Daingerfield took home the regional title last year as the Tigers navigated a tough East Texas region and the Tigers will once again be a formidable foe along with Newton, Woodville and a veteran New Diana squad.

Harmony, the regional champion in 2022 and a regional semifinalist a year ago will be in a transition year with a new coach and a young team. Edgewood brings back key pieces from a playoff team in 2023, Lone Oak and Grand Saline expect to be in a real battle for the three seed, while Quitman is likely on the outside looking in.

Daingerfield and their fourteen starters returning from a regional champion enters the season as the regional favorite, but nearby Hooks, who Daingerfield rolled past in the area playoffs expects to be a tough foe as they are led by nine starters returning on defense. DeKalb and New Boston return plenty of experience as well from teams that made the playoffs a year ago, while Queen City is on the outside looking in despite being good enough to be a playoff team in most districts.

One of the most balanced districts in all of the state in 3A-Division II is 11-3A Division II which features a New Diana squad primed to make some major noise with seventeen starters back from a playoff team a year ago. Arp with sixteen returning starters from an area round playoff squad will be a force, while West Rusk who posted a 10-3 mark a year ago expects to be in contention despite losing a strong senior class. Troup also suffered some key graduation losses, but expect the Tigers to hold off Buffalo and Elkhart for the final spot in the playoffs.

Newton enters the season as the favorite in 12-3A Division II but the Eagles know they will have their hands full inside of district play with a very tough Woodville squad who drops down from Division I with a point to prove after several years of near misses in the post-season. New Waverly and Anderson-Shiro on paper look to be evenly matched for the three seed.

DISTRICT PREDICTIONS

District 9-3A Division II

1. Gilmer Harmony
2. Edgewood
3. Lone Oak
4. Grand Saline
5. Quitman
6. Prairiland
7. Paris Chisum

District 10-3A Division II

1. Daingerfield
2. Hooks
3. DeKalb
4. New Boston
5. Queen City
6. Redwater
7. Hughes Springs

District 11-3A Division II

1. New Diana
2. Arp
3. West Rusk
4. Troup
5. Elkhart
6. Buffalo
7. Winona

District 12-3A Division II

1. Newton
2. Woodville
3. New Waverly
4. Anderson-Shiro
5. Warren
6. Trinity
7. Kountze

PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS

W9 Gilmer Harmony vs F10 New Boston

R12 Woodville vs T11 West Rusk

W10 Daingerfield vs F9 Grand Saline

R11 Arp vs T12 New Waverly

W11 New Diana vs F12 Anderson-Shiro

R10 Hooks vs T9 Lone Oak

W12 Newton vs F11 Troup

R9 Edgewood vs T10 DeKalb

REGIONAL CHAMPION

Daingerfield over Newton