1. At long last, we have actual football games happening this week. Let’s talk first about the Game of the Week, China Spring at Lorena. Of course, the Cougars are aiming for a Class 4A state championship three-peat and open the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the state. Lorena, two years removed from its own 3A title, breaks in a new head coach in Kevin Johnson as the No. 6-ranked team in Class 3A Div. I. Last year China Spring won this matchup, 38-20. Any chance it’s closer this time around? 

2. One of our regular football duties is to pick all the Central Texas games each week. A lot of times Week 1 can be the toughest of all, because while we think we might know who these teams are, we’re really still gathering first impressions. So, with that in mind, what was the hardest game for you to pick this week? Or to put it another way, what shapes up as the most competitive matchup, the biggest toss-up? 

3. Since 2006, there has been only one season where our Central Texas coverage area didn’t produce at least one state champion. (That was 2020, a crazy year on a lot of fronts.) Last year we had one champ in China Spring, the year before we had three in China Spring, Lorena and Live Oak. Our area record came in 2017, with five state champs, if you include Rockdale, a school we covered at one time. That’s a long setup, but you see where I’m going: How many champs will the Super Centex area have in 2023, and who are they? 

4. This week the Marlin-Itasca game was called off because Marlin ISD students failed to meet certain academic standards put in place by the school district. Obviously it’s unfortunate whenever you have to cancel a game, but what's the general take on this move by Marlin in the bigger picture? 

5. Finally, in our Trib summer questionnaire that we always give to area players, the vast majority picked China Spring as the school with the coolest uniforms other than their own. Let's poll the Trib fashion police: Who would you pick? 

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