# – denotes current San Antonio South Side Sports area ranking

SATURDAY

Austin Hyde Park Baptist (3-1, 0-0) vs. #1 Holy Cross (2-1, 0-0) at Harlandale Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

Holy Cross is closing in on a spotless TAPPS 3-II record and has already clinched a share of first, but has to view this as the beginning of the playoffs.

In the backloaded district schedule, the Knights’ two toughest tests were saved for the last two weeks. After being in the same situation last season against Hyde Park, and prevailing, expect Holy Cross to be ready for a formidable Panthers team.

After last week’s seven-touchdown performance in a 47-17 win over then district-co-leader Austin Regents, Knights back Greg Scott will be a marked man. Of course, that’s nothing new, and he has a habit of rising to the challenge – as his 385 rushing yards against Regents attest.

The quarterback tandem of Nazario Coleman and Steven Gutierrez did what was needed against Regents, and will need to again.

The biggest key for the Knights may be matching Hyde Park’s toughness. The Panthers play a physical, ball-control brand of ball.

Seth DeVries, Jack Palmer, Myles Diggs and Parker Burns are Hyde Park’s ballcarriers to watch.

Holy Cross will want to get on the scoreboard early and limit Hyde Park’s time-consuming drives. Mostly, they don’t want to give the Panthers hope for a co-championship bid.

Series leader (record): unknown. 2013 score: Holy Cross 28, Austin Hyde Park Baptist 14. 2014 favorite: Holy Cross.