Keep up with the action all season long: 2014 Frisco High School Football Schedules and Results
Week 8 presents the battle for Distict 9-5A‘s top spot, as the Wakeland Wolverines look to stick it to the top-seeded Centennial Titans. Plus, five other teams look to either solidify their standings or keep their playoff dreams alive.
Frisco Lone Star (5-2, 3-2) @ Frisco Heritage (5-1, 3-1)—Fri., 10/17 @ 7:00 PM @ Frisco ISD Memorial Stadium
After exploding out of the gates in their 5A debut, the Lone Star Rangers have returned to earth, losing their last two games. And this week’s contest against a very solid crew of Coyotes could prove challenging as well.
Heritage, which jumped into the 5A Area Top 15 with last week’s 59-34 win against Frisco Independence, has been reaping the rewards of QB Malik Walker and his evolving role as elite passer (1,366 yards passing, 17 TDs, 3 INTs). Walker’s success is due in no small measure to his three-headed monster of a receiving unit—Bubba Ogbebor (400 yds, 8 TDs), Chris Baez (392 yds, 5 TDs) and Keaton White (300 yds, 2 TDs).
Even though Lone Star is ranked higher in the area (12th), this game may prove an uphill battle as Jason Shelley and company will have to pour some points on the board to keep pace with Walker and his myriad of weapons.
Frisco Wakeland (5-1, 3-1) @ Frisco Centennial (4-2, 4-0)—Fri., 10/17 @ 7:00 PM @ Toyota Stadium
Week 8’s Game of the Week is a classic example of a premium matchup. It’s not just the area’s No. 9 (Wakeland) and No. 11 (Centennial) going head-to-head, but an intense rivalry that features two offenses and defenses that statistically are almost mirror images of one another.
The Wolverines of Wakeland enter this Friday’s contest averaging 32.5 points per game, thanks to an offense that generates an average of 389.4 yards per game—244.8 rushing, 144.5 passing. The Wolverines defense is slightly more susceptible to rush (allowing 168/ypg) than the pass (163.8 ypg). One key strength of Wakeland is their running attack, as they have five RBs with over 100 yards, led by the indefatigable Brent Altieri (711 yds, 11 TDs). Clearly, suppressing the running game will be key to Centennial’s success.
The Titans are averaging 32.8 points per game, with an offense that, like Wakeland, favors the running attack (197.2 ypg as opposed to 160.8 ypg via the pass). One advantage that the Titans possess is a run-stuffing defense that has allowed just 138.8 yards per game. Centennial’s defensive stats against the pass are slightly skewed since they faced two of the better passing teams in the state in Highland Park and Lake Dallas. However, since then, they’ve averaged just 150.7 yards per game; and they have a four-game win streak to show for it.
Centennial has a slight advantage in passing offense thanks to a much-improved Court Walker calling the plays behind center. Paramount to the Titans’ success has been the ascension of RB Anthony Pegues, who is coming off yet another stellar week.
Frisco Liberty (3-3 , 2-2) @ The Colony (4-3 , 2-3)—Fri., 10/17 @ 7:00 PM @ TC’s Tommy Briggs Stadium
Frisco Liberty is in an enviable position if they can pull off a win over The Colony. Depending on how the Lone Star game shakes down, a win for the RedHawks could move them into the fourth playoff spot. The Colony, on the other hand, needs the win to keep their increasingly thin playoff hopes alive.
The name of the game for the Cougars is a strong running attack (282.9 ypg) complemented by a stingy defense that is particularly adept at stopping the opposition’s running backs (allowing just 99.1 rushing yards per game).
Liberty possesses a stellar defense of its own (allowing just 130.5 rushing yards per game), and boasts the area’s number one scoring defense (12.5 ppg). If a good-old fashioned grind-it-out defensive battle is your thing, this game is right up your alley, as this looks to be a low-scoring affair.
Frisco Independence (1-6, 0-5) @ Frisco High (3-3 , 2-2)—Thurs., 10/16 @ 7:00 PM @ Toyota Stadium
Similar to Liberty, the Raccoons of Frisco High have a chance to gain ground and sneak back into the playoff picture with a win this Friday night. Whereas the ‘Coons are looking to get back into the playoff hunt, the Independence Knights are taking things one game at a time, and will look to build off last week’s game.
If there is such a thing as a positive loss, then the Independence Knights certainly had one last week, as their offense looked quite sharp behind an excellent game by their QB Kyle Saddler.
However, the Knights’ porous run defense could become completely overwhelmed by the ‘Coons’ Paul Terry and their buzz saw running attack.
Frisco Legacy Christian (3-3, 0-3) @ Carrollton Prince of Peace Christian (2-4, 1-2)—Fri., 10/17 @ 7:00 PM @ POPCS Eagle Stadium
The Legacy Christian Eagles will look to stop their three-game skid tonight against Carrollton POPC. This might present the best opportunity for Legacy to get things back on track, as CPOPC features a lackluster passing game that should allow the Eagles to key-in on their two star running backs—John Bloom (587 yds, 5 TDs) and Michael Bailey (220 yds, 2 TDs). A district win is of the utmost importance for Legacy as time is running out for them to paint a postseason picture in TAPPS 2-II.