5 High Stakes East Texas High School Football Games To Watch

With 3 weeks to go in the regular season, quite a few games tonight carry playoff implications. Here's a look at 5 games whose outcomes will go a long way in deciding who may or may not be going to the playoffs.

Lufkin Panthers (3-2) at Goose Creek Memorial Patriots (2-4)

• 8 of the 9 teams in this district are still in the playoff hunt. These two teams appear to be evenly matched. Lufkin will probably be a slight underdog next week to Westbrook, and a bigger underdog to La Porte in two weeks. If the Panthers can win their next two games, they are a lock for the playoffs. A loss to Goose Creek could put Lufkin on shaky ground for a berth in the playoffs.

Diboll Lumberjacks (2-0) at Trinity Tigers (1-1)

• Diboll's chances at making the playoffs look good. They still have the 3 toughest teams from their 6-team district to play. A win against Trinity would guarantee the Jacks a playoff berth. A loss tonight, followed by a Crockett win over Trinity next week, could bring some chaos and tiebreakers into play.

Joaquin Rams (1-1) at Garrison Bulldogs (1-1)

• District 12-2A, Div 1, is one of the toughest 2A districts in the state. Timpson, San Augustine, Joaquin, Garrison, and Shelbyville all still have a viable shot at making the playoffs. All of those except for Timpson could lay claim to a share of the district championship. Joaquin is the defending state runner-up; Garrison was one of the teams that beat the Rams last year. This should be a doozy.

Grapeland Sandies (4-0) at Overton Mustangs (3-0)

• This looks to be the battle for the district championship. Grapeland has rolled off five straight victories, while Overton is averaging nearly 50 points a game. Overton will be the favorite in this game, but if Grapeland can pull off the upset, they should win next week and be district champs.

Tenaha Tigers (2-2) at Cushing Bearkats (2-1)

• Cushing is having one of their best seasons in program history, winning six out of seven games. If they win out, they could claim at least a share of the district title. A win against Tenaha clinches a playoff spot for the Bearkats; a loss keeps things up in the air for them, along with Tenaha and Alto.

Listen to Friday Night Frenzy on KICKS 105 tonight beginning at 9 p.m. to keep up with the latest scores and stories.