6A DI: North Forney Falcons

On Sunday, I reached out to multiple TXHSFB coaches to prepare for our Playoff Preview show. Three of them brought up how special North Forney QB Legend Bey is - and I hadn't even asked them about North Forney! Bey, who flipped his commitment from Tennessee to Ohio State earlier this week, has rushed for 1,852 yards and 28 touchdowns on 11.36 yards per carry. He is the maestro of an offense averaging 53.7 points per game.

I believe North Forney is battle-tested after finishing the District 10-6A gauntlet at 9-1. Rockwall didn't even qualify for the playoffs in this district after ending North Crowley's over three-year regular-season winning streak. North Forney showed they had the necessary resolve to handle the highs and lows of a playoff run after a comeback victory over Longview, which they trailed 42-21 at halftime. 

I struggled picking between North Forney and undefeated Dickinson as the 6A DI Dark Horse. I think North Forney's path (bi-district round against 6-4 Sachse, area round against the winner of Waxahachie and Waco Midway after they beat each other up) is slightly easier than Dickinson's dangerous first-round matchup against a high-powered Humble Atascocita offense and potential second-round clash with undefeated Pearland. 

6A DII: Prosper Eagles

Prosper is 9-1 with the one loss coming by one-point against Allen when it had a last-second field goal attempt to win. But most won't pick Prosper out of Region I because Southlake Carroll looms. The Dragons were a popular 6A DII State Championship pick after returning 19 starters from a state finalist team, and Riley Dodge's ballclub has done nothing to dissuade us with an undefeated season where the closest margin of victory was 35-7 over Hebron. 

I'm sticking with my preseason prediction that Southlake Carroll wins it all. But the Dragons should be on upset alert if they meet Prosper on Thanksgiving Weekend in the third round. Prosper has one of the best offensive lines in the state, featuring Texas A&M commit Zaden Krempin, Texas Tech commit Bryce Gilmore and Duke commit Sean Stover. They're one of only a handful of programs that could win the battle along the line of scrimmage against Southlake Carroll. If Prosper won this matchup, the Eagles would soar from Dark Horse to Favorite. 

5A DI: College Station Cougars

Most outside the program wrote College Station off after a 0-4 start. But the Cougars have bounced back with six consecutive wins, including a statement 34-31 victory in the regular-season finale over Pflugerville Weiss. Every year, it feels like a four-loss team makes a run to the regional final. Last season, it was Humble Kingwood and Joaquin. Could College Station be next?

The slow start forced this College Station team to shed any remaining unselfishness, and now the Cougars are playing with elite team chemistry. QB Keaton Johnson and RB Trey Walton have combined for nearly 1,800 rushing yards. On defense, Zahron Benford has racked up 28 TFL and eight sacks playing opposite last year's Second Team All-State selection, Davis Gardner. Cole Flanagan, meanwhile, has been one of the state's most productive linebackers with 121 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions.

College Station has a tough first-round matchup against 9-1 Angleton. But Angleton has been beaten up down the stretch, including a season-ending injury to QB Bryce Duron. If College Station can get past Angleton, they'd likely be favored over whoever wins between Houston Madison and Beaumont United. That would put them in the third round of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, most likely a matchup with undefeated Port Arthur Memorial or arch-rival A&M Consolidated. Consolidated is a coin flip game because of how well those teams know each other.  

5A DII: Gregory-Portland Wildcats

Gregory-Portland has made the playoffs 45 times but hasn't reached the state championship game since 1971. Could the Wildcats emerge in a chaotic Region IV? Three teams were picked to win Region IV on our Monday Playoff Preview show.

Gregory-Portland, 9-1, is one win away from its first 10-win season since 2012 behind the heroics of dual-threat QB Carter Dominguez. He has 1,327 passing yards and 620 rushing yards with 35 total touchdowns. But the defense could be the difference maker in the playoffs. The Wildcats have four shutouts on the season and have allowed just 33 points in five district games. CB Triston Gore has shadowed every team's best receiver this season in press-man coverage. He has 55 tackles, five TFL, three interceptions and two forced fumbles, but Coach Brent Davis says the stat sheet cannot measure Gore's energy, which the team feeds off of. 

4A DI: Fort Bend Crawford Chargers 

Last year, Fort Bend Crawford went 5-6 in its first year as a varsity program, playing without seniors. Now, after returning every starter this offseason, the Chargers are 9-1 with impressive wins over West Orange-Stark (29-22) and Hamshire-Fannett (63-21).

Crawford is averaging 47.4 points per game behind a high-flying passing attack piloted by junior quarterback Braylen Fisher (30 TD, 3 INT). He has two dynamic wide receivers in four-star Alvin Mosley (43 catches, 776 yards and 15 TD) and Justin Butler (854 yards on 24.4 average yards per catch, 9 TD). The defense is headlined by two rangy C/O 2027 linebackers in Camron Alakija (86 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 6 sacks) and Khaidyn Hopson (48 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 5 sacks). 

A second-round matchup between either Lindale or Huffman-Hargrave would be tricky. But Crawford lucked out being on the side of Region III opposite clear-favorite Kilgore. The Chargers would not see them until the Regional Final. By then, they could have already built enough momentum to make magic happen. 

4A DII: Athens Hornets

Athens has not won a playoff game since 2015, but these Hornets are generating a different kind of buzz after an 8-2 regular season in which the two losses were by 1 point to Kaufman and a 61-56 thriller against Carthage.

Senior QB David Richardson (2,363 passing yards, 34 TD, 3 INT) is leading an offense that has scored less than 44 points in a game just once this season. Coach Zac Harrell describes him as a warrior for playing six games with a Lisfranc injury last season. Now fully healthy, his legs have come alive for 727 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Richardson has two standout wide receivers with Julious Brewer and E'manuel Moore. Moore (6'3, 190) has 861 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year, while Brewer has 840 yards and 15 total touchdowns in just six games played. 

The defense is led by linebackers Ja'bory Taylor and Eli Carnes. Taylor is a rangy outside linebacker with 74 tackles, 9 TFL and 6 sacks, while Carnes is the thumper inside with 88 tackles, 11 TFL, 3 sacks and 2 defensive touchdowns. 

Athens plays a 4-6 Gilmer team in the first round, although the Buckeyes' championship pedigree and two-game winning streak make them a hard out. They have also already taken the region's favorite, Carthage, to the mat. Athens would not see Carthage until the regional final.   

3A: Peaster Greyhounds

Peaster, which began playing varsity football in 2019, won its first playoff game in school history last season. I believe that playoff experience will pay dividends for this 9-1 ball club. The Greyhounds' only loss this season was by six to Paradise, the state's No.2-ranked team. The potential rematch wouldn't occur until the regional finals. Until then, they play 4-6 Sweetwater, most likely a Shallowater team that's shown leaks along the offensive line, then, potentially, a Vernon team that it just beat 39-3. 

Peaster's secondary has opposing wide receivers on a "No Fly" list. Safeties Mark Tullous and Rhett Kelley each have five interceptions. Cade McCollough is one of the state's most versatile players. He is a cover corner and also the leading receiver with 570 yards and nine touchdowns. McCollough is also a special teams weapon, booting a 50-yard field goal, two 49-yard field goals and a 47-yard field goal, which could give the Greyhounds a monumental advantage in a close game. 

3A: Hardin Hornets

Hardin is 10-0 for the first time in school history, but that's not its most impressive stat. The Hornets have not punted all season. The Double Wing offense, headlined by senior RBs Javion Watley and Trevor Jones, causes teams' headaches both in pre-Friday gameplanning and on the field when they hit you in the mouth. Watley has 1,378 yards, while Jones has 1,238. Both have 22 touchdowns. 

The Hornets drew a tough Region III with undefeated Fairfield and the District 12-3A DI squads (Columbus, Yoakum, Hitchcock). But Hardin would see Hitchcock in the second round, who lost to both Columbus and Yoakum. Yoakum and Fairfield will play each other before they face Hardin, and Hardin won't see Columbus until the regional final. 

2A DI: Axtell Longhorns 

Despite emerging as the champion in a loaded District 7-2A DII, Axtell is not getting mentioned enough as a state championship contender. The hesitancy might stem from recent playoff history leaving scars. Craig Horn's first two years in 2022 and 2023 each ended in a first-round playoff exit. The 2023 defeat was especially painful after an undefeated regular season. But the Longhorns made a deep run last season, coming one point away from the state semifinals after a 15-14 loss to Hamilton. 

The 2024 season was the farthest Axtell has ever reached, but it wasn't uncharted territory for Horn. He reached the state championship game with Tenaha in 2017 and also reached the third round with Italy. He knows how to navigate December football, and now his roster does too. 

2A DII: Windthorst Trojans

The Dave Campbell's Staff unanimously picked Muenster, the defending state champions, to win Region II. But we acknowledged on our Monday playoff prediction show that the region was too loaded to pencil Muenster in as a regional champion. Windthorst is one of those dangerous teams, largely because of QB Brock Belcher. The senior has thrown for over 3,000 yards, 46 touchdowns and two interceptions, while leading the Trojans with 642 rushing yards. Oh, and he also has 64 tackles and three interceptions. Belcher is one of the few quarterbacks in 2A whose numbers compare to Muenster's Casen Carney.

Granted, Windthorst was no match for Muenster when they faced off in the regular season, falling 53-13. But Windthorst would not see Muenster until the regional final. The Trojans have also made massive defensive improvements since that game on September 12, surrendering just 10.3 points per game. Linebacker Connor Scheiber leads the team with 113 tackles.