ETBLITZ POWER PICKS presented by COZY COFFEE STATION | Who wins in the first round of the playoffs? Who’s going to the house?
Here are our picks for the first weekend of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school football playoffs, as well as our picks for this weekend in college football and the National Football League. They’re presented today by THE greatest coffee and refreshment stop in East Texas, Cozy Coffee Station, in both Kilgore (at 110 Midtown Plaza) and in Gilmer (at 755 Highway 271 North), and find them and their fantastic menu online right here: Home | Cozy Coffee Station!
Now, if you’re a regular reader, you’ll recognize our panel. here they are.
So far this season, we’ve picked 232 games. We’ve had one freakin’ tie — the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
My son, Jacob, and Billy Chrisman, who won last year’s college bowl pickoff and wanted to be a part of this year’s picks contest, are tied, each with a record of 176-55-1.
Joe Hale, who has been a sportswriter since Columbus sailed the Seven Seas (just kidding, Joe), is sitting a game back at 175-76-1. Dennis Jacobs is at 173-58-1, and my youngest daughter, Ashtyn, is 170-61-1.
So the rest of us are pretty close. Myself and Dereck Borders are each 167-64-1; Alex Nabor is 164-67-1; my wife Jenna is 162-69-1; and assistant editor Clayton Fletcher and Jeremy Newlin are both in the back, each at 154-77-1.
Last week, Ashtyn and Alex were both red-hot, each going 19-2. Billy, Jacob, Jenna, Dereck, Joe, and Dennis each went 18-3. Clayton went 17-4, and Jeremy and I didn’t do horribly, but we finished 15-6, which wasn’t very good last week.
Here are this week’s games, then our picks to follow.
ETBLITZ.COM POWER PICKS
Thursday, November 13-Monday, November 17, 2025
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFF GAMES
Thursday, Nov. 13
Class 2A, Division II
Overton (6-4) vs. West Sabine (8-2), 7 p.m., Joaquin ISD Stadium
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Class 2A, Division I
Beckville (7-3) vs. Paul Pewitt (7-3), 7 p.m., Marshall ISD Maverick Stadium
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Class 3A, Division II
West Rusk (8-2) vs. Woodville (7-3), 7 p.m., Nacogdoches ISD Dragon Stadium
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Class 4A, Division II
Carthage (10-0) vs. Pittsburg (7-3), 7 p.m., Lindale ISD Eagle Stadium
+++++
Friday, Nov. 14
Class 3A, Division II
Troup (10-0) vs. Anderson-Shiro (4-6), 7 p.m., Palestine ISD Wildcat Stadium
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Class 3A, Division I
Gladewater (9-1) at Mount Vernon (6-4), 7 p.m.
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Class 4A, Division I
Little Cypress-Mauriceville (5-5) at Kilgore (9-1), 7:30 p.m. (at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium)
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Class 3A, Division II
Arp (9-1) vs. Kountze (7-3) at Shelbyville ISD Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
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Class 4A, Division II
Gilmer (4-6) vs. Athens (8-2) at Henderson ISD Lions Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
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Class 4A, Division I
Pine Tree (6-4) at Lumberton (7-3), 7:30 p.m.
+++++
COLLEGE GAMES
Friday’s game
Minnesota (6-3) at No. 9 Oregon (8-1), 8 p.m., FOX
Saturday’s games
South Carolina (3-6) at No. 3 Texas A&M (9-0), 11 a.m., ESPN
Central Florida (4-5) at No. 8 Texas Tech (9-1), 2:30 p.m., FOX
No. 13 Utah (7-2) at Baylor (5-4), 6 p.m., ESPN2
No. 11 Texas (7-2) at No. 5 Georgia (8-1), 6:30 p.m., ABC
+++++
NFL GAMES
Sunday’s games
Washington (3-7) vs. Miami (3-7; in Spain), 8:30 a.m., NFL Network
Houston (4-5) at Tennessee (1-8), noon, FOX
Seattle (7-2) at L.A. Rams (7-2), 3:05 p.m., FOX
Kansas City (5-4) at Denver (8-2), 3:25 p.m., CBS
Detroit (8-2) at Philadelphia (6-2), 7:20 p.m., NBC
Monday’s game
Dallas (3-5-1) at Las Vegas (2-7), 7:15 p.m., ABC / ESPN
| Mitch | Joe | Dennis | Jenna | Ashtyn | Jacob | Alex | Clayton | Jeremy | Billy | Dereck | |
| Overton vs. West Sabine | Overton | Overton | Overton | Overton | Overton | WS | Overton | WS | Overton | Overton | WS |
| Beckville vs. Paul Pewitt | B’ville | B’ville | B’ville | B’ville | B’ville | B’ville | Pewitt | B’ville | B’ville | Pewitt | Pewitt |
| West Rusk vs. Woodville | WR | WR | WR | WR | WR | B’ville | WR | WR | WR | W’ville | WR |
| Carthage vs. Pittsburg | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage |
| Troup vs. Anderson -Shiro | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup | Troup |
| Gladewater at Mount Vernon | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water | G’water |
| Little Cypress- Mauriceville at Kilgore | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS | KHS |
| Arp vs. Kountze | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp | Arp |
| Gilmer vs. Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Athens | Gilmer | Athens |
| Pine Tree at Lumberton | PT | PT | PT | L’ton | PT | PT | L’ton | PT | L’ton | PT | PT |
| Minnesota at Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Minn. | Oregon | Oregon |
| South Carolina at Texas A&M | A&M | A&M | A&M | A&M | A&M | S. C. | A&M | A&M | A&M | A&M | A&M |
| Central Florida at Texas Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech | Tech |
| Utah at Baylor | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah |
| Texas at Georgia | UGA | Texas | UGA | UGA | UGA | UGA | Texas | UGA | Texas | UGA | Texas |
| Washington at Miami | Miami | Miami | Miami | Miami | Miami | Miami | Washington | Miami | Washington | Miami | Washington |
| Houston at Tennessee | Houston | Houton | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston | Tampa |
| Seattle at L.A. Rams | L.A. | LA. | L.A. | L.A. | L.A. | L.A. | L.A. | Seattle | L.A. | L.A. | L.A. |
| Kansas City at Denver | K. City | K. City | K. City | Denver | K. City | Denver | Denver | K. City | Denver | K. City | K. City |
| Detroit at Philly | Philly | Detroit | Philly | Philly | Detroit | Philly | Detroit | Detroit | Philly | Detroit | Detroit |
| Dallas at Las Vegas | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | Vegas | Vegas | Dallas | Dallas |
