win over coach Danny Henson.
Two things are certain in this 88th edition of the rivalry - Decatur is not what it used to be offensively and Bridgeport is finally better on defense. What does that mean for Friday night? Probably nothing, given the history of this battle.
I do, however, expect to finally see a game that comes down to the fourth quarter. The Eagles have consistently made the halftime adjustments to win this game.
With the talent pool much more evenly matched this season, such adjustments will be much harder against a Bridgeport defense that will make sure this game is a close one.
Decatur by 10
Boyd vs. Eastland
After losing to two of the top spread offenses in the area, Boyd now has to get ready to face a district filled with running teams. That begins this week with a Maverick team limping into league play for the second straight year.
The Yellowjackets have yet to impress on offense where the passing game has been nearly nonexistent for a potent ground game That will be more than enough to beat an Eastland team short on talent, depth and hope.
Boyd by 35
Paradise vs. Cisco
The Panthers had two weeks to get ready for its toughest test of the season. It will take more than that to get by a Cisco team that has run the score up on a weak non-district schedule.
The Loboes are not as good as they think they are after beating five mediocre teams, and only one that is likely to have a winning record. That doesn't mean Cisco isn't the team to beat.
The defending district champions have the best defense in the district and that will be enough to win another title. The district's offenses, Paradise including, just don't strike a lot of fear into opponents this season.
Cisco by 14
Northwest vs. Richland
The Texans for the third straight game let another potential win slip away last week. They have showed tremendous improvement on offense where the mix between the running and passing has been impressive.
That's just not enough in a district like this one. Northwest has given up big plays on defense in the last two weeks and lost the lead in both.
The Rebels are a much-improved team from last year and are the favorite to win this contest.
They are not my favorite. After four disappointing losses in five games, the Texans prove they are not going down without a fight in the upset of the week.
Northwest by 3
Chico vs. Henrietta
If there is a such thing a the best 0-7 team in the state, then I think that squad resides in Wise County. The Dragons are on the verge of losing their first seven games of the year but have created havoc for some good football clubs, including unbeaten Holliday last week.
That means a lot to a program with less than 20 varsity players. However, it means nothing in the final standings.
If Henrietta loses to any team in this district besides Holliday, it would not surprise CHS coach Pete Hart that it's his team.
At this point, I would be surprised too because if it weren't for bad luck, our Dragons would have no luck at all.
Henrietta by 21
Alvord vs. Jacksboro
The Alvord coaching staff has made a few personnel changes in the last couple of games to try and find a spark for this football team. It hasn't worked yet, but this is a rivalry game and it very well could happen in this type of environment.
The Tigers are nothing special on offense where they have squeaked by several games, including an 18-13 win over Chico. Defensively, however, Jacksboro has been good and will take on a struggling Alvord offense this week.
The Bulldogs will need 21 points to have a chance to win this one. I only see this team scoring three touchdowns in two more games.
