Stepp's 5A DI Region I Picks: District Projections and Playoff Outlook

DISTRICT PREDICTIONS

District 1-5A Division I

1. El Paso Americas
2. El Paso El Dorado
3. El Paso Hanks
4. El Paso Parkland
5. El Paso Bel Air
6. Clint Horizon

After two seasons of having just four teams in the district, Ysleta ISD opted up three programs and Clint ISD opted up Horizon High to give this a full six team district. El Dorado rolled to a district title and a playoff win last season, but gone are two FBS signees at RB and WR. Much of the offensive workload will fall to senior QB Brycen Booth. That may open the door for Americas to take the district crown. The Trail Blazers return 14 starters and hope that their experience can carry the day to a No. 1-seed. Hanks moves up to Division I with a veteran squad as s17 starters are back and 30 total lettermen. The Knights believe they also can challenge for a district title. Things fall off after that, but Parkland, one of those YISD opt-ups, should be the team to nab the final playoff spot.

District 2-5A Division I

1. Abilene
2. Lubbock Monterey
3. Amarillo
4. Wolfforth Frenship
5. Amarillo Tascosa
6. Lubbock Frenship Memorial
7. Amarillo Caprock
8. Lubbock

As always, this West Texas district will feature some stout competition; there are always a couple of good teams that end up missing the playoffs. Due to some craziness a year ago, this is the district that came down to a gas station coin flip after Week 11. Abilene, last year’s district champion, had an early exit from the playoffs in the area round, but the Eagles have experience at QB and good team speed across the board. Lubbock Monterey has the most experience returning with seven starters back on both sides of the ball. Amarillo High was 2-9 on the field due to forfeits, but they were much better than that. With a veteran defense returning, the Sandies will be a district contender. Frenship gets the nod for the four-seed despite major questions with depth after the opening of a new school. Tascosa also has questions as the Rebels lost eight starters on defense and a good amount of offensive production. The big wild card is Lubbock Frenship Memorial; the Panthers expect to be competitive from the jump, but asking them to make the playoffs year one is a tall ask.

District 3-5A Division I

1. Denton Ryan
2. Saginaw Chisholm Trail
3. Denton
4. Sherman
5. Azle
6. Saginaw
7. Keller Fossil Ridge

There’s not much intrigue in this district. Denton Ryan should absolutely romp to a district title and I don’t anticipate Shane Tolleson’s squad getting pushed. That may not be a good thing because I’m not sure there’s a lot of teams that can push Ryan in the entire region. The real intrigue in this district is the race for those other three spots, which should be ultra-competitive top to bottom. Chisholm Trail, who has been a playoff team the past two seasons, gets the early edge for the two-seed. The Rangers bring back 13 starters and have a full year of continuity under head coach Marvin Nash, who was hired in June last year. Denton High will be a factor as well with 15 returning starters in Year 2 of the David Beaty era. That last playoff spot will be totally up for grabs with Azle and Sherman battling it out. The slight nod goes to Sherman due to the addition of QB Daniel Ramos, who moved in with his dad from Lamesa after his father was hired to be Sherman’s head coach.

District 4-5A Division I

1. White Settlement Brewer
2. Fort Worth Arlington Heights
3. Fort Worth Wyatt
4. Fort Worth Paschal
5. Fort Worth Trimble Tech
6. Fort Worth South Hills
7. Fort Worth North Side
8. Fort Worth Polytechnic

It’s nearly an all-Fort Worth ISD affair in 4-5A Division I with the one exception being Brewer. The Bears looks primed for a district title with eight starters back on both sides of the ball and 35 total returning lettermen. They’ll have to get past Arlington Heights, which took care of the Bears 36-23 in the bi-district playoffs. Heights, who is fresh off their best season since 1973, will still be very strong with RB Carson James back. But the ‘Jackets did take some graduation hits at key spots. Wyatt brings back a strong cast with 13 starters back, while Paschal expects to be the final playoff team after going 6-4 a year ago.

PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS AND PLAYOFF OUTLOOK

W1 El Paso Americas vs F2 Wolfforth Frenship

R4 Fort Worth Arlington Heights vs T3 Denton

W2 Abilene vs F1 El Paso Parkland

R3 Saginaw Chisholm Trail vs T4 Fort Worth Wyatt

W3 Denton Ryan vs F4 Fort Worth Paschal

R2 Lubbock Monterey vs T1 El Paso Hanks

W4 White Settlement Brewer vs F3 Sherman

R1 El Paso El Dorado vs T2 Amarillo

As stated earlier, it’ll be a stunner if anyone not named Denton Ryan wins this region. The Raiders look loaded and may not get fully pushed in a four quarter game until a regional final. The top question is who will be the team to emerge out of the top half of the bracket? My money will be on the winner of District 2-5A Division I; that team has the path to make it through and I like Abilene High for that spot as the Eagles played for a regional title in 2024.

REGIONAL CHAMPION

Denton Ryan over Abilene