UIL football playoff scenarios sorting out, still tangled in 6-5A and 10-5A
The final week of the Texas high school football regular season is exciting and head-scratching all at once.
District titles and playoff spots are on the line. Three- and four-way tiebreakers — Team A defeated Team B by 10 points, so Team B must beat Team C by 11 points — come into play.
It can be confusing, but there’s nothing like it.
Based on enrollment, the two largest UIL playoff qualifiers from each Class 6A and 5A district go the Division I route, while the other two are in the Division II bracket.
The usual suspects — Aledo, Euless Trinity, Southlake Carroll, Mansfield, Fort Worth South Hills, Everman and Kennedale — are already playoff bound.
“We started 0-3 and we challenged these kids seven weeks ago,” said Everman coach Dale Keeling, whose District 9-5A Bulldogs are on a six-game winning streak. “These kids responded to the challenge with a great effort ... I’m extremely proud of them.”
District 3-6A
In: Keller Fossil Ridge (9-0 overall, 6-0 in 3-6A), Keller Central (6-3, 4-1), Keller (5-4, 3-2)
On the bubble: Haltom (5-4, 3-2), Keller Timber Creek (6-3, 2-3)
Out: Abilene (2-7, 1-4), Weatherford (0-10, 0-6)
Breakdown: Fossil Ridge is the No. 1 seed in the Division II bracket, while Central is No. 2. Keller is in as it owns any three-way tiebreakers with Haltom or Timber Creek. Haltom is in with a win versus Central on Thursday or a Timber Creek loss at Abilene. Timber Creek needs a win and Haltom loss.
District 4-6A
In: Mansfield (8-1, 6-0), Arlington Martin (8-1, 5-1), Arlington (7-2, 4-2), Arlington Lamar (5-4, 4-2)
Out: Arlington Sam Houston (4-5, 2-4), North Crowley (4-5, 2-4), Arlington Bowie (2-7, 1-5), Fort Worth Paschal (0-9, 0-6)
Breakdown: Mansfield is the No. 1 seed in Division II and gets Central in bi-district. Arlington is No. 2 and plays Fossil Ridge. Martin and Lamar play on Thursday to determine the top seed in Division I.
District 5-6A
In: Euless Trinity (7-2, 6-0), Southlake Carroll (7-2, 5-1), Hebron (7-2, 5-1), Trophy Club Nelson (3-6, 3-3)
Out: Flower Mound (3-6, 2-4), Flower Mound Marcus (4-5, 2-4), Lewisville (2-7, 1-5), Hurst L.D. Bell (1-8, 0-6)
Breakdown: Trinity and Hebron are No. 1 and 2 in the Division I bracket. Carroll, which plays Hebron on Friday, is No. 1 in Division II. Nelson is the No. 2 seed. Hebron plays Allen in bi-district.
District 6-5A
In: Aledo (9-0, 6-0), Saginaw Boswell (9-0, 6-0), White Settlement Brewer (6-3, 4-2)
On the bubble: Azle (4-5, 3-3), Haslet Eaton (4-5, 3-3)
Out: Justin Northwest (5-4, 2-4), Saginaw Chisholm Trail (2-7, 0-6), Saginaw (0-9, 0-6)
Breakdown: Aledo and Boswell play Friday for the district championship and No. 1 seed in Division II. Brewer plays Eaton for the top seed in Division I. Azle plays Northwest. Brewer is in regardless of tiebreaker. Azle is in with a win and Brewer win, or Azle win and Eaton win by 12 points or less. Eaton is in with a win and Azle loss, or Eaton win by 13 points or more.
District 7-5A
In: FW South Hills (9-0, 6-0), FW Southwest (6-3, 5-1), FW Arlington Heights (5-4, 4-2), FW YMLA (4-5, 4-2)
Out: FW Wyatt (6-3, 3-3), FW Trimble Tech (3-6, 1-5), FW Western Hills (2-7, 1-5), FW North Side (3-6, 0-6)
Breakdown: South Hills is the top seed in Division I, while Arlington Heights is No. 2. Southwest is the top seed in Division II, while Young Men’s Leadership Academy is No. 2.
District 8-5A
In: Colleyville Heritage (8-1, 6-0), Grapevine (7-2, 5-1), Richland (8-1, 5-1), Birdville (4-5, 4-2)
Out: FW Dunbar (2-7, 2-4), FW Eastern Hills (3-6, 1-5), FW Polytechnic (1-8, 1-5), FW Carter-Riverside (1-7, 0-6)
Breakdown: Heritage is the top seed in Division I and gets Arlington Heights in bi-district. Birdville is No. 2 and gets South Hills. Grapevine earns the No. 1 seed in Division II with a win over Birdville on Friday or a Richland loss against Heritage.
District 9-5A
In: Everman (6-3, 6-0), Crowley (6-3, 5-1), Burleson (8-1, 5-1), Burleson Centennial (5-4, 4-2)
Out: Granbury (5-4, 2-4), Joshua (3-6, 1-5), Arlington Seguin (2-7, 1-5), Cleburne (0-9, 0-6)
Breakdown: Everman is the top seed in Division II, while Burleson is No. 2. Crowley and Centennial are No. 1 and 2 in Division I.
District 10-5A
In: Mansfield Lake Ridge (8-1, 6-0), Mansfield Legacy (7-2, 5-1), Waxahachie (6-3, 4-2)
On the bubble: Mansfield Summit (5-4, 3-3), Mansfield Timberview (3-6, 2-4)
Out: Lancaster (4-5, 2-4), Midlothian (3-6, 2-4), Red Oak (2-7, 0-6)
Breakdown: Lake Ridge is the No. 1 seed in Division I and gets Centennial in bi-district. Legacy is No. 1 in Division II and meets Burleson. On Friday, Timberview plays Summit and Midlothian plays Lancaster. Summit is in with a win or loss by 13 points or less and a Midlothian win. Timberview is in with a win and Lancaster win, or Timberview win by 14 points or more and a Midlothian win.
District 5-4A Div. I
In: Kennedale (8-1, 4-0), Springtown (4-5, 3-1)
On the bubble: Mineral Wells (5-4, 2-2), Lake Worth (2-7, 2-2), Castleberry (1-8, 1-3)
Out: FW Diamond Hill-Jarvis (0-9, 0-4)
Breakdown: Mineral Wells is in with a win over Castleberry. Lake Worth is in with a win over Kennedale or a Castleberry loss. Castleberry needs a win, a Lake Worth loss, and then it goes to a tiebreaker.
District 4-4A Div. II
In: Glen Rose (8-1, 4-0), Godley (7-2, 3-1), Waxahachie Life (4-5, 2-2), Hillsboro (3-6, 2-2)
Out: FW Benbrook (2-7, 1-3), Venus (3-6, 0-4)
This story was originally published November 4, 2017 at 5:39 PM with the headline "UIL football playoff scenarios sorting out, still tangled in 6-5A and 10-5A."