Stepp's 2A DI Region I Picks: District Projections and Playoff Outlook

It’s the end of an era at Sunray as the UIL’s all-time leading passer, Armando Lujan, has graduated along with a large senior class of 16 players. That could open the door up for Panhandle to ascend to the top of the district. Dane Ashley’s squad brings back 15 starters from a 10-win team led by QB Broxton Robinson. West Texas High and Spearman should be a dog-fight for the two-seed and a very young Sunray squad with just two back on both sides of the ball has enough fight and tradition to get the four-seed.

Regional runner-up Post won’t sneak up on anyone in 2025 with seven back on both sides of the ball, but the Antelopes will have to place some major production on the ground. Can an improved passing game off-set that? Abernathy has some explosive playmakers at the skill spots, but they suffered some graduation losses in the trenches after making the area playoffs. New Home had ups and downs in their first season as a Division I program, however the Leopards should be improved in 2025.

It's a three-horse race in 3-2A Division I as tradition-rich Sonora, which is bringing back 10 starters, gets the edge over a veteran squad from Ozona and last year’s district champion Reagan County. Ozona will be adapting to a new coach, while RCHS lost a large senior class that included a FBS signee. The battle for fourth should be between Christoval and Forsan, which also has a new coach heading into 2025.

Stamford, which came within a whisker of winning a state title, suffered heavy graduation losses on offense. But tradition and a defense that brings back six starters in the preseason gives the Bulldogs the edge over Hawley. Cisco is a team on the rise after a couple of down years by their standards, the Loboes return 14 starters and are a sleeper to make a deep playoff push.

DISTRICT PREDICTIONS

District 1-2A Division I

1. Panhandle
2. Stinnett West Texas
3. Spearman
4. Sunray
5. Amarillo Highland Park
6. Sanford-Fritch

District 2-2A Division I

1. Post
2. Abernathy
3. New Home
4. New Deal
5. Floydada
6. Olton

District 3-2A Division I

1. Sonora
2. Ozona
3. Reagan County
4. Christoval
5. Forsan
6. Colorado City

District 4-2A Division I

1. Stamford
2. Hawley
3. Cisco
4. Anson
5. Olney
6. Abilene TLC

PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS

W1 Panhandle vs F2 New Deal

R4 Hawley vs T3 Reagan County

W2 Post vs F1 Sunray

R3 Ozona vs T4 Cisco

W3 Sonora vs F4 Anson

R2 Abernathy vs T1 Spearman

W4 Stamford vs F3 Christoval

R1 Stinnett West Texas vs T2 New Home

REGIONAL CHAMPION

Panhandle over Stamford