Consistency was the story of Week 9 in North Texas high school football. Across the region, several programs continued to meet the expectations set for them, while others strengthened their cases as legitimate playoff contenders.
Waxahachie took care of business against Duncanville, North Crowley put up video-game numbers against Skyline, and Allen showed why some consider them one of the best teams in the country with a dominant home performance against Dallas Jesuit. Crowley picked up a win over Mansfield, DeSoto continued to find its rhythm by dismantling Cedar Hill, and Martin improved to 8-0 with a victory over Lamar. Week after week, the teams we've trusted to perform are giving us more reasons to believe in them.
Of course, consistency is also a nice way of saying last week's slate wasn't exactly the most exciting. We had dominant performances, a few expected results, and relatively little movement among the teams that have established themselves as contenders.
Fortunately, Week 10 has the potential to change that.
With district races tightening and playoff positioning becoming increasingly important, this week's schedule features several matchups that could reshape the postseason picture. Some teams are looking to protect their momentum, while others have an opportunity to prove they belong in the conversation with North Texas' best.
Lake Ridge vs. Duncanville: The Game of the Week
Our Texas Preps Game of the Week features Lake Ridge taking on Duncanville in a matchup that could have major implications for the playoff picture.
On paper, Duncanville remains the team with the bigger reputation. However, recent performances have opened the door for questions about just how vulnerable the Panthers might be.
Duncanville survived a sloppy game against Crowley before falling to Waxahachie. Meanwhile, Lake Ridge has shown that it can compete with some of the region's best. The Eagles matched Duncanville's offensive production against Waxahachie and put up 35 points against North Crowley, something the Panthers haven't accomplished against the same opponent.
Those results don't automatically make Lake Ridge the favorite, but they make this matchup much more interesting than it might have looked a few weeks ago.
Lake Ridge has a chance to turn its recent performances into a statement victory, while Duncanville needs to show that its struggles against top competition won't become a recurring problem. A win for the Eagles could dramatically alter how we view the district race and the teams entering the postseason.
Other Games to Watch in Week 10
Lake Ridge and Duncanville headline the slate, but several other matchups deserve attention.
North Crowley travels to Mansfield in a game that will test whether the Panthers can maintain their offensive dominance. Waxahachie faces Crowley in an intriguing matchup of programs with different levels of momentum, while Arlington takes on an undefeated Martin squad looking to keep its perfect record intact.
The Keller rivalry also takes center stage as Keller Central faces Keller. With local bragging rights on the line, this is the kind of matchup where records and expectations can mean a little less once the game begins.
Lewisville takes on Denton Braswell in a district contest, and the timing could be significant. With Lewisville's starting quarterback cleared to return, the Farmers have an opportunity to build momentum heading deeper into district play.
Elsewhere, Anna and Celina meet in a heavyweight matchup featuring two of the state's most compelling programs. Prosper faces a Walnut Grove team that has quickly made its presence felt in Class 6A, while Melissa takes on a McKinney North squad sitting at 7-1.
Rockwall and Royse City will meet in another important matchup, and Southlake Carroll faces Timber Creek as the Dragons look to continue building toward the postseason.
One of the week's most anticipated annual matchups features Marcus against Denton Guyer. These two programs know each other well, and this game should provide another meaningful test for Guyer as it looks to maintain its position among the region's top teams.
Finally, Mansfield Timberview faces Everman in a matchup that could offer another opportunity for Timberview to make a statement.
With so many district games and potential playoff implications on the schedule, Week 10 has the ingredients for a much more eventful weekend than the one we just witnessed.
Will the playoff picture look completely different by next week, or will the same contenders continue to separate themselves from the pack? We'll have a much better idea after Friday night.
Before we get into this week's predictions, let's see how we did last time.
Week 9 Predictions: How We Did
-
Waxahachie over Duncanville — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
North Crowley over Skyline — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
Allen over Dallas Jesuit — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
DeSoto over Cedar Hill — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
Lewisville over Flower Mound — Correct winner; margin prediction incorrect.
-
Lake Ridge over Red Oak — Incorrect winner; margin prediction incorrect.
-
Argyle over Colleyville Heritage — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
Lone Star over Reedy — Correct winner; margin prediction incorrect.
-
Southlake Carroll over Byron Nelson — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
Guyer over Hebron — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
Martin over Lamar — Correct winner; margin prediction correct.
-
Lancaster over Burleson Centennial — Correct winner; margin prediction incorrect.
-
Rockwall over Forney — Correct winner; margin prediction incorrect.
Another strong week in the winner column. We got 12 of our 13 predicted winners correct, continuing a stretch of solid calls as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
The margins weren't quite as consistent, but picking winners is the first priority. Now the question is whether we can put together a week where both the winners and the point differentials fall into place.
We're getting closer to the postseason, the stakes are rising, and every prediction gets a little more interesting.
Week 10 Predictions
Here are our picks for this week's biggest North Texas high school football matchups.
| Matchup | Texas Preps Pick | Predicted Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Ridge vs. Duncanville | Duncanville | Fewer than 30 points |
| North Crowley vs. Mansfield | North Crowley | 30+ points |
| Waxahachie vs. Crowley | Waxahachie | 20+ points |
| Martin vs. Arlington | Martin | 20+ points |
| Keller Central vs. Keller | Keller Central | Fewer than 20 points |
| Lewisville vs. Braswell | Lewisville | 30+ points |
| Anna vs. Celina | Anna | Fewer than 20 points |
| Prosper vs. Walnut Grove | Prosper | 10+ points |
| Melissa vs. McKinney North | Melissa | 10+ points |
| Rockwall vs. Royse City | Rockwall | 20+ points |
| Southlake Carroll vs. Timber Creek | Southlake Carroll | 20+ points |
| Guyer vs. Marcus | Guyer | 20+ points |
| Mansfield Timberview vs. Everman | Mansfield Timberview | 30+ points |
The Bottom Line
Week 10 is where the regular season starts to feel real. District positioning, playoff momentum, and the pressure to perform are all coming together, and the margin for error continues to shrink.
Duncanville has an opportunity to silence the questions surrounding its recent performances. Lake Ridge has a chance to deliver one of the week's biggest surprises. North Crowley, Waxahachie, Allen, DeSoto, and Martin will look to keep proving that their success is no accident.
Our biggest game to watch remains Lake Ridge against Duncanville, but don't sleep on Anna versus Celina or the annual Guyer-Marcus showdown. Those games could provide some of the most telling results of the weekend.
As always, these predictions are about more than picking winners. They're about identifying which teams are building toward a postseason run and which ones still have something to prove.
Will Week 10 finally deliver the perfect prediction week, or are we due for a few surprises?
We'll find out under the Friday night lights.
Stay locked in with Texas Preps for more North Texas high school football coverage, predictions, and postseason storylines.
