Another week of district play is in the books, and North Texas high school football is beginning to reach its boiling point. Teams are rounding into form, the playoffs are just a couple of weeks away, and the line between contenders and pretenders is becoming clearer with every Friday night.
If there was one theme that defined Week 7, it was domination.
In our Texas Preps Game of the Week, the North Crowley Panthers made a statement, taking down Waxahachie by 25 points on their home turf, and re-earning the No. 1 spot in our rankings. South Oak Cliff cruised to a victory by nearly 50, Timberview continued its weekly demolition tour with another win by almost 40, and Allen put together a 60-plus-point performance. Lewisville handled Guyer, Prosper took care of business against Rock Hill, and Frisco Lone Star delivered another blowout, winning by 60.
And the scoreboard wasn't finished lighting up. Melissa added another 70-point victory to its résumé, this time pitching a shutout, while Trinity, Duncanville, Southlake Carroll, and South Grand Prairie all reinforced their status as teams capable of making serious noise down the stretch.
With district championships, playoff positioning, and bragging rights on the line, the margin for error is shrinking. Some teams are peaking at the perfect time, while others are running out of opportunities to prove they belong in the conversation.
This week, North Texas gives us another loaded slate.
North Crowley returns home to face a rising Lake Ridge squad, Allen takes on Rock Hill, and the Battle of Forney brings cross-city rivals Forney and North Forney together. Lewisville faces Hebron, Duncanville and Crowley square off, and Waxahachie looks to bounce back against Red Oak. Add in several other pivotal district matchups, and Week 8 has all the ingredients for another consequential weekend.
Will we see new contenders emerge? Could an underdog deliver a statement win? Or will the established powers continue to separate themselves from the pack?
Before we get into our predictions, let's take a look at how we performed last week.
Week 7 Predictions: Almost Perfect
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North Crowley over Waxahachie — Correct; by 10+ points — Correct
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Allen over McKinney — Correct; by 30+ points — Correct
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Lewisville over Guyer — Correct; by fewer than 20 points — Incorrect
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Coppell over Plano West — Correct; by 30+ points — Incorrect
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Prosper over Rock Hill — Correct; by 20+ points — Correct
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Argyle over Lovejoy — Correct; by 20+ points — Incorrect
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Frisco Lone Star over Heritage — Correct; by 40+ points — Correct
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Longview over Rockwall — Correct; by fewer than 20 points — Correct
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Southlake Carroll over Northwest — Correct; by 40+ points — Incorrect
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Timberview over Seguin — Correct; by 30+ points — Correct
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DeSoto over Lancaster — Correct; by 20+ points — Correct
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Duncanville over Mansfield — Correct; by 30+ points — Correct
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Crowley over Red Oak — Incorrect; by fewer than 20 points — Correct
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Keller over Byron Nelson — Correct; by fewer than 30 points — Correct
Record: 13/14 game winners correct.
That's our best week yet! We got 13 of our 14 game winners right, and while a few of our point-margin predictions missed the mark, we're starting to dial in the outcomes of these matchups. Picking winners is one thing, but predicting how convincingly a team will win is another.
With district play heating up, we're looking to carry that momentum into Week 8. Can we keep the streak alive and finally get those margins right across the board?
Let's get into it.
Week 8 Predictions
1. Southlake Carroll over Keller by fewer than 20 points
Keller gets a tough draw against a Southlake Carroll team that continues to look like a legitimate contender. However, this is the kind of matchup where the final margin could be closer than expected. Carroll gets the nod, but Keller should have enough to keep things interesting.
Prediction: Southlake Carroll wins by 1–19 points.
2. North Crowley over Lake Ridge by 30+ points
The new No. 1 team in our rankings has little reason to slow down. North Crowley just made a statement against Waxahachie, and now the Panthers return home to face a Lake Ridge team that has been gaining momentum. Lake Ridge deserves credit for its recent progress, but North Crowley's combination of talent and explosiveness makes this a difficult matchup for the Eagles.
Prediction: North Crowley wins by 30+ points.
3. Allen over Rock Hill by 40+ points
Allen is coming off a dominant performance against McKinney, and the Eagles have shown they can turn a competitive game into a runaway in a hurry. Rock Hill has a major challenge ahead, especially if Allen establishes control early. We're expecting another big night from the Eagles as they continue to build momentum.
Prediction: Allen wins by 40+ points.
4. Forney over North Forney by fewer than 20 points
Forget the records for a moment. It's rivalry week in Forney, and that alone makes this one worth watching. The Battle of Forney brings plenty of pride and familiarity into the equation, and those games don't always follow the script. We're leaning toward Forney, but we expect North Forney to make its rival work for it.
Prediction: Forney wins by 1–19 points.
5. Lewisville over Hebron by 30+ points
Lewisville has another opportunity to make a statement after taking care of Guyer last week. The Farmers have looked dangerous as district play progresses, and they'll look to carry that momentum into this matchup with Hebron. If Lewisville gets rolling early, this could become a long night for the Hawks.
Prediction: Lewisville wins by 30+ points.
6. Duncanville over Crowley by 20+ points
Duncanville continues to be one of the biggest names in North Texas football for a reason. The Panthers have the talent and experience to control games on both sides of the ball, and Crowley will need a strong performance to keep pace. We're expecting Crowley to compete, but Duncanville ultimately has the edge.
Prediction: Duncanville wins by 20+ points.
7. Waxahachie over Red Oak by 30+ points
Waxahachie is coming off a difficult loss to North Crowley and now has an opportunity to respond against Red Oak. The Indians will be eager to put last week's result behind them, and this matchup provides a chance to get back on track before the postseason arrives. Expect a motivated Waxahachie squad looking to make a statement.
Prediction: Waxahachie wins by 30+ points.
8. Coppell over Lake Highlands by 30+ points
Coppell enters this matchup looking to turn its recent performances into a stronger finish to district play. Lake Highlands will need to find a way to slow the Cowboys down and avoid giving up early momentum. We're taking Coppell to control the game and pull away.
Prediction: Coppell wins by 30+ points.
9. Argyle over The Colony by 20+ points
Argyle narrowly missed our projected margin against Lovejoy last week, but we're sticking with the Eagles this time around. The Colony faces a difficult test against an Argyle team looking to establish consistency as the regular season winds down. Expect Argyle to find its rhythm and create separation.
Prediction: Argyle wins by 20+ points.
10. Guyer over Little Elm by 20+ points
Guyer has a chance to respond after a tough loss to Lewisville. The Wildcats will be looking to clean things up and get back to playing their brand of football, while Little Elm has the challenge of slowing down a team eager to bounce back. We're giving Guyer the edge to take care of business.
Prediction: Guyer wins by 20+ points.
11. Longview over Rockwall-Heath by fewer than 20 points
Longview has another challenging matchup ahead against Rockwall-Heath. Unlike some of the projected blowouts this week, we're expecting a more competitive contest here. Longview gets the advantage, but Rockwall-Heath should have opportunities to make things interesting.
Prediction: Longview wins by 1–19 points.
12. Timberview over Joshua by 40+ points
At this point, Timberview has made a habit of putting teams away convincingly. Another week, another opportunity for the Wolves to show just how dangerous they can be. Joshua faces a major challenge against a Timberview squad that has consistently produced dominant results, and we're expecting that trend to continue.
Prediction: Timberview wins by 40+ points.
13. DeSoto over Summit by fewer than 30 points
DeSoto gets the nod here, but we're not projecting the same kind of runaway victory we've seen from some of the area's top teams. Summit will look to make this a competitive game, and DeSoto will need to execute to avoid letting its opponent hang around. The Eagles should find a way to win, even if the margin stays relatively modest.
Prediction: DeSoto wins by 1–29 points.
14. Martin over Bowie by 20+ points
Martin closes out our list with a matchup against Bowie. With the regular season winding down, every district game matters, and Martin has an opportunity to build momentum heading toward the playoffs. We're backing the Warriors to take control and finish with a comfortable win.
Prediction: Martin wins by 20+ points.
Week 8 is another opportunity for North Texas teams to prove who they are before the postseason begins. The top of our rankings is getting more competitive, district races are becoming clearer, and the pressure is only going to increase from here.
North Crowley has the chance to reinforce its new No. 1 status. Allen, Lewisville, Duncanville, and Timberview will look to keep rolling, while Waxahachie and Guyer have opportunities to respond after difficult losses. Meanwhile, the Battle of Forney gives us a rivalry matchup where records and rankings can take a back seat to pride.
Our Week 7 predictions gave us our best record yet at 13 correct game winners out of 14. Now, the challenge is to build on that performance and get even closer with our projected margins.
Fourteen games. Fourteen predictions. One more week to prove who's really ready for the playoffs.
We'll be back next week with another recap, another set of predictions, and a clearer picture of where North Texas high school football stands as the postseason approaches.
Stay locked in with Texas Preps Media for more North Texas high school football coverage, game recaps, rankings, and everything happening across the region.
Until next week, we'll see you under the Friday night lights.
