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

DISTRICT PREDICTIONS

District 5-4A Division II

1. Glen Rose
2. Hillsboro
3. Kemp
4. Venus

There’s not a ton of intrigue at the top of 4A-Divison II’s lone four-team district as Glen Rose is far and away the favorite in this group. In fact, if the Tigers play a close game in this district it’ll be a surprise. Hillsboro gets the nod for the two-seed under new head coach Leeland Hamilton. The Eagles athleticism at the skill spots should serve them well. Kemp and Venus will be locked in a struggle to stay out of the district basement. This district became a four-team loop after Dallas Uplift Hampton withdrew from UIL sports after UIL Realignment.

District 6-4A Division II

1. Krum
2. Van Alstyne
3. Sanger
4. Ponder
5. Gainesville
6. Lake Worth

After a district title last year, Krum looks to go for the repeat as the Bobcats bring back six starters on both sides of the ball from a squad that was undefeated until a double overtime area round loss to Athens. That’s not to say the Bobcats will run away with things as Van Alstyne and Sanger are nipping at their heels. After a bit of a down year in 2025, Van Alstyne is back with a vengeance with 16 returning starters. The Panthers showed their potential this summer when they advanced to the Division II 7-on-7 State Championship game. Sanger was an area round playoff team a year ago and nearly took down Krum in their regular season meeting. The Indians lost a lot on offense but the defense should be stout with eight back. Ponder, up from a brutal 3A district, should emerge as a playoff team, while Gainesville and Lake Worth are in the midst of rebuilding efforts.

District 7-4A Division II

1. Sunnyvale
2. Quinlan Ford
3. Wills Point
4. Farmersville
5. Paris North Lamar
6. Bonham

Sunnyvale has proven they are a bonafide regional contender over the past two seasons. They should cruise through this loop as the Raiders offense led by QB Cayson Maupin should be among the best in the state. Things get really intriguing after that as the fight for second will be a battle. Quinlan Ford’s ground-oriented offense is a model of consistency and the Panthers are the leader in the clubhouse. Wills Point has some really interesting young talent so you can’t sleep on them or a program with consistency like Farmersville.

District 8-4A Division II

1. Carthage
2. Texarkana Pleasant Grove
3. Gilmer
4. Pittsburg
5. Longview Spring Hill
6. Center

The power nexus in Region II lies in East Texas where 11-time state champion Carthage takes up most of the space, but state title programs like Texarkana Pleasant Grove and Gilmer are powerful in their own right. Carthage currently holds the state’s longest winning streak at 31 games and is an incredible 131-4 over the past nine years, so picking against them seems crazy despite the fact that the vast majority of the Bulldogs skill talent has graduated. Pleasant Grove, who, if it wasn’t for Carthage, might be back-to-back state champions, is going through a bit of a transition. Gone is head coach Josh Gibson, who helped lead the Hawks to two state titles and three title game appearances. In steps in former DC Johnathan Darby, who inherits an offense that returns a good amount of talent, but will need to rebuild on defense Gilmer had a disappointing 2025 season, but with 17 returning starters, don’t expect the Buckeyes to be down for long. Pittsburg had a fantastic bounce back campaign in 2025 and the Pirates hope to continue that positive momentum.  

PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS AND PLAYOFF OUTLOOK

W5 Glen Rose vs F6 Ponder

R8 Texarkana Pleasant Grove vs T7 Wills Point

W6 Krum vs F5 Venus

R7 Quinlan Ford vs T8 Gilmer

W7 Sunnyvale vs F8 Pittsburg

R6 Van Alstyne vs T5 Kemp

W8 Carthage vs F7 Farmersville

R5 Hillsboro vs T6 Sanger

The regional title runs through East Texas in Region II and that’s going to be the case once again as the region’s three best teams likely live in 8-4A Division II. That’s not to say there’s no hope for other contenders but the reality is East Texas has dominated. Glen Rose vs. Pleasant Grove in the area round is VERY intriguing, in fact, the last time they played in the playoffs PGHS won an absolute thriller. The winner gets Gilmer on Thanksgiving weekend. Sunnyvale should cruise into the regional semifinals where they’ll likely get the ultimate test, a date with Carthage.

REGIONAL CHAMPION

Carthage over Texarkana Pleasant Grove