HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Predictions for the area's state quarterfinal playoff games

One of my favorite things to do each week during the high school football playoffs is check the schedule and see where each game is being played.

Choosing a site for a playoff game isn’t always simple. Sometimes the two coaches can’t agree on anything and a series of “coin flips” decide all the details.

But there are occasions when it is that simple. Both coaches have an idea of where they want to play, the venue is available, and the matchup is set.

It’s also fun to guess where each game may be played ahead of time. But I typically check in with a coach the week before to grasp where I might be headed next week.

What makes a stadium a great place to watch football is different for media than fans. Yes, as a reporter, I am a bit spoiled. I want good WiFi, updated rosters for both teams and a seat in the press box that allows me to keep stats on my laptop. And it doesn’t hurt if you serve food, but I’ll settle for just a bottle of water.

None of these things are guaranteed on a Friday night. I’ve had to fight for a seat, and there have been times I couldn’t secure one. I’ve sat in the bleachers or just stood in a press box, keeping a play by play on a sheet of paper so I can input stats later.

That brings me to this week’s list. My top five stadiums to cover a high school football game.

I’m limiting this list to stadiums primarily used for high school football, so that eliminates AT&T Stadium, Texas Tech’s Jones Stadium and Abilene Christian’s Anthony Field the site of this week’s Rider vs. Lubbock-Cooper matchup. But honestly, only Anthony Field would crack my list. It checks off several of the factors most important to me.

Above all is hospitality. There are stadiums that do not make media feel welcome. You would have a hard time talking me into covering a game at Abilene Wylie’s Hugh Sandifer Stadium for instance. A legendary coach like Sandifer should have better representation in the press box of a stadium that bears his name.

Head coaches and athletic directors rarely have much to do with the hospitality of a press box.

Many stadiums kick media out a press box within 30 minutes after the game. It’s not as big of a deal now as it was when we were trying to meet an 11 p.m. deadline. By the time we get interviews done on the field, that would leave 15 minutes at most to produce a story before getting kicked out of the press box.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve written a story from the passenger seat of my car in the parking lot of a Saginaw ISD stadium.

I’ve never covered a game at the Ford Center (The Star), but the stories I’ve heard about poor press hospitality doesn’t have me beating down the door to experience it.

I was excited when I heard Hirschi was playing at Allen’s luxurious Eagle Stadium, but it doesn’t hold a hospitable reputation, either. Because of that, I’m headed to Anthony Field for the Rider-Cooper game and letting Cory Hogue take the Hirschi-Springtown matchup in Allen.

I sound spoiled, but I need at least an hour postgame to get quick recaps from all four of our area’s Friday night playoff matchups online for our readership. I know the Abilene Christian staff at Anthony Field understands the need for press to work immediately after a game.

I’m also not including Memorial Stadium on this list, but I will brag about the WFISD staff. That press box is incredibly hospitable with good food and plenty of drinks available on game nights. It would absolutely be in my top five if I were to include it.

My only complaint is a lack of an elevator. But longtime press box host Jerry Chavez recently shared a story he heard from legendary Hirschi coach Dub Largin.

Largin mentioned to former WFISD athletic director Joe Golding that an elevator to the press box would be a nice addition. Golding’s response was something along the line of, “If you’re not able to climb the steps to the press box, you don’t deserve to be in the press box.”

Fair enough. Who’s going to argue with the most important figure in WFISD athletics history?

Here are my five favorite stadiums to cover a high school football game.

5. Midland’s Grande Communications Stadium – I spent four football seasons covering the Midland High Bulldogs almost exclusively. That means a lot of time at Grande, and not just for football. I had the soccer beat when I was at the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Although, I did jokingly call it Grande Mis-Communications Stadium due to some shoddy Wi-Fi. How does a stadium sponsored by an internet provider have poor Wi-Fi? They’ve fixed that issue, and I’ve enjoyed being back in that press box the last two weeks. Grande is a much better facility than famed Ratliff Stadium in Odessa. The hospitality alone sets it apart. Grande also has the slowest elevator I’ve ever ridden. But a slow elevator is better than no elevator.

4. Denton’s Collins Athletic Complex – I lived in Denton while this stadium was being built. I drove by it daily waiting for the day I could watch a game there. I moved away from Denton to attend Mdwestern State before I got that opportunity. So, it felt like I had come full circle when I returned to Wichita Falls to work at the TRN and covered my first game at Collins. It’s a great stadium with a very hospitable staff. It doesn’t lack for much at all.

3. Justin’s Northwest ISD Stadium – There’s a similar story for this venue as there was for Collins. Even while this stadium was being built, I marveled at its size. And the location of it seemed so random at the time. I didn’t know much about the area and didn’t realize I was driving through a growing school district. The nicest part of this press box is the amount of room it has. There are multiple rooms that can be catered to media during big playoff games.

2. Lubbock-Cooper’s Pirate Stadium – I’ve been here twice and am always blown away by the level of hospitality. Even when he was head football coach and athletic director, Max Kattwinkel made it a priority that media feel at home in this stadium. They provide a VIP parking spot for media located directly behind the stadium’s entrance nearest the press box. And the food spread is fantastic.

1. Mineral Wells’ Ram Stadium – There are stadiums that treat their press box more like a VIP luxury box. Most media members have learned to deal with that, but we are working press. Keeping accurate stats and play by play takes focus and missing one play can mess up an entire game’s worth of notes. That’s what sets Mineral Wells’ press box apart from all others. They built two VIP booths that seat 35 people on each side of a spacious media/scout area. Food and drink is typically provided as is parking behind the press box stadium entrance. It’s my favorite setup of any press box I’ve been in.

On to the picks…

Just like last week, there are only four teams from the TRN Sports coverage area still playing. There are 16 other games throughout the state added to these predictions. One of those games was played Thursday night, with Shiner dominating Refugio in what might have been the de facto Class 2A Division I state title game.

Be sure to check out the picks from the rest of the TRN Sports “expert” panel below.

AREA GAMES

Rider 21, Lubbock-Cooper 20 – Special teams cost Rider in the regular season meeting. The Raiders focused on cleaning up those mistakes and have succeeded. As I told Marty McBride with the ROHO Sports Network, if Rider can score 21 points, I like its chances to win. If the Raiders can get to 28 points, I think they absolutely win. I’ll give Rider 21 points and a narrow victory.

Hirschi 38, Springtown 24 – Hirschi made some careless mistakes in the first meeting that nearly cost it. But the Huskies found a way to dig out of the hole, thanks largely to special teams play. The Huskies played a much cleaner game against Dumas. And if they replicate it, then they are two TDs better than Springtown.

Gunter 37, Holliday 21 – Gunter is too much of a juggernaut, featuring a run-first offense capable of throwing the ball at will. This is a really good Holliday team – one of the best in program history. But I’m afraid Gunter is in a league of its own this season.

Albany 21, Windthorst 13 – Windthorst has the best defense Albany will have seen this season. And it’s the Trojan defense that will keep this game interesting. But I can’t talk myself into pick the Trojans to make the upset. Albany was close to beating the Trojans last season. It took an amazing play by Windthorst receiver Kyle Wolf to set up the winning score. I’m not sure where Windthorst gets that against Albany’s suffocating defense this season.

CLASS 6A

Southlake Carroll 40, Allen 17 – It’s on the list because these are two of the most well-known programs in the state, but Carroll is a couple tiers above Allen this season.

Duncanville 43, DeSoto 19 – It’s on here for the same reason Carroll-Allen is, but again, Duncanville is superior.

CLASS 5A

Mansfield Summit 30, Colleyville Heritage 27 – Great matchup that ended in a 35-34 victory for Heritage earlier this season. I’m giving the Jaguars vengeance.

College Station 33, Denton Ryan 20 – I think Ryan has the better strength of schedule, but College Station’s offense averages 53 points per game. The Cougars won’t score that on Ryan, but I trust their offense to put points on the board at this stage.

Dallas South Oak Cliff 27, Lucas Lovejoy 26 – Feels like a total coin toss but upsetting Aledo is worth something, which is why I’m picking the Golden Bears. However, Lovejoy being Rider’s next opponent is a much more interesting story with three former WFHS head coaches being on the Leopards staff.

CLASS 4A

Melissa 32, Stephenville 30 – This game makes me feel old. Sidney Parker is the running backs coach at Melissa. He was a junior on the first Big Spring Steers team I covered when I started my career back in my hometown. That’s not why I’m picking Melissa, but it doesn’t hurt. The winner of this win gets either Hirschi or Springtown.

Gilmer 44, Texarkana Pleasant Grove 24 – This has been one of the state’s best rivalries for the past few seasons, but Gilmer is decisively better this season, owning a 55-14 win against Pleasant Grove.

China Spring 35, West Orange-Stark 33 – Similar to South Oak Cliff beating Aledo, China Spring’s 27-17 victory against Carthage has to be worth something.

CLASS 3A

Mount Vernon 26, West 22 – Which team do I trust to score with the game on the line? The answer is Mount Vernon and an offense averaging 50 points per game.

Lubbock Roosevelt 38, Abernathy 33 – Abernathy’s lone loss is 58-56 to Roosevelt. And it took a furious rally for the Eagles to knock the Antelopes off. I’ll give the Eagles the edge once again, although this isn’t a confident pick. The winner of this game draws either Holliday or Gunter.

Waskom 34, Daingerfield 22 – I’m predicting a Region III-3A Division I title for Waskom and in comfortable fashion.

CLASS 2A

Hawley 21, Cisco 7 – Hawley hasn’t played the toughest schedule but allowing just six points per game is impressive. I’ll take the Bearcats’ defense.

Stratford 28, Wellington 10 – I see points being an issue for Wellington to score against Stratford. The winner of this one gets either Windthorst or Albany.

Mart 47, Chilton 17 – It’s time to start paying attention to Mart again locally. The Panthers are outscoring their opponents 54-5 and already own a 56-6 victory against Chilton.

SIX-MAN

Strawn 65, Richland Springs 45 – The Greyhounds finally get past perennial state title contender Richland Springs and into the Class A Division II state title game.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: High school football predictions Wichita Falls area state quarterfinals