Don't make the mistake of overreacting to non-district schedules. In TXHSFB, the only record that matters for playoff seeding is the district record. 

These teams still have every goal in front of them despite starting 0–2. 

Programs are listed in order of my confidence in them. 

Argyle Liberty Christian (Preseason No.2)

Verdict: No Change to TAPPS DI State Championship Prediction

Argyle Liberty Christian dropped out of the DCTX rankings after falling to 0–2, but I am still picking the Warriors to win a third consecutive TAPPS Division I State Championship. Coach Jason Witten has placed a gauntlet in front of his program, which will make them stronger in the long run. Argyle Liberty Christian took Anna, the No.9-ranked team in Class 5A DII, to the mat in a 31-28 loss. Then, they played Texarkana Texas High tough in a 49-37 shootout. The Tigers are the No.5-ranked team in Class 5A DII. 

Junior WR/LB Cooper Witten was named the first DCTX five-star in the Class of 2027 and has more than lived up to the label. Through two weeks, he has 17 catches for 299 yards and seven touchdowns. He's also racked up 20 tackles and six forced fumbles. He and Baylor quarterback commit Quinn Murphy give Liberty Christian arguably the top tandem in private school football.

East Bernard (Preseason No.11)

Verdict: No Change to District 14-3A DII Second Place Prediction

Jeremy Jenkins says he didn't have a magical, made-for-movie speech after his East Bernard Brahmas fell to 0–2. He only said two things.

"I'm proud of you," Jenkins told them. "All I'm going to do is focus on me."

Jenkins was telling everybody to look at where they could improve. If players could each execute 10-15 percent better individually, then they'd have special results collectively. 

Injuries are no excuse, but the fact of the matter is that East Bernard has played more injured than most. Five players did not suit up in Week 1's 20-14 loss to Goliad, forcing East Bernard to compete with 8 new starters since multiple of the absent players were on offense and defense. Three of the starters from Week 1 were called up from JV, and East Bernard came within a dropped pass in the end zone away from winning.

"There's zero panic," Jenkins said. "We've played two really good teams, and we just haven't had all of our kids."

Of note: Jenkins was the head coach at Harmony in 2022 when the team started 0–3 and finished 8–5.

Katy (Preseason No. 8)

Verdict: No Change to District 19-6A Championship Prediction 

This might come as a shock, but Katy has been 0–2 before. In 2008, Gary Joseph's ball club started with a 10-6 loss to Galena Park North Shore and a 47-0 loss to The Woodlands. The Tigers went on to win the state championship.

The vaunted Katy defense looks vulnerable after surrendering 34 points to Dickinson and 52 points to Cardae Mack-led Humble Atascocita. But the Tigers have also been without both starting cornerbacks. Kentucky commit Isaiah McMillian was a unanimous First Team All-District 19-6A selection as a junior, while Mason Dismuke was a Second Team pick. Their injuries have hurt Katy's chances in non-district, but could help the team's depth come playoff time. 

Joseph also said he was pleased with the offensive line's growth from the Dickinson game to the Humble Atascocita game. After gaining a paltry 157 total yards in Week 1, Katy did not punt in Week 2 (although they did have a couple turnovers).

"It's easy to start throwing everything out the window and saying, 'Hey, we've got to start over,'" Joseph said. "No, we've just got to do what we're doing better."

Midland Legacy (Preseason No. 40 and District 2-6A Champion Pick)

Verdict: No Change to District 2-6A Championship Prediction

Clint Hartman's club has earned at least a share of the district championship in six of the last seven years, while four of his teams have reached at least the third round of the playoffs. That late-season success is due to the early-season grind he puts his players through. Midland Legacy will face a top 10-ranked team in each of the first five weeks of the season. In the first three weeks of the season, the Rebels will have traveled to face Allen (No. 4), Euless Trinity (No. 9) and Lake Travis (No. 8). Then, they'll face Abilene (No. 8 in Class 5A DI) at home and Ruston (Louisiana) at a neutral site in Alvarado..  

"You make your hay in the district, but you plant your hay in the non-district," Hartman said. "I don't get why some people are scared to take a loss. We feel like we're doing exactly what we think we should do to help our football team make a run."

Hartman says his team is oil-field tough and built to out-physical opponents. That strength should only increase with the healthy return of sophomore left tackle Braydon Zeno and defensive lineman Jason Williams.

DeSoto (Preseason No. 10)

The Verdict: No Change to District 11-6A Second Place Prediction, No Longer 6A DII Region II Champion Favorite

Coach Claude Mathis told his team after a 36-27 loss to defending state champion North Crowley to keep the chatter from getting between their ears. He and his players hear all the whispers that not only is DeSoto down... they're done. It's the end of an era. Mathis says those opinions won't penetrate the walls of his locker room. 

“We love adversity," Mathis said. "I've never seen a ranking win a state championship. So they can rank us anywhere they want. All I know is, I believe in us. I believe in who we are and our culture."

DeSoto was shocked in Week 1 by Creekside (Georgia) 70-28 in Atlanta, but it's important to note that Creekside played two games before that matchup because Georgia's season starts earlier. The Eagles executed better against North Crowley, building a 21-7 lead before letting the Panthers come back. 

Mathis is still toying with his best lineup. USC commit Ethan Feaster, the No. 7-ranked player in the DCTX Hot 100, played both wide receiver and cornerback in Week 2. Feaster played both ways in junior high and has both the athleticism and football IQ to continue double duty. Senior Ladainian Wall also lined up at wide receiver and cornerback. DeSoto was without its starting quarterback against North Crowley and rotated running back SaRod Baker and junior Lemarcus Summers throughout the game. 

College Station (Preseason No. 8)

The Verdict: No Change to District 12-5A DI Championship Prediction

For Coach Stoney Pryor, the most important outcome in a non-district game is not always a win.

"I want to go play good quality teams and, quite honestly, if we need to get exposed somewhere, that's what I want to happen," Pryor said. 

That's why he scheduled two Class 6A teams to kick off the season. And while a 35-28 loss to Klein Collins and a 43-32 loss to Magnolia showed areas they need to work on, it also showed they're capable of beating teams of that caliber.  

"We've pointed out to our kids that it wouldn't take some miraculous play that we're incapable of doing to win those games," Pryor said. "It doesn't require that all of a sudden we're taller or much faster or much bigger. All it requires is that we work together and execute the things we're perfectly capable of executing."

College Station's offense showed fight scoring 28 unanswered points to overcome a 28-0 deficit to Klein Collins. And while the defense is surrendering 39 points per game, Pryor says that unit is rallying to the ball on the field and rallying around each other in critical moments. Led by Preseason All-State linebacker Cole Flanagan, this defense should improve come district play. 

Marlin (Preseason No. 7)

The Verdict: No Change to District 13-2A DI Championship Prediction, No Longer Class 2A DI Region IV Finalist Favorite

Marlin's first two games were admittedly lopsided (55-26 loss to Lexington and 40-7 loss to Honey Grove). But Coach Jeff Rogers discovered what type of mental makeup his team has after watching how they competed when the win was out of reach. 

"You know as a coach when you've lost them - when they start letting up and not wanting to finish," Rogers said. "I know right now that we've got 100 percent buy in."

Growing pains were expected for the Bulldogs. While they return plenty of varsity experience, they have multiple players at new spots. De'Angelo Wright was a running back up until this season, but now rotates between quarterback and running back. Defensive lineman D'Aire Johnson has also lined up at linebacker, running back and H-back. Rogers says both are playing well. 

Rogers says he's also had multiple people reach out to remind him that Marlin was in the exact same spot last year, with a 0–2 record against the same programs, before rebounding to go 10–4. That's why I'm not changing the district championship pick, but I am slightly lowering playoff expectations because the two losses last year were far closer. 

A correction was made on September 9, 2025: Midland Legacy's game against Ruston (Louisiana) is at a neutral site in Alvarado and not at home as originally printed. DCTX regrets this error.