Big Country Notebook: Sweetwater keeps playoff hopes alive; Week 11's top matchups

Stop me if you've heard this one before. District 1-4A Division II is wild.

Sweetwater added another twist to the already jumbled puzzle, upsetting Fort Stockton on Friday. But in this district, is that even considered an upset?

Outside of Midland Greenwood, which has completed its regular season and wrapped up an undefeated campaign, the rest of the pack has beat up on each other.

With one week left before the playoffs, it's anyone's guess who will take the three remaining spots.

Playoffs?

Even in a district with such parity, Fort Stockton has been the hardest team to figure out. The Panthers, who returned 16 starters from a third-place finisher, won their first five games. But then Fort Stockton lost at home to a winless Snyder squad.

Following the upset, Snyder coach Wes Wood said the Panthers may have overlooked his Tigers. Perhaps that was the case Friday against Sweetwater, too.

The Mustangs (3-6 overall, 2-3 district) were smarting after consecutive losses to Pecos and Snyder. Just as it looked like Sweetwater's season was nearing its end, the team kept their playoff hopes alive with a 35-21 win in the home finale.

Friday's results left five teams within a game of each other. Pecos (5-4, 3-2) and Snyder (3-6, 3-2) are tied for second place, and the teams square off in Week 11. The winner will clinch a playoff berth, but the loser may not be left out, either.

The Tigers have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Sweetwater and Fort Stockton (6-3, 2-3), which should handle winless Lamesa in their finale.

With Monahans (2-7, 2-3) facing the Mustangs to close the regular season, it's guaranteed two teams will finish 3-3 in district. Fort Stockton would likely be a third. The loser between Sweetwater and Monahans will miss the postseason.

Snyder gets Pecos at home, so I'll give the Tigers a slight edge. After all, Wood's squad has won in back-to-back weeks. The Loboes will have the homefield advantage against Sweetwater, so I lean toward them, too. Sorry, Mustangs fans.

If I've lost you, my projections would have Snyder second, followed by Fort Stockton and Pecos. I believe Monahans would be on the short end of the three-way tie for third place in this scenario. What a turnaround that would be for the Tigers, who started the year 0-4.

Then again, who knows what will happen Friday? This district is about as unpredictable as they come.

Finales worth the wait

There will be plenty else on the line across the Big Country in Week 11.

It starts with Albany and Hamlin, who will meet for the third time in two seasons Friday at Piper Stadium. The winner will be the District 7-2A Division II champion. The Lions twice bested the Pied Pipers in 2018 en route to the state semifinals.

In fact, Hamlin coach Russell Lucas, a former Albany assistant, never has beaten his former boss Denney Faith. But if there's a year to change that, this may be it.

Playing at home will be an advantage, and the Pipers (6-2, 3-0) field an experienced and talented bunch. Of course, don't overlook the Lions (7-2, 3-0). Just when you — or maybe it's just me — think they're headed for a loss, they prove you wrong.

This season's rendition will be a top-10 matchup. Albany, which torched Haskell 47-14, is ranked No. 2. No. 6 Hamlin blasted Cross Plains 41-0.

Another district championship between top-10 teams will take place in the six-man ranks.

No. 6 Strawn (6-3, 2-0) travels to face No. 7 Gordon (8-1, 2-0) for the 10-1A D-II crown.

It's been quite the season for the Longhorns, who have won eight in a row in coach Mike Reed's second year at the helm. A district title over two-time defending state champion Strawn would be a huge confidence booster heading into the playoffs as well.

Quick hits

► Dublin partied like it's 1999, beating Comanche for the first time in 20 years. The Lions (7-2, 3-1) topped the Indians (4-5, 2-2) 20-16 in the final game at Memorial Stadium. The win puts Dublin in position to take the No. 2 seed with a win over Millsap next week.

► Bangs clinched its first playoff berth since 2014 with a 62-0 shellacking of San Angelo TLCA. The Dragons (6-3, 4-2) close the regular season against No. 7 Cisco, which wrapped up the district title Friday.

► While it would be easy to discount Jim Ned, the Indians could cause havoc with a win Friday. Jim Ned (7-2, 2-2) hosts No. 9 Eastland (8-1, 3-1) with a chance to force a three-way tie. Assuming Clyde (6-3, 2-2) takes care of one-win Breckenridge, an Indians win would leave them tied with the Bulldogs and Mavericks at 3-2.