Top 5 Football Games to Watch This Week in West Texas

SAN ANGELO, TX — Here are our top five high school football games to watch in West Texas in Week 4:

Mason (3-0) at Junction (2-1)

This Hill Country rivalry finally turned in Junction’s favor last year when the Eagles beat the longtime state-power Punchers 27-16 on the way to the state quarterfinals. Riding high at No. 4 in the state in Class 2A Division I, Mason seems poised to regain control this year, but don’t count out Junction just yet.

Junction is coming off an impressive 37-32 win over Ozona last week in a game in which the Eagles were the underdogs. Their rebuilt offensive line lost every starter from last year, but Leo Silva and Nate Perez saw a lot of playing time due to injuries, and they’ve helped anchor things up front for new quarterback Coke Murr and new running back Koda Bierschwale.

Mason has lived up to all the preseason hype during its 3-0 start. The Punchers have had two blowout wins over Reagan County (58-0) and Granger (66-20) along with a 46-44 thriller against defending state champion Hamilton. 

Junction has shown it’s still going to be one of the Concho Valley’s top teams this fall, but containing all of Mason’s weapons may be too much to ask.

The pick: Mason 38, Junction 24

Ozona (1-2) at Wall (3-0)

This would have been a dream matchup last year with Ozona’s 3,600-yard running back, Christian Villarreal, against the defense of Wall’s state championship team. This year’s pairing may not have quite the same luster, but there’s still some intrigue.

First off, credit to Ozona for taking on this challenge. The 2A Division I Lions are jumping up a couple levels to take on the 3A D-I Hawks, who are ranked No. 3 in the state and have won 19 games in a row. Ozona is coming off back-to-back losses to private school power Austin Hyde Park (45-22) and a strong 2A D-II program in Junction (37-32). The Lions still have their powerful offensive line and a new running back, Jay Borrego, who has already rushed for 473 yards. 

As for Wall, the Hawks haven’t missed a beat after graduating 16 starters. They gutted out a 42-35 win over 4A D-I Canyon West Plains (which is up to No. 7 in the state), followed by routs of 6A La Joya (55-14) and 3A D-I rival Jim Ned (49-13). Quarterback Gunner King has completed 72% of his passes while throwing for 949 yards to a stable of dangerous receivers, and running back Gunner Garza (315 rushing yards, 141 receiving yards) gives the offense an explosive element from the backfield.

Ozona could have an advantage in the trenches with an offensive line that averages 276 pounds, but the Lions still look to be simply overmatched by this Wall powerhouse.

The pick: Wall 45, Ozona 20

Brady (0-3) at Ballinger (2-1)

This is the 100th anniversary of the first meeting between these two schools. They’ve had some entertaining games in recent years, but Ballinger hasn’t had the upper hand since 2019. 

Despite an 0-3 start, Brady looks like the favorite again this season. The Bulldogs were competitive last week in a 34-17 loss to defending state champion Hamilton, and they also narrowly lost 32-29 to Comfort. A 41-0 loss to Ingram Moore was the only bad setback. Nasir Menefield, a 6-foot-5, 365-pound lineman who was Co-MVP of his district last year, will command plenty of Ballinger’s attention.

Ballinger is finally getting to play at home after three straight road games to start the year. The Bearcats are coming off a 34-0 loss to Early, which followed wins over Eastland (27-6) and Odessa Compass (27-20). All three of those teams are 3As, so Ballinger hasn’t been afraid to test itself before the start of District 4-2A Division I play next week.

Ballinger should keep this game close, but the feeling is that Brady will pull away down the stretch.

The pick: Brady 28, Ballinger 21

Menard (3-0) at Zephyr (3-0)

This is a matchup of two of the best six-man programs in the state, and it will be interesting to find out where each team stands Friday night.

Zephyr is the one that comes in state-ranked at No. 4 in Class 1A Division II, but the Bulldogs don’t feel like the favorite in this game. Menard is a 1A D-I school, and the Yellow Jackets should probably be recognized in the Top 10. They’ve won 14 of their last 15 games, and the only loss was against three-time state champion Gordon. They began this season ranked No. 13, and they’ve steamrolled Bronte (60-0), Rochelle (64-14) and Williamson County Home School (64-14). All-state spread back Cohen Ethridge has made this team an even bigger threat since transferring from Richland Springs.

Zephyr has taken care of business with wins against May (40-18), Baird (64-13) and Bluff Dale (59-20). The Bulldogs returned five starters from last year’s 10-2 team, so this is a solid, experienced squad.

This is a chance for Menard to make a statement that it belongs in the state rankings, and we expect the Yellow Jackets to do just that.

The pick: Menard 64, Zephyr 36

Sterling City (2-1) at Robert Lee (1-2)

This is the 50th anniversary of these two teams first meeting, back when they were playing 11-man. Now they’re two of the better six-man programs, even if Sterling City is just three games removed from being an 11-man team.

Sterling City has had an impressive return to the six-man ranks with wins over Grandfalls (66-27) and May (44-28). Even a 59-26 loss to Westbrook wasn’t a bad showing against that strong program. The Eagles were six-man state champs in 2020 and state quarterfinalist in 2021, so we knew it was just a matter of time before they established themselves as a team to watch again. We just didn’t know it would happen this fast.

Robert Lee is coming off its own run to the state quarterfinals last year, but the Steers graduated almost everyone from that team. Malachi Wauqua has emerged as one of the area’s more exciting players, however, capped by last week’s 87-62 win over Blackwell when he had a hand in 13 touchdowns with 265 rushing yards and 227 passing yards.

This game has the potential for some offensive fireworks in what could be a competitive battle.

The pick: Sterling City 74, Robert Lee 64

San Angelo Glance

San Angelo Central (1-2) vs. El Paso Montwood (0-3)

This game will take place at the Mustang Bowl in Andrews, which will serve as a rough midway point for these two schools that are more than 400 miles apart. These programs have had some great games in recent years, though Central walked away with a win by five points or less each time from 2021 to 2023. This game may not be as close. Montwood is winless after three games against El Paso schools, with two of those losses by 36 points or more. Central is coming off a disappointing 28-21 loss to Abilene Cooper last week in which the Bobcats had a chance to tie or win it in the final seconds. This looks like a good opportunity for Central to right the ship.

The pick: Central 38, Montwood 21

Pecos (3-0) at San Angelo Lake View (2-1)

Lake View will welcome Pecos to town for homecoming, and the Chiefs would love to shake off last week’s surprising 37-13 setback at Lubbock High. Lake View was flying high after a 62-0 win over Snyder that was the biggest margin of victory in program history, and perhaps the Chiefs simply had a letdown the following week. Their offense was averaging 51.5 points per game through the first two weeks, and we expect to see it get back on track. Pecos is undefeated, so the Eagles will arrive in San Angelo with some confidence. But this is a game Lake View won 42-14 last year, and they should be considered the favorite again.

The pick: Lake View 35, Pecos 21

TLCA San Angelo (2-1) at Sonora (2-1)

After a losing streak that reached 23 games, the TLCA Eagles have now claimed back-to-back victories following last week’s 42-0 win over Winters. Can they keep the momentum rolling this week in Sonora? They’ve certainly made tremendous strides from the struggles of the last two years, and this game should be a good marker for just how far they’ve progressed. Sonora is an established program that went 7-4 last year. The Broncos have some talented playmakers with a three-year starting QB in Aaron Segura. This would be a significant win if TLCA was able to pull it off, but they may not be there just yet.

The pick: Sonora 27, TLCA San Angelo 20

Other Week 4 Games

Garden City at Sands

Miles at Eldorado

Blackwell at Veribest

Water Valley at Klondike

Lohn at Olfen

Grape Creek at Colorado City

Christoval vs. Littlefield (at Lamesa)

Albany at Coleman

San Saba at Center Point

TLCA Abilene at Winters

Borden County at Rankin

Bronte at Irion County

Paint Rock at Leakey

Panther Creek at Eden

Richland Springs at May

Lometa at Rochelle