Stepp's 4A DI Region I Picks: District Projections and Playoff Outlook

El Paso has a nine-team 4A district and in the next realignment, there could end up being two El Paso-area 4A districts, so keep an eye on that come February. For 2025, Riverside gets the edge to move back to the top as second-year head coach Daniel Chavez welcomes back eight starters on both sides of the ball. Defending district champion Austin lost a good senior class, but the Panthers do return an elite runner and a veteran offensive line. The key for Austin will be staying healthy as numbers and depth aren’t a strength. Clint got back into the playoffs a year ago and with seven back on both sides, veteran head coach Rosvel Martinez’s bunch expects to contend for the district title. The final playoff spot should come down to Irvin and Ysleta. Irvin made big strides a year ago under first-year head coach Jonathon Elliott, while Ysleta, who finished third a year ago, must replace a big group of seniors.

After rolling all the way to the state semifinals a year ago, West Plains enters 2025 as the heavy favorite in the district and in the region. The Wolves bring back 41 lettermen overall, a four-year starter at QB, two other FBS prospects and 17 starters. Adam Cummings’ squad is defnitely loaded up for a state title run. Randall, a regional semifinalist in 2024, will lean on a veteran defense that returns eight starters, but the Raiders do have questions on offense with just four back. Dumas will lean on veteran QB Colton Mills. Canyon surprisingly missed the playoffs a year ago, and the Eagles and Hereford will battle for the final playoff spot. Hereford will be very young, but the Herd has three-year starter Kalub Ramirez, a Texas baseball commit, returning at QB. 

Andrews and its Slot-T offense gets the edge in the four-team 3-4A Division I despite returning just two starters on both sides of the ball. RB JaeSean DeBouse is back after putting up monster numbers the last two seasons. With 17 starters returning, Big Spring expects to contend for the district title, while San Angelo Lake View, and its 17 returning starters, expects to leap past Pecos to take the three-seed.

Stephenville will lean on a defense that returns 10 starters to carry the load, while a young group of skill players matures. They’ll still have enough to win the district after Lampasas was gutted by graduation and the transfer out of state of its top returning player. That may open the door for Brownwood, under a first-year head coach, to get the two-seed with eight offensive starters returning. Burnet holds off longtime rival Marble Falls for the final playoff spot once again. But the gap between third and fifth is not wide.

DISTRICT PREDICTIONS

District 1-4A Division I

1. El Paso Riverside
2. El Paso Austin
3. Clint
4. El Paso Irvin
5. El Paso Ysleta
6. El Paso Bowie
7. Clint Mountain View
8. Fabens
9. San Elizario

District 2-4A Division I

1. Canyon West Plains
2. Canyon Randall
3. Dumas
4. Canyon
5. Hereford
6. Pampa

District 3-4A Division I

1. Andrews
2. Big Spring
3. San Angelo Lake View
4. Pecos

District 4-4A Division I

1. Stephenville
2. Brownwood
3. Lampasas
4. Burnet
5. Marble Falls

PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS

W1 El Paso Riverside vs F2 Canyon

R4 Brownwood vs T3 San Angelo Lake View

W2 Canyon West Plains vs F1 El Paso Irvin

R3 Big Spring vs T4 Lampasas

W3 Andrews vs F4 Burnet

R2 Canyon Randall vs T1 Clint

W4 Stephenville vs F3 Pecos

R1 El Paso Austin vs T2 Dumas

REGIONAL CHAMPION

Canyon West Plains over Stephenville