Kaz's Fearless Forecast

State Championship Playoff Games This Week

WEST ORANGE-STARK (14-1) over CELINA (15-0) 4 p.m. Friday at NRG Stadium in Houston—The Mustangs have been waiting more than 360 days for the opportunity to return to the state championship game. Ironically, they will be playing the Celina Bobcats who defeated 14-0 Gilmer—the team the ‘Stangs lost to in the 2014 state championship game—by a score of 49-44. If the Bobcats surrender 44 points to WO-S, the Mustangs, with their touted Chain-Gang defense, will have made their year-long wait very worthwhile and Celina will have to wait for their ninth state championship.

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES—Class 6A-I— Galena Park North Shore (12-3) over Austin Westlake (14-1); Class 6A-II— Katy (15-0) over Lake Travis (15-0); Class 5A-I— George Ranch (15-0) over Mansfield Lake Ridge (15-0); Class 5A-II-- Cedar Park (15-0) over Frisco Lone Star (14-1); Class 4A-I— Waco La Vega (15-0) over Argyle (14-1); Class 4A-II—West Orange-Stark (14-1) over Celina (15-0); Class 3A-I—Cameron Yoe (13-2) over Brock (15-0); Class 3A-II— Franklin (15-0) over Waskom (15-0); Class 2A-I—Canadian (15-0) over Refugio (13-2); Class 2A-II— Bremond (15-0) over Albany (14-1).

BOWL GAMES

NEW MEXICO BOWL 1 p.m. Sat. in Albuquerque, N.M. (ESPN)—Arizona (6-6) over New Mexico (7-6).

LAS VEGAS BOWL 2:30 p.m. Sat. in Las Vegas (CBS)—Utah (9-3) over BYU (9-3).

CAMELLIA BOWL 4:30 p.m. Sat. in Montgomery, Ala. (ESPN)—Appalachian State (9-2) over Ohio (8-4).

CURE BOWL 6 p.m. Sat. in Orlando, FL. (CBSSN)—San Jose State (5-7) over Georgia State (6-6).

NEW ORLEANS BOWL 8 p.m. Sat. in New Orleans (ESPN)—Louisiana Tech (8-4) over Arkansas State (8-3).

MIAMI BEACH BOWL 1:30 p.m. Mon. in Miami (ESPN)—Western Kentucky (11-2) over South Florida (8-4).

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL 2:30 p.m. Tues. in Boise, ID. (ESPN)—Utah State (6-6) over Akron (7-5).

BOCA RATON BOWL 6 p.m. Tues. in Boca Raton, FL. (ESPN)—Temple (10-3) over Toledo (9-2).

FCS Tournament Playoffs (Semifinal Round)—Sam Houston State (11-3) over Jacksonville State (12-1), North Dakota State (11-2) over Richmond (10-3).

PRO PICKS—St. Louis over Tampa Bay (Thursday Night); NY Jets over Dallas (Saturday Night); Minnesota over Chicago, Jacksonville over Atlanta, Houston over Indianapolis, Carolina over NY Giants, New England over Tennessee, Seattle over Cleveland, Washington over Buffalo, Kansas City over Baltimore, Green Bay over Oakland, Miami over San Diego, Cincinnati over San Francisco, Pittsburgh over Denver, Arizona over Philadelphia; New Orleans over Detroit (Monday Night).