Area high school football hopefuls can lock up playoff spots this week

Don’t worry Aledo fans, the Bearcats aren’t in danger of missing the playoffs.

The seven-time UIL state champs have clinched a postseason berth for the 22nd consecutive year.

Other area playoff qualifiers are: Mansfield, Euless Trinity, Saginaw Boswell, Fort Worth South Hills, Fort Worth Southwest, Colleyville Heritage, Crowley, Everman, Burleson, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Mansfield Legacy and Brock.

With four playoff berths in each district, and two weeks left in the regular season, many teams are on the bubble.

District 3-6A

Fossil Ridge (8-0, 4-0): The Panthers are on the verge of not only a playoff berth, but also the district title. They close with winless Weatherford, then Keller.

Central (5-3, 3-1): The Chargers clinch a playoff spot with a win Friday over Timber Creek. Lose, and Week 11 with Haltom definitely decides a playoff spot.

Haltom (5-4, 3-2): The Buffs, whose last playoff appearance was in 2009, are on a bye before finishing with Central. They defeated Keller, but lost to Timber Creek.

Keller (4-4, 2-2): The Indians are tied with Timber Creek for fourth, but own the head-to-head. They face fellow bubble team Abilene (2-6, 1-3) on Thursday, and end with Fossil Ridge.

Timber Creek (6-2, 2-2): The Week 9 loss to Keller hurt, but the Falcons can get in by winning out against Central and Abilene.

District 4-6A　

Martin (7-1, 4-1), Arlington (7-1, 4-1): Mansfield handed Martin and Arlington their only losses. The two meet Friday at UTA’s Maverick Stadium.

Lamar (4-4, 3-2): The Vikings sit alone in fourth and own the head-to-head with North Crowley. They clinch a berth Friday against winless Fort Worth Paschal.

North Crowley (4-4, 2-3): The long shot Panthers were seconds away from flipping the standings with Lamar. They finish with Sam Houston and Mansfield. The Vikings play Paschal and Martin.

District 5-6A

Carroll (6-2, 4-1), Hebron (6-2, 4-1): Tied for second place and meeting in Week 11, on Friday the Carroll Dragons play one-win Bell and the Hawks get two-win Lewisville.

Nelson (2-6, 2-3): The Bobcats play Flower Mound Marcus and Bell.

Flower Mound (3-5, 2-3): The Jaguars beat Marcus and lost to Nelson. They play first-place Euless Trinity, then Lewisville.

Marcus (4-4, 2-3): The Marauders have the toughest remaining schedule of the three with Nelson and Trinity.

Lewisville (2-6, 1-4): The Farmers need an upset this week against Hebron, then we’ll see.

District 6-5A

Brewer (5-3, 3-2): The Bears’ losses are to co-leaders Aledo and Boswell. Brewer gets Azle this week, then Haslet Eaton.

Azle (4-4, 3-2): The Hornets are in the same boat as Brewer. They play Northwest next week.

Eaton (3-5, 2-3): The Eagles, who lost to Azle and beat Northwest, finish with last-place Saginaw and Brewer.

Northwest (5-3, 2-3): The Texans need to upset Aledo, then beat Azle.

District 7-5A

Arlington Heights (4-4, 3-2) : The Yellow Jackets clinch one of the final two playoff spots if they beat two-win Western Hills on Thursday.

YMLA (3-5, 3-2): The Wildcats, with an enrollment of 177 students, can lock up a berth with a win against North Side. YMLA owns the head-to-head with Wyatt, and ends with Heights.

Wyatt (5-3, 2-3): The Chaparrals need to win out against Trimble Tech and South Hills, and Heights and YMLA must both lose this week.

Trimble Tech (3-5, 1-4), Western Hills (2-6, 1-4): The Bulldogs and Cougars both need to win this week, or they’re out.

District 8-5A

Grapevine (6-2, 4-1): Just one more win needed. The Mustangs host sixth-place Eastern Hills, then travel to Birdville in Week 11.

Richland (7-1, 4-1): Also just one more win needed. The Rebels host fifth-place Dunbar on Friday, then get first-place Colleyville Heritage.

Birdville (3-5, 3-2), Dunbar (2-6, 2-3): Birdville can clinch by beating one-win Polytechnic on Thursday, or by beating Grapevine in Week 11. Dunbar needs beat to Richland, Poly in Week 11, and have Birdville lose twice.

District 9-5A

Centennial (4-4, 3-2): The Spartans clinch the final playoff spot with a win over Joshua.

Granbury (4-4, 1-4), Joshua (3-5, 1-4), Seguin (2-6, 1-4): First, these teams must win Friday — then we’ll see. Granbury plays winless Cleburne, Joshua meets Centennial, and Seguin is at playoff-bound Burleson.

District 10-5A

Summit (5-3, 3-2): Many variables here for the last two playoff spots. The Jaguars meet playoff-bound Legacy on Friday, then Timberview in Week 11. Summit beat Waxahachie, but lost to Lancaster.

Waxahchie (5-3, 3-2): Likewise, many variables here. The Indians host Lancaster on Friday, then get Lake Ridge in Week 11. Waxahachie beat Timberview, but lost to Summit.

Timberview (3-5, 2-3): The Wolves must beat Lake Ridge, then Summit. Then we’ll see.

Lancaster (4-4, 2-3): On the verge of missing the playoffs, the defending district champs must beat Waxahachie and Midlothian, then we’ll see.

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Area high school football hopefuls can lock up playoff spots this week."