An early season result in Central Texas may send shockwaves through the 6A playoffs.

On Thursday, Austin High erased a 56-35 fourth-quarter deficit to nip Austin Bowie in the District 26-6A opener for both teams. Austin High quarterback Charles Wright threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes and hit Herd Holland for a two-point conversion to win the game with 8 seconds left. Austin High’s 57-56 win may decide fourth-ranked Westlake’s playoff fate.

The reigning 6A, Division 2 champion Chaps have the fourth-largest enrollment in the district. No. 8 Lake Travis, as the largest school, will be locked into D1. With Austin High and Bowie among a group of schools – along with Hays Consolidated, Del Valle and potentially San Marcos – battling for the two playoff spots not expected to be claimed by Westlake and Lake Travis, the Maroons’ 57-56 win is an early marker. It might just send the Chaps into the D1 bracket.

Del Valle, with the district’s second-largest enrollment, was a DCTF pre-season pick to earn a playoff spot. Since that projection, starting quarterback Jace Wilson moved away and star receiver Caleb Burton suffered a season-ending injury, putting a kink in the Cardinals playoff chances.

Bowie hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2006, but the early loss leaves the Bulldogs with an uphill climb as Hays rolled past Akins in its district opener. If Austin High stumbles twice, the Bowie would need to win out and beat Hays on Nov. 27 to keep that streak alive – and keep Westlake in the D2 bracket.

Playing in the D2 bracket, Westlake reached the state semifinals in 2017 and 2018 before winning the title in 2019. DCTF’s preseason projections figured Westlake and Katy would meet in the state semifinals. If Westlake shifts to the D1 bracket, high scoring Vista Ridge could emerge as a regional title contender.

With an emerging start at quarterback in junior Cade Klubnik and a defense that’s becoming harder and harder to score upon, Westlake would be a legitimate title contender in D1 as well. Of course the Chaps would have to go through a Lake Travis team that’s won Region IV every year since 2017 and played in five consecutive semifinals (twice out of Region II). The teams are already scheduled to play on Nov. 27 in a game that’s expected to decide the district title.