The GABRIEL JORDAN / ETB POWER PICKS! | Carthage-PG, KHS-Lindale, A&M-Bama, Dallas @ Philly & more
Y’all ready for week nine?
Can’t hardly believe there have already been eight weeks of high school football, and almost as many weeks of college ‘ball. The NFL starts a bit later, but nevertheless, we are rapidly running out of time in October.
We’ll do these picks through the college bowl season and the Super Bowl, so it’s anyone’s title to win — or lose — right now. But it’s a close race.
The picks are sponsored each week by our advertising partner Gabriel Jordan Buick GMC, where they provide the very best buying experience in East Texas. Whether it’s a new GMC or Buick product, or a preowned vehicle of Buick, GMC or a different brand, the folks at Gabriel Jordan try to produce deals that best fit their customers, putting them in vehicles they love at a price they can afford.
Gabriel Jordan Buick GMC is located at 1500 Highway 259 in Kilgore, near the intersection where Walmart and CVS are also located. Check out New Buick GMC Dealer | Kilgore, TX | Gabriel Jordan Buick GMC for inventory, and call (903) 984-3082 for sales. Where will you find the very best deal, and get the best experience buying a vehicle? Well, it’s Gabriel Jordan, of course — NOWHERE else in East Texas!
Meet the panel!
THE STANDINGS – LAST WEEK AND OVERALL
This week’s fast riser: Joe Bradford, who went 18-5 and moved all the way up into a tie for third place with former champ Billy Chrisman. Ronnie Sartors is hanging in there as our leader, and Ashtyn Lucas — my youngest daughter, the Apache Belle, the redhead, the football baby (born two weeks before Kilgore’s state championship in 2004) — is in second all by her lonesome. We’re all still alive for this, really. It’s a long season.
Here are last week’s records, and the overall record for all 16 members of our panel.
| Contestant | Last week’s record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Sartors | 17-6 | 122-46 |
| Ashtyn Lucas | 15-8 | 119-49 |
| Billy Chrisman | 15-8 | 117-51 |
| Joe Bradford | 18-5 | 117-51 |
| Eric Bell | 16-7 | 115-53 |
| Jeremy Newlin | 17-6 | 114-54 |
| Dennis Jacobs | 17-6 | 114-54 |
| Tim Capps | 16-7 | 113-55 |
| Joe Hale | 16-7 | 113-55 |
| Jacob Lucas | 16-7 | 112-56 |
| Dereck Borders | 15-8 | 111-57 |
| Mitch Lucas | 16-7 | 111-57 |
| Havon Russell | 12-11 | 110-58 |
| Jenna Lucas | 16-7 | 108-60 |
| Clayton Fletcher | 14-9 | 107-61 |
| Alex Nabor | 12-11 | 106-62 |
GAMES FOR WEEK NINE
(Oct. 22-Oct. 26, 2026)
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES
Thursday’s game
Gilmer (5-2) at Center (0-7), 6:30 p.m.
Friday’s games
Kilgore (3-3) at Lindale (7-0)
Pleasant Grove (6-1) at Carthage (6-0)
Pine Tree (4-3) at Chapel Hill (2-5)
Bullard (1-6) at Henderson (4-3)
White Oak (0-7) at Gladewater (3-4)
Tatum (5-2) at Sabine (2-5)
West Rusk (6-1) at Jefferson (6-1)
Winona (1-6) at Arp (5-2)
Troup (6-1) at New Diana (5-2)
Grapeland (5-2) at Overton (6-1)
+++++
COLLEGE GAMES
Saturday’s games
Kilgore College (3-5) at Cisco College (2-5), 3 p.m.
New Mexico Military (4-4) at TJC (5-3), 1 p.m. (HC)
Texas Tech (6-0) at Cincinnati (4-2), 11 a.m., FS1
Cal (3-4) at SMU (5-1), 11 a.m., The CW
Texas A&M (4-3) at Alabama (5-2), 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Ole Miss (5-1) at Texas (4-2), 6:30 p.m., ABC
+++++
NFL GAMES
Thursday’s game
New England (4-2) at Chicago (4-2), 7 p.m., Amazon Prime
Sunday’s game
Pittsburgh (4-2) vs. New Orleans (2-4) in France, 8:30 p.m., NFL Network
San Francisco (6-0) at Atlanta (2-4), noon, FOX
New York Giants (3-2-1) at Houston (2-4), noon, CBS
Kansas City (5-0) at Seattle (3-3), 7:20 p.m., NBC
Monday’s game Dallas (2-4) at Philadelphia (2-4), 7 p.m., ABC / ESPN
THE PICKS!
| Games | Mitch | Dennis | Joe Hale | Jenna | Dereck | Jacob | Ashtyn | Clayton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilmer at Center | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer |
| Kilgore at Lindale | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | Lindale | KHS | Lindale | Lindale |
| P. Grove at Carthage | CHS | CHS | CHS | CHS | CHS | CHS | PG | CHS |
| Pine Tree at C. Hill | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT |
| Bullard at Henderson | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo |
| W. Oak at Gladewater | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS |
| Tatum at Sabine | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum |
| W. Rusk at Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson | WR | WR | WR | WR | WR |
| Winona at Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp |
| Troup at New Diana | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup |
| Grapeland at Overton | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | GHS | OHS |
| Kilgore College at Cisco | KC | KC | KC | KC | Cisco | KC | Cisco | KC |
| NMMI at TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC |
| Texas Tech at Cincinnati | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech |
| Cal at SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU |
| Texas A&M at Alabama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama |
| Ole Miss at Texas | UT | UT | UT | UT | UT | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| N. England at Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | NE |
| Pittsburgh at N. Orleans | Pitt. | Pitt. | Pitt. | Pitt. | NO | Pitt. | Pitt. | NO |
| S. Francisco at Atlanta | Atlanta | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF |
| N.Y. Giants at Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | NYG | Houston | Houston | NYG | NYG |
| K. City at Seattle | Seattle | Seattle | KC | KC | Seattle | KC | KC | KC |
| Dallas at Philadelphia | Dallas | Philly | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Philly | Dallas |
| Games | Alex | Jeremy | Ronnie | Havon | Billy | Tim | Joe B. | Eric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilmer at Center | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer | Gilmer |
| Kilgore at Lindale | Lindale | Lindale | Lindale | Lindale | Lindale | KHS | Lindale | Lindale |
| P. Grove at Carthage | Carthage | PG | CHS | CHS | CHS | CHS | CHS | CHS |
| Pine Tree at C. Hill | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT | PT |
| Bullard at Henderson | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo | Hendo |
| W. Oak at Gladewater | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS | GHS |
| Tatum at Sabine | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum | Tatum |
| W. Rusk at Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson | WR | Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson | Jefferson |
| Winona at Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp |
| Troup at New Diana | ND | ND | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup |
| Grapeland at Overton | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS | OHS |
| Kilgore College at Cisco | KC | KC | KC | KC | Cisco | KC | KC | KC |
| NMMI at TJC | NMMI | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC | TJC |
| Texas Tech at Cincinnati | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech |
| Cal at SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU | SMU |
| Texas A&M at Alabama | ‘Bama | A&M | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama | ‘Bama |
| Ole Miss at Texas | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | UT | UT | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| N. England at Chicago | Chicago | NE | Chicago | NE | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago | Chicago |
| Pittsburgh at N. Orleans | Pitt. | Pitt. | Pitt. | NO | Pitt. | Pitt. | Pitt. | Pitt. |
| S. Francisco at Atlanta | Atlanta | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF | SF |
| N.Y. Giants at Houston | Houston | Houston | NYG | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston |
| K. City at Seattle | KC | KC | KC | KC | Seattle | KC | KC | KC |
| Dallas at Philadelphia | Dallas | Philly | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Philly | Dallas | Dallas |