Every year when the summer edition of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football comes out, fans and media alike look at the teams we have at the top of the pre-season rankings to get an idea of who likely makes the trip to Arlington to play for a state title at AT&T Stadium in December.

While the teams ranked highly in the pre-season are there for a good reason, we all know there are always a few mystery guests that pop up with deep playoff runs and sometimes state titles when the season wraps up.  Who are those teams you need to keep an eye on in 2019? We’ve got you covered at DCTF as we bring you our 2019 Hipster Picks to keep in your back pocket as you casually drop them into conversation with your friends from time to time, so once they make that deep run, you can look like a Texas high school football genius.

Amarillo

The Sandies made the big switch a year ago from the Wing-T offense to the spread offense under first-year head coach Chad Dunnam, and despite a few growing pains here and there, Amarillo finished with a more than respectable 7-4 mark. Often, a team takes a giant step forward in year two under a new head coach, and when you combine that with fifteen returning starters and a strong junior and sophomore class, the future looks bright. Speedy WR Davin Lemmons is one of the most dynamic receivers in the panhandle and the defensive line looks to have the ability to cause major problems. District 2-5A Division I is much deeper and tougher than most people realize, and a massive priority this year will be earning one of the top two slots in the district and avoiding a first round playoff trip to El Paso.

Tomball

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Cougars in 2019 with returning QB Hunter Dunn leading what should be an explosive offensive attack that has seven returning starters. RB Jermaine Mayes impressed as a sophomore and should be a great compliment to that explosive passing attack. Tomball’s defense has five back and has a few question marks, most notably at linebacker. If that young group can emerge they’ll team with a strong defensive line to give the Cougars a strong defense. The big wild card is the status of WR Demond Demas, the Texas A&M commit transferred in from Houston North Forest and if he’s ruled eligible to play he is a real difference maker for that offense and it could vault Tomball into the upper tier of a very tough district that features Lufkin, College Station and the two Magnolia schools.

Seguin

The Matadors have made major strides under head coach Travis Bush, including earning a share of the district title a year ago, but playoff success has eluded Seguin. Only nine starters are back, but the expectation has been established and Seguin’s not going to get caught off-guard by success. They’ve got a manageable district draw and have shown they can compete on even terms with fellow favorites Dripping Springs and Austin LBJ. QB Jhalen Mickles is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the region, and RB Tavawn Williams has speed to burn. If Seguin can earn one of those top two seeds and host a first round playoff game, Matador Stadium is a massive hornets nest and with several of the favorites in 11-5A Division I having some question marks heading into 2019, the Matadors could be poised for some postseason noise.

Corpus Christi Miller

It’s now or never for the Bucs who under head coach Justen Evans have gone from being a district doormat to a playoff contender. The key word here is contender as last year they faltered down the stretch and missed out on the playoffs with a 6-4 record. Corpus Christi Miller brings back an impressive seventeen starters, including ten on the offensive side of the ball, led by QB Andrew Body and WR Ralph Rodriguez, who might be the most dynamic pass-catch duo in South Texas. Don’t sleep on WR Cassius Clay and RB Marcell Davos, who give Miller lots of balance. The key for the Bucs is going to be staying healthy as there isn’t much depth. Improvement on the defensive side of the ball, if things break right, would mean playoff wins to be had in Region IV. Miller can be a team that plays past Thanksgiving.