Texas high school football: Five Houston-area games to watch in final week of regular season

Hightower defensive lineman Oluwatomilol Ajao reacts after sacking Travis quarterback Lucas Deanda during a high school football game, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle) The final week of the Texas high school football regular season is upon us, and there are several teams across the Houston area still looking to clinch district championships and playoff berths. Here are some of the key games to keep an eye on during Week 11.Tompkins (6-3, 6-1) at Paetow (4-5, 4-3)When/where: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Legacy StadiumWhat to know: Paetow can earn the final playoff berth in District 22-6A with a win over Tompkins or a Cinco Ranch loss to Seven Lakes on Thursday. If Paetow loses and Cinco Ranch wins, Katy Taylor earns the final spot through a three-way tiebreaker. Tompkins is already locked in as the top seed for the Division II bracket, regardless of the result against Paetow.STATS: Houston-area leaders through the first 10 weeksTompkins has won six consecutive games after a 0-3 start, scoring at least 44 points in each of its past five outings. The Falcons have the district's No. 3 offense at 426.8 yards per game, with senior running back Ethan Meadows leading the district in rushing yards (1,341) and all-purpose yards (1,681). Meadows has rushed for 15 touchdowns while averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Senior quarterback J.P. Vaclavik leads the district with 1,812 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, completing 61.6% of his attempts. His top targets, seniors Dodavah Omobude and Carter Young, have combined for 993 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Tompkins also has the district's second-best turnover margin at plus-eight, producing 14 takeaways while committing just six turnovers. Senior Zach Jury leads the Falcons with 64 tackles and has two interceptions and four blocked kicks.Paetow has kept its postseason hopes alive with consecutive victories over Taylor, 43-29, and Mayde Creek, 34-27. The Panthers have won four of their past five games after opening the season 0-4. Senior Curtis Zeno leads the rushing attack with 575 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Fellow senior Key'Tavien Williams has added 367 yards and five touchdowns at 8.2 yards per attempt. Senior Anthoni Terrell leads the team with 813 all-purpose yards, contributing as a runner, receiver and returner. Senior Tyler Washington has seven touchdown catches on just 14 receptions, averaging 20.1 yards per catch. Defensively, senior Cayden Ayro leads Paetow with 72 tackles and a district-leading six sacks, while junior Aramis Weber has two interceptions.This series is tied 2-2 since 2022. Paetow won last year's meeting 55-44.Poorman's prediction: Tompkins 33, Paetow 31Klein Collins (5-4, 4-3) at Klein Oak (5-4, 5-2)When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Klein Memorial StadiumWhat to know: Klein (9-1, 7-1), Tomball (7-2, 5-2) and Magnolia (5-4, 5-2) have already secured playoff berths out of District 15-6A, which means the winner of this game between Klein Collins and Klein Oak will secure the final spot. Klein Collins has not missed the playoffs since 2013 and has eight consecutive appearances since coach Adrian Mitchell took over. Klein Oak, meanwhile, is seeking its first postseason berth since 2024.Klein Collins will have to rebound quickly after suffering its most lopsided loss of the season last week against district champion Klein. The Bearkats won 71-21, handing the Tigers their third consecutive defeat. Klein Collins as the No. 3 offense in the district at 412.6 yards per game. The Tigers average 227.3 rushing yards per outing with Da'Marcus Jones and Tyce Hudson leading the way. Senior quarterback Brylon Jefferson is third in the district with 1,571 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. The team's defense ranks sixth in the district, surrendering 365.8 yards per outing. But the unit has also produced 15 takeaways, including nine interceptions.Stopping the run will be a significant challenge for Klein Collins against a Klein Oak offense that leads the district at 294.1 rushing yards per game. Four-star Texas commit Micah Rhodes is having another strong season leading the Panthers' backfield and is second in the district with 1,043 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. After starting the season 1-4, Klein Oak has rattled off four consecutive wins. Junior quarterback Christian Crooms had a strong game last week during a 55-0 win over Magnolia West, passing for 215 yards and four touchdowns. Klein Oak has the No. 2 defense in the district at 236.5 yards allowed per game. Senior linebacker Zack Ruysenaars has been producing at a high level all season and is second in the district with 104 total tackles, including 21 for loss and seven sacks.Klein Collins leads this series 6-4 over the last 10 meetings, but Klein Oak pulled out a 36-35 victory last season.Poorman's prediction: Klein Oak 35, Klein Collins 28Willis (7-2, 4-2) at Conroe (4-5, 3-3)When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Moorhead StadiumWhat to know: Conroe could need more than a victory to reach the playoffs. If Grand Oaks (5-4, 3-3) beats Cleveland (2-7, 0-6) on Thursday, the Tigers must defeat Willis by at least 17 points to claim District 13-6A's final postseason berth. A smaller winning margin would send Grand Oaks to the playoffs instead. If Grand Oaks loses, Conroe qualifies regardless of its result against Willis. The Wildkats have already secured their fourth consecutive playoff berth and are locked into the district's No. 2 Division II seed behind College Park (6-3, 5-1).Willis enters with three consecutive wins, beating Oak Ridge, Cleveland and Caney Creek by a combined score of 178-32. The Wildkats lead the district in total offense at 431.7 yards per game and total defense at 263.3 yards allowed per outing. Senior quarterback Parker Stephenson has passed for 994 yards and 15 touchdowns with one interception while completing 72.2% of his attempts after taking over for injured starter Linc Frazier. Senior Preston Stephenson leads the district with 852 receiving yards on 54 catches, including nine touchdowns. Junior Trey Finney leads the district with 57 receptions, totaling 737 yards and 10 touchdowns. Junior running back Jamarcus Williams has rushed for 903 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 11 yards per carry. The Wildkats also feature several productive defenders. Senior Longani Friberg ranks second in the district with 81 tackles. Seniors Joey Read, A.J. Edwards and Waylan Nolen have combined for 21 sacks and 44 tackles for loss. Read leads the district with 28 quarterback hurries, followed by Nolen with 24.Conroe kept its postseason hopes alive with a 62-14 victory over Cleveland last week, snapping a two-game losing streak. The Tigers average 313.7 yards per game offensively, led on the ground by sophomores Jamari Dawson and Louis Jesse. Dawson has rushed for 616 yards and five touchdowns, while Jesse has contributed 516 yards and seven scores. Senior quarterbacks Cameron Nunley and Sawyer Buzbee have combined for 1,278 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with two interceptions. Senior Jayion Tarry-Walker leads the team with 365 receiving yards, and senior Jackson Taylor has added 291 yards and three touchdowns. Senior William Gardner leads Conroe with 78 tackles, while junior Keino Hopkins has contributed 51. Freshman Denzel Haynes leads the Tigers with 4½ sacks. Conroe's defense faces a substantial challenge against a Willis team that has scored at least 51 points in each of its four district victories.Willis leads this series 4-2 since 2020. The Wildkats earned a 31-10 victory last season.Poorman's prediction: Willis 38, Conroe 31Huntsville (7-2, 6-0) at Montgomery (9-0, 6-0)When/where: 7 p.m. Friday, Montgomery ISD StadiumWhat to know: The winner claims the outright District 11-5A Division II title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. The stakes don't get much higher in the regular season. Montgomery is seeking its first district title and undefeated regular season since 2021, the final year under former coach John Bolfing. Since taking over the program, Grant Cooper has guided the Bears to four playoff berths. The team has already bested its 8-3 records from each of the past two seasons. Montgomery has the No. 1 offense (465.7 yards per game) and the No. 1 defense (208.7 yards allowed) in the district. The ground game has been a strength for Montgomery with junior Josh Warren (963 yards, 13 TD) and four-star Oklahoma commit Keldrid Ben (863 yards, 11 TD) leading the charge. Both players average more than 8 yards per carry. Senior Luke Piro has been among the best receivers in the district and is averaging 20.6 yards per catch with 11 touchdowns. Senior Keagan Gilbert has helped to lead the defensive efforts with 15 tackles for loss, six sacks and nine quarterback hurries.Huntsville has been the second-best rushing team in the district at 261.1 yards per game. Senior Ja'Khavien Birks has been the catalyst with a district-leading 1,334 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 7.9 yards per carry. The Hornets' defense ranks second in the district at 223.3 yards allowed per game and joins Montgomery as the only teams to not yet surrender 1,000 yards on the ground. Huntsville also has the best turnover ratio in the district at plus-13, thanks in large part to 19 defensive takeaways (11 fumble recoveries, eight interceptions). The Hornets are seeking their first district championship since finishing the 2020 regular season undefeated.This series is tied 8-8 dating back to 2006. Montgomery rolled to a 54-20 victory last season.Poorman's prediction: Montgomery 31, Huntsville 24Hightower (7-2, 6-0) at Ridge Point (9-0, 6-0)When/where: 7 p.m. Friday, Hall StadiumWhat to know: The outright District 21-6A title is up for grabs in this game, but it could potentially have some playoff seeding implications as well. Hightower is already locked into the Division II bracket, but where Ridge Point lands is dependent on how the rest of the district shakes out. If Strake Jesuit (3-6, 3-3) or Elkins (3-6, 2-4) qualifies, Ridge Point will join Hightower in Division II. But if Bush (2-7, 2-4) qualifies, Ridge Point goes to Division I, though that scenario requires wins by Bush, Travis (6-3, 4-2) and Fort Bend Austin (1-8, 0-6) to become reality. That being said, if Ridge Point and Hightower both end up in Division II, this game will determine the top seed.No. 4 state-ranked Ridge Point is seeking a seventh consecutive district championship under coach Rick LaFavers. The Panthers are also looking to complete their second straight undefeated regular season, which would be the fourth in program history (2014, 2016, 2025). Ridge Point is allowing just 4.6 points per game in district play and has not allowed any of its six opponents to score more than seven. The Panthers have the No. 1 defense in the district at 175.8 yards allowed per game and have 13 takeaways (seven interceptions, six fumble recoveries). Linebackers Brayden Bonik, Dyllon Bennett and Khalen Taylor have combined for 33 tackles for loss, and Chris Racey is second in the district with 7½ sacks. Racey and John Williams III have 33 combined quarterback hurries. After missing three games due to injury, senior quarterback Brody Bartee returned last week and threw five touchdown passes in a 59-0 win over Travis. Bartee, a Florida Atlantic commit, has passed for 1,921 yards and 24 touchdowns without an interception. Receivers John Rangel (872 yards, 11 TD), Suhaib Ramseuer (795 yards, 12 TD) and Caiden Lawrence (584 yards, 7 TD) rank first, second and fourth in the district in receiving yards.Hightower is seeking its first district championship since 2021, the first season under coach Cornelius Anthony. The Hurricanes have the No. 1 offense in the district at 429.3 yards per game and are averaging 298.1 rushing yards per outing. Senior quarterback Carson White has accounted for 2,240 total yards and 31 touchdowns and leads the district in rushing with 1,067 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sophomore running back Even Armstead is having a strong year as well, rushing for 874 yards and eight scores while averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Seniors Xavier Edwards and Champ Anthony have combined for 198 total tackles and 28 tackles for loss to help lead the Hurricanes' defensive efforts. Anthony is also tied for the district lead with four interceptions.Ridge Point leads this series 7-1 since 2014. The Panthers won 44-6 last season.Poorman's prediction: Ridge Point 30, Hightower 17Poorman's predictionsLast week: 5-0 (1.000)✅ Shadow Creek over Pearland✅ Atascocita over Crosby✅ Randle over Angleton✅ Crawford over Fort Bend Marshall✅ Fulshear over Cypress SpringsOverall:35-15 (.700)SubscribeThere’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Texas high school football: Five Houston-area games to watch in final week of regular season.