Fort Worth-area football: Keep tabs on these five Week 7 games. No. 3 North Crowley takes on No. 1 Waxahachie in a District 11-6A showdown.
Abigail Dollins
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Week 7 of the Texas high school football season is here.
Check out the Star-Telegram’s five games to watch:
North Crowley vs. Waxahachie, 7 p.m. Friday at Lumpkins Stadium
This is not only the game of the week in the Fort Worth area, it might be the game of the year in the state of Texas. Waxahachie (5-0 overall, 2-0 District 11-6A) is ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 6A by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and will host No. 3 North Crowley (5-0, 2-0) at Lumpkins Stadium Friday.
There is plenty of Division I college talent sprinkled all over this game and both teams should be well rested after the district’s off week last week. North Crowley will have to try to slow down quarterback Jerry Meyer III, a South Carolina commit who has thrown for 1,421 yards (284.2 per game) and 16 touchdowns.
Both teams have several weapons on offense with a Panthers ground game that features G’Yrell Smith (North Texas commit) and Kiante Ingram. When quarterback Jacob Torres isn’t handing it off he’s got wide receivers Damarion Mays and Hayden Green to target.
Meyer has a stout offensive line to work behind, and the Indians do throw more than they run. Running back Taylen Strange has had a superb season, averaging 111.2 yards per game with 12 touchdowns. Jordan Thompson-Woods and Jashawn Crayton both have several DI offers with Kentorian King (Colorado State) rounding out a strong receiving corps.
The Waxahachie offense will definitely test the North Crowley defensive backfield of Brock Lacy, Elijajuan Houston (Arizona State), Jerry Outhouse (UCLA) and super sophomore Braylen Cunningham, one of the top defensive backs in the country in the class of 2029. The Indians are no slouches on the defensive side either with Sedrick Marsh (Kansas State), linebacker Carmelo Clawson and safety JayQuan Snell (Texas A&M).
Arlington Bowie at Aledo, 7 p.m. Friday
Aledo has had a couple of weeks to digest the fact that their historic, 136-game district win streak is gone. The Bearcats, however, can’t stay down for long as a stout Arlington Bowie squad comes calling.
Aledo (2-3 overall, 1-1 District 3-6A) is having some growing pains after moving up to Class 6A, but chances are the Bearcats will catch up soon. Aledo didn’t play well against Arlington Martin, something they can’t do at this level and expect to win.
If Aledo wants to avoid three home losses in a row, something that hasn’t happened in over two decades, then they’ll have to slow down Volunteers’ quarterback Mason Nichols who has thrown for 1,103 yards (220.6 per game) this season with his favorite targets being Maxwell Nichols (32 catches-364 yards) and A.J. Birdow (31-362).
Bowie (3-2, 2-0) will have to find some of the same explosive magic that Martin found. Aledo played decently against the run, but allowed three long touchdown runs of 77, 55 and 33 yards against Martin with the other 25 rushing attempts netting zero yards.
Aledo will have to try to get back on track on offense after getting shut out in the second half against Martin. Quarterback Tre Williams has averaged 151.4 yards passing per game this season, but only had 90 passing yards last time out.
Running back Wyatt Dorsey had 20 carries for 209 yards against Martin and he and backfield mate Izzy Roberts will have to step up.
Red Oak vs. Crowley, 7 p.m. Friday at Crowley ISD Stadium
Another key District 11-6A games takes place on Friday at Crowley ISD Stadium as Red Oak (3-2 overall, 1-1 District 11-6A) visits Crowley (2-3, 1-1). Everyone expects Waxahachie, North Crowley and Duncanville to reach the playoffs so the last berth from the district might come down to this game.
Red Oak opened district play by squeaking past Mansfield (23-20), but the Hawks got drilled by Duncanville (42-0) to follow. Crowley took down Dallas Skyline (52-14) before losing to cross-town rival North Crowley (35-14) before the bye week.
Kenyen Cotton leads Crowley in both rushing yards (389) and receiving yards (187) with Antwain Griffin leading the offense at quarterback. The Eagles will have to try to slow down dynamic Red Oak quarterback Tuhran Square II who has averaged 169.2 yards throwing and 57.8 rushing per game so far this season.
Denton at FW Chisholm Trail, 7 p.m. Friday
Denton (4-2 overall, 1-1 District 3-5A Division I) and Fort Worth Chisholm Trail (3-2, 1-0) battle to keep pace atop the 3-5A DI standings at Ranger Stadium on Friday.
Both teams have wins over Azle with Denton taking a 49-6 decision and Chisholm Trail winning 41-26 in their district opener. Denton dropped a 33-7 decision to 5A DI No. 10 Denton Ryan in the Broncos first district game.
Xavier Rodriguez carries much of the load for Chisholm Trail, rushing for 843 yards (168.6 yards per game) and 12 touchdowns this season behind a big, physical offensive line. Quarterback Keaton Rose didn’t play in the district opener for the Rangers against Azle two weeks ago, but was averaging 226.3 yards passing per game in the first four contests.
Sophomore Gabriel Weber stepped in and picked up the slack for Chisholm Trail with an 18 of 24, 264-yard passing performance. Denton quarterback Terrance Lopez has averaged 210 yards per game (156 passing, 54 rushing) and running back Kaiden Credit has averaged just under 100 yards per game with nine TDs.
NRH Richland vs. NRH Birdville, 7 p.m. Friday at Birdville FA/AC
It’s a District 6-5A Division I backyard brawl as North Richland Hills Richland (5-1 overall, 1-1 district) and North Richland Hills Birdville (5-1, 1-1) meet, both trying to bounce back from close losses last week.
The schools, which are just under 3.5 miles apart, will both likely make the playoffs, but this meeting could go a long way toward staying out of fourth place in the district. The fourth-place finisher will likely have to face 5A DI No. 2 Frisco Lone Star in a possible first-round matchup in the playoffs.
Richland running back Jayshon Gibson did everything he could in a 45-42 loss to Highland Park, rushing for 272 yards on 21 carries with four touchdowns and catching three passes for 67 yards and another TD.
Birdville’s main threats are quarterback Zach Wells, who averages 184 yards passing per game and has 14 touchdown passes, and running back Anthony White who has rushed for 13 TDs and 630 yards on the season (105 per game).
White had 138 yards on 17 carries and a pair of touchdowns in the Hawks 28-20 loss to Garland Naaman Forest last week.