The Toughest District in Each Classification Post 2026-28 UIL Realignment

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District 17-6A (Channelview, Crosby, Galena Park North Shore, Humble, Humble Atascocita, Humble Kingwood, Humble Summer Creek, Sheldon C.E. King)

This district keeps all the same powerhouse programs from last year’s District 23-6A, which was named the toughest district in Texas by DCTX the previous summer.

It’s the only district in the state with two teams that participated in a state championship game. Reigning Class 6A DI State Champion Galena Park North Shore is here, along with Class 6A DII state finalist Sheldon C.E. King, led by DCTX Coach of the Year Cory Laxen. 

Meanwhile, Humble Summer Creek has won at least 12 games in each of the last three seasons. Humble Atascocita head coach Craig Stump retired this offseason, leaving behind a program that’s unrecognizable from the one he took over 14 years ago. The Eagles have reached the regional finals six times since 2015.

Humble Kingwood is just one year removed from making the regional final itself as a four-seed and also has the district’s top recruit, offensive tackle Kennedy Brown.

The district swaps Goose Creek Memorial, which went 1-6 in district play, for a Crosby team that made the playoffs last season in District 11-5A DI.

Honorable Mention: District 11-6A (Crowley, Dallas Skyline, Duncanville, Mansfield, Mansfield Lake Ridge, North Crowley, Red Oak, Waxahachie)

District 13-5A DII (Boerne, Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch, Liberty Hill, New Braunfels, New Braunfels Long Creek, San Antonio Alamo Heights, San Antonio Veterans Memorial)

If you average the win total of the teams in District 13-5A DII, you get 9.4 wins last season, which is the highest total of any new district in Texas.

Boerne (13-2) went to the state semifinal last year and returns QB Grant Sweeney, who was named the No. 5 breakout star in 2025 by DCTX. The Greyhounds keep Alamo Heights (12-2) as a district rival after the two teams played a couple of bangers last year: Boerne won 37-35 in the regular season and then 56-49 in the fourth round of the playoffs.

New Braunfels (11-3) made back-to-back third-round appearances for the first time since 1986 and now drops down to DII. Meanwhile, Liberty Hill had a “down” year at 9-3.

New Braunfels Long Creek and Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch will both make their UIL debuts in 2026, but early reports from TXHSFB insiders say they have bright futures.

Honorable Mention: District 11-5A DI (Alvin Iowa Colony, Angleton, Fort Bend Dulles, Friendswood, Katy Freeman, Pasadena, Pasadena South Houston, Richmond Randle, Victoria East)

District 8-4A DII (Carthage, Center, Gilmer, Longview Spring Hill, Pittsburg, Texarkana Pleasant Grove)

Carthage (16-0) is the reigning back-to-back Class 4A DII State Champion and holds the state’s longest-active win streak at 31 games. They are now in the same district with Pleasant Grove (11-2), which has won at least ten games in each of the last four seasons. Carthage has ended Pleasant Grove’s season in the playoffs every season since 2022. There will be plenty of bad blood in their district matchup.

Gilmer (4-7) is coming off just its second losing season since 1995. But the Buckeyes won the state championship game just two years ago and will return the unanimous District Offensive Lineman of the Year, Ismael “The French Freak” Camara. 

Pittsburg (7-4) is coming off its first winning season since 2018 and has a plethora of skill-position players returning, led by District Offensive Newcomer of the Year Seven Duffey. Center (5-6) gives District 8-4A five playoff teams out of six.

Honorable Mention:  District 11-4A DI (Bay City, El Campo, Navasota, Needville, Royal, Sealy, West Columbia)

District 15-3A DII (Blanco, Comfort, Karnes City, Nixon Smiley, Poth, SA Young Men’s Leadership, Stockdale)

This district takes the largest - and best - portion of the old 15-3A DII. That includes a 10-win Poth team, a nine-win Stockdale team, and a resurgent Karnes City team that made its first playoff appearance since 2015.

Then, it adds a regional finalist in Blanco (10-3) and a Comfort team that’s made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.

The result? One of the state’s deepest districts.

Honorable Mention: District 3-3A DI (Early, Ingram Moore, Llano, San Angelo Texas Leadership, Wall)

District 1-2A DII (Bovina, Gruver, Stinnett West Texas, Stratford, Vega)

This district already had Gruver (12-3) and Stratford (10-3), and now it’s dropping Stinnett West Texas (14-1) into the mix after the Comanches made the first state semifinal appearance since 1995. 

Stratford is an early favorite in Class 2A, returning the district’s overall MVP, QB Chase Lantelme, and Lineman MVP, Kooper Walden. Gruver has made back-to-back trips to the state semifinals.

Honorable Mention: District 15-2A DI (Bloomington, Danbury, Flatonia, Ganado, Kenedy, Shiner, Weimar)