Big Country Game of the Week: Clyde Bulldogs (7-3) vs. Brock Eagles (8-2)

THE BEARD'S PICKS LAST WEEK: 31-8 (.795); 11-man: 17-5; Six-man: 14-3

OVERALL: 360-96 (.789); 11-man: 185-37; Six-man: 175-59

The high school football playoffs kick off Thursday, and Abilene is lucky enough to have a big-time matchup in its backyard.

Clyde and Brock will collide in a Class 3A Division I bi-district game at Shotwell Stadium, and it's our Big Country Game of the Week.

The Bulldogs (7-3) completed their regular-season turnaround with a 55-26 win over Breckenridge. This time last year, Clyde was at home with a 3-7 record.

The Bulldogs made great strides in coach Scott Campbell's second season, but Thursday will be the biggest test yet.

"We feel confident in our group," Campbell said. "We're ready to take on the challenge. We know that obviously they've got a talented group and a solid program. But our kids are excited."

Clyde's last playoff appearance was a 2017 first-round loss to Brock, and the Bulldogs are eager to avenge the setback.

Entering the year, prognosticators were concerned Brock (8-2) was in for its first rebuilding season in the program's short history. The Eagles returned 10 lettermen, and there was more worry after a 10-0 loss to Brownwood to start the campaign.

That has proven to be a "quality" loss and Brock has shown it's not ready for a down year. In fact, both of the Eagles' losses were to 9-1 teams.

"They're a program that just kind of knows how to win, and the kids expect to," Campbell said. "Even when those programs have those years in which they might not have as big of a senior class, they still know how to win."

Brock likes to spread the ball around on offense. The swarming Clyde defense will be there to counter. The Bulldogs have posted four shutouts and give up an average of 13.1 points per game.

It starts up front with linemen Austin Schoonmaker and Jerrid Tennison, who take on blockers for linebackers Donovan Gomez and Bo Baker.

Baker and Gomez double as the team's biggest rushing threats, complementing quarterback Dylan Neuman. The Bulldogs will be matched up with a defense that didn't allow more than 22 points in a game. That came in Brock's regular-season finale, a 24-22 win over Paradise, in which the outcome had no effect on the Eagles' seeding.

Brock gave up an average of 10.9 points per game, including 29 total points to District 4's other three playoff teams. Most of that was in a 20-14 loss to district champ Pilot Point.

The Eagles have since won five in a row.

"We both come out of very similar districts, in that we both feel like we compete in one of, if not the toughest district in Class 3A," Campbell said. "Both teams are battle-tested, and I think it will be a great matchup."

This is a battle of two stout defenses, which is the mark of teams primed to make runs in the playoffs. Expect a physical, low-scoring game with a lot of offense on the ground.

PICK: Brock 24, Clyde 20

If there were two Stephens

Christoval (9-1) vs. Cross Plains (7-3)

For the fourth time in the past two seasons, Christoval and Cross Plains will meet on the gridiron.

The Buffaloes are hungry for revenge, as the Cougars have won the previous three meetings. That includes Christoval's 26-14 win at Cross Plains on Sept. 20.

The Cougars won last year's bi-district meeting 40-34, and I think Thursday's game will have more points than the regular-season matchup.

PICK: Christoval 32, Cross Plains 22

Keep your eyes on:

Eastland (9-1) vs. Whitesboro (6-4); PICK: Eastland by 14

Childress (4-6) vs. Ballinger (8-2); PICK: Childress by 7

Anson (7-3) vs. Friona (8-2); PICK: Friona by 6

Big Country power rankings

Class 3A

1. Cisco (9-1); Last week: No. 1—W, 38-20 vs. Bangs

2. Eastland (9-1); Last week: No. 2—W, 29-14 at Jim Ned

3. Dublin (8-2); Last week: No. 4—W, 59-20 at Millsap

4. Clyde (7-3); Last week: No. 5—W, 55-26 vs. Breckenridge

5. Anson (7-3); Last week: NR—W, 60-0 at San Angelo Grape Creek

Class 2A

1. Hawley (10-0); Last week: No. 1—W, 62-37 at Ozona

2. Hamlin (7-2); Last week: No. 3—W, 66-20 vs. Albany

3. Albany (7-3); Last week: No. 2—L, 66-20 at Hamlin

4. Stamford (6-4); Last week: No. 4—W, 21-20 at Forsan

5. Cross Plains (7-3); Last week: No. 5—W, 45-20 at Roscoe

Class 1A

1. Jayton (10-0); Last week: No. 1—Idle

2. Ira (10-0); Last week: No. 2—W, 48-0 vs. Hermleigh

3. May (9-1); Last week: No. 3—W, 64-0 at Lingleville

4. Gordon (9-1); Last week: No. 5—W, 27-26 vs. Strawn

5. Blackwell (10-0); Last week: No. 4—W, 54-38 at Loraine

The Beard's picks

Thursday

CLASS 4A

CLINT MOUNTAIN VIEW vs. Big Spring

Fort Worth Dunbar vs. STEPHENVILLE

CLASS 3A

CANADIAN vs. Bangs

COAHOMA vs. Anthony

CISCO vs. Spearman

CLASS 2A

HAWLEY vs. Chico

LINDSAY vs. Winters

ALBANY vs. Miles

CLASS 1A

MAY vs. Robert Lee

JAYTON vs. Woodson

GORDON vs. Ladonia Fannindel

Friday

CLASS 4A

BROWNWOOD vs. River Oaks Castleberry

LUBBOCK ESTACADO vs. Sweetwater

DALHART vs. Snyder

CLASS 3A

PILOT POINT vs. Jim Ned

Dublin vs. HOLLIDAY

WICHITA FALLS CITY VIEW vs. Comanche

CLASS 2A

SEYMOUR vs. Stamford

BRUCEVILLE-EDDY vs. De Leon

HAMLIN vs. Menard

ELDORADO vs. Haskell

CLASS 1A

KNOX CITY vs. Spur

IRA vs. Crowell

Eden vs. GORMAN

NUECES CANYON vs. Zephyr

GRANDFALLS-ROYALTY vs. Loraine

Throckmorton vs. LUEDERS-AVOCA

BLACKWELL vs. Sanderson

STRAWN vs. Forestburg

BLANKET vs. Rochelle

RICHLAND SPRINGS vs. Brookesmith