This Week in HS Sports - October 7, 2009

Week 6 rankings, mid-season review continues...

The new DCTF state-wide football polls are out for Week 6. Houston-area 5A districts are home to five of the Top 10 teams in this week’s poll. Cypress Creek also enters the Top 25 this week. In 4A rankings, Angleton—coming off a big win over Friendswood—jumps into the Top 10, and Brenham moves up a couple of notches as well.
The Houston Chronicle has also posted their Houston-area polls for Week 6. Check them out, along with Sam Khan’s ever-informative blog, here.
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Check out this Oklahoma high school coach’s unusual disciplinary action.
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This week’s midseason review continues as we look at the remaining undefeated teams…
There are still eight undefeated teams in Class 5A in the Houston area: Klein Collins, The Woodlands, Cypress Creek, Cinco Ranch, Atascocita, Hightower, Clements and Elkins. Most amazing is that three of those teams (Hightower, Clements and Elkins) reside not only in the same district (23-5A), but also the same zone (A) within that district!
At first glance, it would appear that there is a relatively good chance that no one has a guarantee of running the table without a loss and the Houston area may wind up with no undefeated teams by season’s end.
Klein Collins plays in arguably the toughest district in the area. The Tigers have yet to play strong district foes Westfield and Klein Forest, not to mention surprising Dekaney, who is undefeated in district play through two games, and disappointing Klein Oak, who many still think are on the verge of putting a few wins together. If Collins were to finish their season undefeated, they would have to be considered a powerhouse team in the Region II playoffs.
The Woodlands will get a strong contest in Week 9 from the Lufkin Panthers. That game will be played at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin on October 30 and you can expect the place to be packed to the rafters—if they have any rafters.
Cypress Creek still has to face Cypress Woods, who figure to give the Cougars the biggest challenge to an undefeated season. But, in District 15-5A, you can also never count out an upset on any given week.
Cinco Ranch is expected to successfully navigate the District 17-5A schedule until the final weekend of the regular season, when the annual grudge match with the Katy Tigers takes place. Last year, the Cougars defeated Katy for the first time in their school’s history. The Tigers most definitely will have payback on their minds when the two teams meet at high noon on November 7 at Rhodes Stadium. And Katy Taylor, who has played well in pre-district, would like to rise up this Saturday against Cinco and make that last game anti-climactic.
Atascocita, in District 19-5A, is the first team in 5A to win six games, yet are getting no serious respect in the area or the state as one of the top teams. The Eagles still have to play Eisenhower on October 30 and, while Ike has already suffered a pair of defeats, most acknowledge that their pre-district schedule was more difficult to navigate than Atascocita’s. It could be that the winner of that game will be the District 19-5A champion.
At least two of the three 23-5A teams will absorb a loss before the season ends, and it’s not impossible that they could take turns knocking off each other and all three wind up with a loss. Elkins and Clements play this Thursday night; Hightower and Elkins meet on October 16; Clements and Hightower will face off on October 30.
Across the state in Class 5A, there are 26 undefeated teams left after six weeks of play. By region, the breakdown is as follows:

• Region I (5): El Paso Coronado, El Paso El Dorado, Abilene, Coppell and Cedar Hill
• Region II (9): Dallas Skyline, Mesquite Horn, Tyler John Tyler, Belton, Copperas Cove, Klein Collins, The Woodlands, Cypress Creek and Round Rock Stony Point
• Region III (5): Cinco Ranch, Atascocita, Hightower, Elkins and Clements
• Region IV (6): Bastrop, San Antonio Clark, San Antonio Southwest, Mission Sharyland, PSJA North and Harlingen

Does that mean that Region II is the best in 2009? Or is there just a greater disparity between the best and the worst in that region? That is the stuff that great message board discussions are made of.
No matter what, those ranks will shrink by at least two teams this week. Regions II and III will definitely lose one team. Besides the aforementioned Elkins-Clements match-up on Thursday, Mesquite Horn and Tyler John Tyler square off in District 11-5A this Friday in Mesquite. And then there were 24...or fewer...

TOMORROW: we look at the teams who are really good at scoring points, as well as the ones who have the greatest point differentials. Scintillating stuff!

Previous stories : August 15, 2009  August 20, 2009  August 26, 2009  August 31, 2009
                                September 8, 2009  September 16, 2009  September 18, 2009  September 25, 2009
                        September 28, 2009  October 5, 2009