Games This Weekend

WEST ORANGE-STARK over LITTLE CYPRESS-MAURICEVILLE—Both the Mustangs and the Battlin’ Bears are coming off impressive opening season wins last week and are chomping at the bit for this annual grudge match which will be played tomorrow at Bridge City High School’s gridiron because LCM’s new field isn’t quite ready yet. Both teams got to the fourth-round of the playoffs last year, so things look pretty equal. But I like defense again this week and am going with the Mustangs.

BRIDGE CITY over BUNA—The Cardinals got their wings clipped last week and are ready to present Head Coach Cody McGuire with his first Redbird victory. But the Cards were defeated by a pack of Bobcats last week and must remember that Cougars are twice as fierce.

ORANGEFIELD over SPRING LEGACY—Don’t know much about the Bobcats’ Friday night opponent, but I do know that Orangefield retained the Buzzie Gunn Trophy for the fourth straight year last week and plan to protect their unblemished record.

DEWEYVILLE over CUSHING—The Pirates got the season off on the right foot against Mount Enterprise and should be able to please the home crowd Friday.

ABILENE CHRISTIAN over LAMAR—The Cardinals kick off the new season tomorrow in Abilene where they hope to improve on their 2-8 record last year. The Redbirds should be much-improved and should give ACU all it can handle.

MONTANA STATE over McNEESE STATE—The Cowboys rarely go under the .500 mark in a season, but it certainly happened in 2021. And the teams in the Big Sky State are always pretty tough, especially at home.

HIGH SCHOOL—Beaumont United over Port Neches-Groves, Manvel over Beaumont West Brook, Port Arthur Memorials over Nederland, Lumberton over Houston St. Thomas, East Chambers over Hamshire-Fannett, Palestine over Jasper, Silsbee over Huffman, Newton over Woodville, Hardin-Jefferson over Anahuac, Kountze over Brazos, Warren over Hull-Daisetta, Corrigan-Camden over Buna, Kirbyville over Diboll, Houston St. Pius over Beaumont Kelly, Evadale over Hardin, High Island over Second Baptist, Chester over Texas Christian, Burkeville over Union Hill, Living Stones over Beaumont Legacy Christian.

COLLEGE— Alabama-Birmingham over Alabama A&M, Pittsburgh over West Virginia, Wake Forest over VMI, Fresno State over Cal Poly, Toledo over LIU, Missouri State over Central Arkansas, Arizona State over Northern Arizona, Air Force over Northern Iowa, Central Florida over South Carolina State (all Thursday); Michigan State over Western Michigan (Friday); Houston over UTSA, Texas A&M over Sam Houston, Texas over Louisiana-Monroe, USC over Rice, Prairie View over Texas Southern, Northern Colorado over Houston Baptist, TCU over Colorado, Baylor over Albany, Texas Tech over Murray State, LSU over Florida State, Alabama over Utah State, Ohio State over Notre Dame, Georgia over Oregon, Michigan over Colorado State, Utah over Florida, Oklahoma over UTEP, Oklahoma State over Central Michigan, North Carolina State over East Carolina, Miami over Bethune-Cookman, Wisconsin over Illinois State,Kentucky over Miami (Ohio), Arkansas over Cincinnati (Upset Special), Ole Miss over Troy, Stephen F. Austin over Alcorn, Stanford over Colgate, Navy over Delaware, Northern Illinois over Eastern Illinois, Arkansas State over Grambling State, Washington State over Idaho, Incarnate Word over Southern Illinois, Villanova over Lehigh, New Mexico over Maine, Montana over Northwestern State, Nicholls State over South Alabama, Marshall over Norfolk State, Nebraska over North Dakota, San Jose State over Portland State, Virginia over Richmond, Kansas State over South Dakota, Iowa over South Dakota State, Louisiana-Lafayette over Southeastern Louisiana, California over UC-Davis; (all Sat.); Clemson over Georgia Tech (Monday).

PRO PICKS—Buffalo over LA Rams (Thursday); Tampa Bay over Dallas, Indianapolis over Houston, San Francisco over Chicago, Minnesota over Green Bay (Upset Special), New Orleans over Atlanta, Cleveland over Carolina, Cincinnati over Pittsburgh, Philadelphia over Detroit, Miami over New England, Baltimore over NY Jets, Jacksonville over Washington, Tennessee over NY Giants. Kansas City over Arizona, LA Chargers over Las Vegas (all Sunday); Denver over Seattle (Monday Night).