Stepp's 4A DII Region II Picks: District Projections and Playoff Outlook

Van Alstyne ran the table in 5-4A Division II a year ago, and the Panthers get the edge early on despite losing 15 starters, but keep your eyes on Sanger. The Indians were a hard-luck team in 2024, finishing 3-3 in district with three losses by a total of four points, Chad Rogers’ squad returns 16 starters and looks primed for a breakout campaign. Krum and Farmersville look to be the best bets for the last two playoff spots, while Caddo Mills is lurking and ready to pounce.

Sunnyvale pulled off the upset of the 4A playoffs last year, taking down East Texas powerhouse Gilmer in the area playoffs. Now, the Raiders are eyeing taking all the big teams from the East down as they return seven on both sides of the ball. They are a massive favorite in 7-4A Division II. The real race will be for the two-seed, where Quinlan Ford gets the edge, but Canton, Ferris and Wills Point are all close behind. Don’t be surprised if we are going through tiebreaker scenarios in Week 11.

Two of the state’s top five teams live in 7-4A Division II, yet neither is a regional favorite with 10-time state champion Carthage looming in 8-4A Division II. Pleasant Grove went through some early growing pains a year ago, but the Hawks appear loaded after losing just seven seniors from a 10-3 squad. Gilmer’s going through some rebuilding at the skill spots, but in the trenches the Buckeyes may be among the state’s best. Meanwhile, after a surprise regional final run, Van has to replace a strong senior core.

Defending state champion Carthage is looking for its 11th state title with an elite senior class that features at least five FBS prospects; winning the district title seems like a formality at this point. With 16 returning starters, including 10 on offense, Athens looks like the pick for the two-seed, while Center, and its new head coach, is the third-place pick. The real battle may be for the final spot, where Rusk, Bullard and Brownsboro can all make a case on paper.

DISTRICT PREDICTIONS

District 5-4A Division II

1. Van Alstyne
2. Sanger
3. Krum
4. Farmersville
5. Caddo Mills
6. Gainesville
7. Bonham

District 6-4A Division II

1. Sunnyvale
2. Quinlan Ford
3. Canton
4. Ferris
5. Wills Point
6. Kemp

District 7-4A Division II

1. Texarkana Pleasant Grove
2. Gilmer
3. Van
4. Longview Spring Hill
5. Pittsburg
6. Paris North Lamar

District 8-4A Division II

1. Carthage
2. Athens
3. Center
4. Rusk
5. Bullard
6. Brownsboro

PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS

W5 Van Alstyne vs F6 Ferris

R8 Athens vs T7 Van

W6 Sunnyvale vs F5 Farmersville

R7 Gilmer vs T8 Center

W7 Texarkana Pleasant Grove vs F8 Rusk

R6 Quinlan Ford vs T5 Krum

W8 Carthage vs F7 Longview Spring Hill

R5 Sanger vs T6 Canton

REGIONAL CHAMPION

Carthage over Gilmer