All games District 19-6A

Thursday

Paetow (0-6-0-4) vs. Cinco Ranch (4-3, 3-2), 6:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium

Last year: Cinco Ranch 35, Paetow 24

• Paetow and Cinco Ranch both are looking to bounce back this week and will face off in a battle, but on different levels in district.
  Paetow is in search of its first win of the year, but comes off a game where there were positives to take after holding Katy to its lowest point total of the season.
  The Panthers kept Katy off the scoreboard for an entire quarter and did everything they could to stay in the game with Katy and that will give some momentum heading into this week against a Cinco Ranch team that also has a good offense.
  Cinco Ranch meanwhile will be looking to stay in the playoff race and get back in the win column after a loss to Jordan where the Cougars offense took a bit too long to get into the game offensively. Marcus Gadlin had a great game, rushing for 137 yards and a touchdown and Tessiah Young added 74 yards and a touchdown. Davis Roup had 220 yards and a touchdown through the air but did struggle with two interceptions, while Taytum Johnson had 96 yards and a touchdown receiving and Drew Tureau had 72 yards receiving. The Cougars struggled on defense though, allowing 280 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
  Cinco Ranch will try to continue to have a balanced run and pass game and be better with not turning the ball over. Defensively they will try to continue to improve at the back end and not allow big plays. Paetow meanwhile will have its hands full with a strong offense and will need to be good against the pass, while offensively they will try to build on their past few games and continue to improve with having a balanced offense.

Jordan (5-1, 3-1) vs. Seven Lakes (22-4, 1-3), 7:15 p.m. at Legacy Stadium

Last year: Jordan 31, Seven Lakes 21

• Jordan and Seven Lakes will play each other on Thursday with Jordan coming off a big win and Seven Lakes trying to bounce back after a hard loss to Mayde Creek.
  The Warriors did just about everything right last week in a win over Cinco Ranch. The Warriors used a huge game from Colin Willetts, who completed 15 of 17 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns, with Tanner West catching four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown to go with 30 yards and a score on the ground, while Deacon Stanfield had 69 yards receiving and a touchdown and Andrew Marsh had 62 yards receiving and a touchdown. The Jordan defense also stepped up in the win, turning Cinco Ranch over twice on drives that could have reached the endzone.
  Seven Lakes comes off a loss where they had a very strong second half but couldn’t overcome what was a poor first half against Mayde Creek. The Spartans put up 24 points in the second half but struggled defensively against the Rams, allowing 181 yards on the ground and 110 yards through the air in the loss.
  Jordan’s key will be stopping the Seven Lakes run game and continuing to be opportunistic on defense, while doing the same thing they’ve done on offense all season. Seven Lakes will have to get some explosive plays offensively and move the ball on the air as well as the ground, while they will also need to limit big plays by the Jordan offense.

Friday

Mayde Creek (3-4, 2-3) vs. Taylor (3-3, 3-1), 6:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium

Last year: Taylor 35, Mayde Creek 3

• Mayde Creek and Taylor both will be looking to string together wins when they play on Friday.
  The Rams come off a big win over Seven Lakes despite being shorthanded. The Rams put together a complete and balanced offensive performance. Tavious Mitchell had a good game, rushing 10 times for 69 yards while Trey Williams stepped up in a number of areas after an injury at the quarterback position, rushing eight times for 67 yards and two touchdowns, completing three of three passes for 55 yards and catching three passes for 15 yards. Chad Nelson led the team in receiving, catching three passes for 50 yards. The Rams defensively had a strong first half and held on in the second half to help secure the win.
  Taylor meanwhile, stayed in a playoff spot in district after earning a big win over Morton Ranch last week in a matchup that came all the way down to the wire. Daniel Bruns was big for Taylor in the win, throwing for 139 yards and a touchdown, while Ian Flynt had 72 yards receiving, Javion Garrett had 26 yards receiving and Dante Archie had 17 yards receiving and a touchdown while archie also added 44 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Mustangs defense also forced three turnovers and limited Morton Ranch to 54 yards through the air as they secured a big win.
  Mayde Creek will need to have a strong day on the ground and be able to hold up against a very good Taylor front seven, while also holding up against a big Taylor offensive line. Taylor on the other side, will have to continue to have a strong run game and be efficient through the air and will need to limit the the Mayde Creek run offense.

Morton Ranch (1-6, 1-4) vs. Tompkins (3-3, 2-2), 7:15 p.m. at Legacy Stadium

Last year: Tompkins 55, Morton Ranch 21

• It will be a much different situation for Tompkins and Morton Ranch as they prepare to face off on Friday.
  The Falcons have rebounded from early struggles and have really stepped up over the past few weeks, winning two straight after a loss to Cinco Ranch and setting themselves up for a run at the playoffs down the stretch. Morton Ranch hasn’t had the same type of success and has fallen on bad luck as well. Playing well and staying in games but being unable to pull out wins in any of its last four and losing three straight by less than 10 points.
  The Falcons had a much needed bye last week and should be in strong shape heading into this game. The last time out, Tompkins put together maybe its best game of the season in a win over Taylor. Caleb Blocker continued his huge senior season, rushing for 216 yards and two touchdowns, while Justin Thierheimer threw for three touchdowns, two to Rhys Phillips and one to Adebisi Bello while passing for 63 yards. The Falcons defense also had a good day, only allowing scores in the second half and leading the entire way.
  Morton Ranch had a very hard fought game last week where they came up just short to Taylor and will be looking to bounce back. Mike Gerald had a strong day on the ground, rushing for 96 yards and a score and also throwing for 54 yards. Ryan hall added 79 yards on the ground while Markel McNeal had 45 yards receiving. The Morton Ranch defense had a good game too, holding Taylor to 139 yards on the ground and 79 yards through the air.
  The game will come down to how Morton Ranch’s defense will hold up against one of the better rushing offenses in the district and will need to find more success through the air. Tompkins meanwhile will try to be efficient in the pass game while pounding the run and will try to play physical and stop the run defensively.