Schedules Released for Tri-County Football Teams
As the Texas mercury rises in thermometers, the footballs are being aired up for two-a-day workouts around the first week of August. Texas Football magazine has hit the shelfs in local retailers and the have some telling news about some of our local teams. First, let’s give a closer look to the teams our teams will face in 2018.
The Fairfield Eagles advanced to the state seven-on-seven tournament last month in Bryan and made it deep in the event. They will feature some speed in the secondary and return some key skill positions. Texas Football magazine has the selected as the eventual district champion, which may surprise some people, but Coach John Bachtel has some high expectations for his team after a Ray Lewis speech that motivated his entire team.
The Eagles will open the 2018 season at Eagle Field against the Rusk Eagles, a playoff team from a year ago and Fairfield went two rounds deep and ended with an overtime loss to Bellville in Madisonville. They will have a second home game against the Brownsboro Bears and then have their first road contest to Athens to take on the Hornets.
Fairfield will have two more road contest one final road trip before district play begins. They will renew their rivalry with Palestine Wildcats at Wildcat Stadium.
They will take to the road in the first game of District 8-4A Division I play when the head down the interstate to Lorena to face the Leopards. They return home on October 5th to face the new arrival to the district, the Madisonville Mustangs.
On October 12, the Eagles will take on rival Mexia in the newly renovated Blackcat Field, fresh with a new field house and new field turf. Fairfield will try to cover up a six turnover performance in Mexia in a district loss last season. Fairfield has the open week on October 19, 2018.
The final three weeks shape up for the Eagles to have a run at the district title. The will host the Conally Cadets and visit Waco with a date against the Robinson Rockets. They return home to face the Salado Eagles and a rematch of an exciting overtime win last season, a Fairfield win that likely solidified their playoff spot a year ago.
The Teague Lions must replace a load of talent that graduated in May but the Lions feel they have a solid chance at a playoff spot, although a district title may require a bit more work. The district race takes on a whole new look for 2018.
Teague and Malakoff have been in the same district for the last four season and the realignment sent them in different directions. They did agree to play in the 2018 season opener at Tiger Stadium in Malakoff. Teague will have their home opener the next week against the Mexia Blackcats before an open date on September 14.
The next two weeks will be home games for the Lions. They will host the Lorena Leopards and Hempstead Bobcats before the district opener on October 5.
Teague has a huge opener for District 9-3A Division I play. They will host the Grandview Zebras, regional finalist last season, in what could be a game to determine the top two teams. They will travel to Limestone County the next week and take on the Groesbeck Goats. McGregor will come to Lion Stadium the next week and the Teague travels to Whitney to battle the Wildcats.
The final two games will determine seeding in the playoff chase. Teague will host the Maypearl Panthers and then travel to West to take on the Trojans in what have been entertaining district games the last two seasons.
The Wortham Bulldogs won their first four games last season, but were winless in the final six, including all five district contests. There has been a change in the head man on the sideline, Chad Coker replaces Chris Tobola as the head coach and will make his debut on August 31.
Wortham opens the season on the road against the Itasca Wampus Cats. Their home opener is the second meeting against the Saints of Dallas First Baptist Academy. The first meeting was in 2012 and the Saints won that contest 52-0.
On September 14, Wortham will travel to Bartlett to take on the Bulldogs in their first meeting between the two schools, they did scrimmage each other last year and move into a real game this year. The next week they return home for the next two weeks against two teams that they have has some success against. The will renew their meetings with the Cayuga Wildcats, coming off a 40-28 Bulldog win last season and then a matchup against the Crossroads Bobcats, with the Bulldogs winning the last four meetings, including their last meeting in 2013 36-14.
After the open date on October 5, the Bulldogs begin District 11-2A Division II play. It is a bit more familiar than the deep East Texas look from the last two seasons, with the closest district game being 92 miles away. This year all games are within a gas tank distance.
Wortham will travel to Frost to take on the Polar Bears in their 57th meeting. The have lost the last five meetings with Frost and have not defeated the Polar Bears since 2010.
The Bulldogs will host the Mart Panthers on October 19. They will welcome in the defending state champion and play the Bulldogs for the first time since 1929. Wortham is unbeaten at home against the Panthers with a 19-6 win in 1928.
Wortham will be on the road in the next two weeks with a trip to Meridian to take on the Yellowjackets. They will move over to Hubbard to renew their series with the Jaguars. Wortham has only four wins in the 33 meetings and have lost the last five meetings.
The Bulldogs will end the season with the 69th meeting against the Dawson Bulldogs in the historic home stadium in Wortham. The Bulldogs have won the last seven meetings against Dawson, including an exciting last minute win at home 15-9 a year ago.
Mart will be the decided favorite to win the district but the race is wide open for the remaining five teams. A playoff team only needs to win two games to solidify their spot for the postseason and the Bulldogs have their eyes set on an 11th game at a neutral site.
