Division II State 7-on-7 Pool Picks and Analysis

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Pool A Predicted Order of Finish

1. Kilgore
2. Austin LBJ
3. Bay City
4. Brownwood

This may be the dreaded “Pool of Death” in the Division II bracket as all four teams have serious pedigree. Kilgore made it all the way to the semifinals a year ago in its State 7-on-7 debut. The Bulldogs will be a force again, led by QB Kason Brooks and WR/S LaKeylon Graves. Austin LBJ never has a shortage of athletes. Although the Jaguars don’t have a ton of depth, their front-line players can do plenty of damage. Bay City is young, but always talented, while Brownwood is back in College Station after missing out a year ago.

Pool B Predicted Order of Finish

1. Hamshire-Fannett
2. Kingsville
3. Little River-Academy
4. Lamesa

Defending champion Hamshire-Fannett headlines this pool and although the Longhorns graduated some major talent, they have shown no signs of slowing down this summer and will be among the tournament favorites. Kingsville and Little-River Academy will be in a battle for the second spot. Kingsville has some explosive skill talent. If the Brahmas can handle the big stage they could be a sleeper. Lamesa, which is in its first appearance at the State Tournament, has a dynamic 2028 QB in Daniel Ramos, who threw 38 touchdowns as a freshman.

Pool C Predicted Order of Finish

1. Dumas
2. Paris
3. Cuero
4. China Spring

Last year’s runner-up, Dumas, is accustomed to deep runs in College Station and the Demons are poised to once again do plenty of damage with junior QB Colton Mills piloting an efficient attack. Paris is loaded with athletes led by WR Markeljric Finch and ATH Hudson Harper. If the Wildcats get consistency at QB they will be a real sleeper. Cuero WR Walker Dietze put up monster numbers a year ago and is fully capable of taking a game over.

Pool D Predicted Order of Finish

1. Hardin-Jefferson
2. Benbrook
3. Port Isabel
4. West

Pool D looks to be wide open. Hardin-Jefferson stunned Silsbee in its own SQT to qualify for state and will get the early look as the favorite, but Benbrook is battle tested in multiple DFW qualifiers and will be a tough out. Port Isabel runs the Slot-T, but the Tarpons will be an intriguing team to watch.

Pool E Predicted Order of Finish

1. Tyler Chapel Hill
2. Columbia
3. Midland Christian
4. Jarrell

Lots of intrigue in this pool with a good cross-section of the state included. Chapel Hill doesn’t make it to the State Tournament every year, but when the Bulldogs get to C-Stat they often make a lot of noise. QB Malik Gee has some exciting weapons at his disposal, including WRs Maliek Brown and Demarcion Blaylock. Columbia will also be a force, as ATH Mudassir Abdallah is one of the most versatile playmakers in the bracket and there are also other capable playmakers for the Roughnecks. Midland Christian is the lone private school in the field. The Mustangs expect to be more than competitive, while Jarrell is a fast riser out of the Greater Austin area.

Pool F Predicted Order of Finish

1. Waco La Vega
2. Graham
3. Hitchcock
4. Van Alstyne

If Pool A isn’t the “Pool of Death,” in the Division II bracket then Pool F has a great case for that title. Explosive La Vega, with Oklahoma State WR commit Jabarie Thornton on the outside, gets the early edge in this loaded pool, but Graham and Hitchcock, who have a combined five 7-on-7 state titles, will be right in the mix. Both teams are quite young, but they have a ton of pedigree and will be in contention on Friday.

Pool G Predicted Order of Finish

1. Stephenville
2. Lake Dallas
3. Manor New Tech
4. La Marque

Traditional powerhouse Stephenville is back at the State Tournament after an absence and the ‘Jackets will be a threat with some young and exciting skill talent. Lake Dallas, after dropping from 5A, is back in College Station for the second straight year, and the Falcons have a solid team across the board. New Tech and La Marque are both high variance teams. If they are good, they can compete with anyone in the bracket. But the consistency for these two will be key.

Pool H Predicted Order of Finish

1. Frisco Panther Creek
2. Mineral Wells
3. Lorena
4. Somerset

Panther Creek enters the State Tournament as one of the favorites with WR Jalen Lott and DB Donovan Webb leading the way. If the Panthers falter, Mineral Wells and Lorena are both capable of taking full advantage. Mineral Wells was one of the surprise teams of the State Tournament in 2024, advancing to the quarterfinals.