High school football playoff scenarios: What do area teams need to clinch spots?
The final week of the Texas high school football regular season is here.
Check out the playoff scenarios for each Fort Worth-area district, and see which teams need a big win to extend their seasons.
Note: In tiebreakers involving multiple teams, unless one team has beaten all the others, most districts use point differential — the combined margin of victory or defeat in the games among the tied teams — to determine who advances. Each district’s rules vary on what the point “cap” is on each game. For example, in a district with a cap of 15, a team’s 40-20 victory would only count as plus-15 toward the tiebreaker, not plus-20.
District 3-6A
Clinched: North Crowley (5-0 district record), Lake Ridge (4-1), Mansfield (3-2)
In the hunt: Boswell (2-3), Crowley (2-3)
Eliminated: Mansfield Legacy (2-4), Weatherford (0-5)
What to know: Boswell can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over Lake Ridge. Crowley needs Boswell to lose, even if the Eagles pull off an upset of North Crowley.
Mansfield Legacy has already played its final game. If Crowley and Boswell lose and finish tied with Legacy, Crowley would secure the final playoff spot in a three-way tiebreaker based on point differential.
District 4-6A
Clinched: Southlake Carroll (8-0), Byron Nelson (6-1), Euless Trinity (5-2)
In the hunt: Keller Central (3-4), L.D. Bell (3-4), Keller (3-4), Haslet Eaton (2-5)
Eliminated: Northwest (1-6), Timber Creek (1-6)
What to know: Keller plays Eaton on Friday, while Central and Bell face tough opponents in Byron Nelson and Euless Trinity, respectively.
If Keller defeats Eaton while Central and Bell fail to pull off upsets, the Indians will clinch the last spot and avoid any tiebreaker drama.
Don’t count Bell out; the Blue Raiders pulled off an upset victory over Trinity in 2023. In a heated rivalry game, anything can happen, and Bell has showcased an ability to rise to the occasion this season.
If Eaton seizes a victory, there could be a four-way tiebreaker for the final playoff spot based on point differential, with a cap of 18. Eaton’s margin of victory over Keller would end up determining the final spot.
The only playoff position that is locked in is Carroll’s; the Dragons will be the top 4-6A team in the Division II bracket.
District 8-6A
Clinched: South Grand Prairie (6-0), Arlington Bowie (6-0)
In the hunt: Arlington (3-3), Haltom (3-3), Arlington Lamar (3-3), Arlington Martin (2-4)
Eliminated: Grand Prairie (1-5), Arlington Sam Houston (0-6)
What to know: Martin needs a victory over Arlington to keep any hope of a playoff appearance alive, and the Warriors’ chances are still slim.
Lamar and Haltom have favorable matchups against Grand Prairie and Sam Houston, respectively. If it comes down to a three-way tiebreaker, Lamar has the point advantage.
South Grand Prairie and Bowie will face off for the district title Thursday.
District 3-5A Division I
Clinched: Aledo (7-0), Denton Ryan (6-1), Richland (5-2)
In the hunt: Brewer (4-3), Birdville (4-3)
Eliminated: Denton (3-4), Azle (2-5), Granbury (1-6), Fossil Ridge (0-8)
What to know: Brewer can lock up the final playoff spot with a win over Granbury on Friday. Even if the Bears lose, they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Birdville. The Hawks need to upset Denton Ryan and hope Brewer loses.
District 4-5A Division I
Clinched: Arlington Heights (6-1), Saginaw (6-1), O.D. Wyatt (6-1), Chisholm Trail (5-2)
Eliminated: Paschal (4-3), South Hills (3-4), Trimble Tech (1-6), North Side (1-6), Polytechnic (0-8)
What to know: With the district’s playoff spots secured, all eyes will be on Paschal and Arlington Heights’ matchup in the Battle of the Bonfire, one of Fort Worth ISD’s premier rivalry games.
Paschal does not have a chance to make the playoffs with a tiebreaker loss to Chisholm Trail. But even with the Panthers’ season coming to an end, expect them to give Arlington Heights their best shot at 7 p.m. Friday at Farrington Field.
Heights will be playing for a share of the district title, and so will Saginaw and O.D. Wyatt in their games against Chisholm Trail and South Hills, respectively.
District 7-5A Division I
Clinched: Highland Park (5-0), Midlothian (4-1)
In the hunt: Red Oak (3-2), Joshua (2-3), Burleson Centennial (2-3), Tyler (2-3)
Eliminated: Cleburne (0-6)
What to know: Red Oak can clinch with a victory over Tyler, and the winner of Burleson Centennial at Joshua on Friday would get the other spot. If Tyler upsets Red Oak, there will be a three-way tiebreaker for third and fourth place.
District 3-5A Division II
Clinched: Argyle (7-0), Timberview (6-2), Colleyville Heritage (5-2)
In the hunt: Mansfield Summit (5-2), Arlington Seguin (4-3)
Eliminated: The Colony (3-4), Burleson (1-6), Everman (1-6), Grapevine (0-7)
What to know: Arlington Seguin and Mansfield Summit play a de facto playoff game for the fourth spot Thursday at Newsom Stadium.
District 5-4A Division I
Clinched: Springtown (6-0), Decatur (4-1)
In the hunt: Fort Worth Southwest (3-2), Fort Worth Eastern Hills (2-3), Fort Worth Carter-Riverside (2-3)
Eliminated: Fort Worth Western Hills (1-4), Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis (0-5)
What to know: Southwest can clinch a spot with an upset of Decatur, and Eastern Hills can secure a spot with a win over Diamond Hill-Jarvis.
If Southwest falls, that opens the door for Carter-Riverside to make the playoffs for the first time since 1995 with a win over Western Hills.
District 6-4A Division I
Clinched: Alvarado (4-0), Kennedale (4-0), Castleberry (2-2)
In the hunt: Ranchview (1-3), Lake Worth (1-3)
Eliminated: Life (0-4)
What to know: Lake Worth and Ranchview play for the final playoff spot Thursday at Standridge Stadium.
District 3-4A Division II
Clinched: Brock (4-0), Graham (3-1), Eagle Mountain (3-1)
In the hunt: Mineral Wells (1-3), Burkburnett (1-3)
Eliminated: Bridgeport (0-4)
What to know: Mineral Wells and Burkburnett will clash for the final playoff spot at 7 p.m. Friday at Mineral Wells.
District 4-4A Division II
Clinched: Glen Rose (4-0), Benbrook (3-1)
In the hunt: Fort Worth Dunbar (2-2), Godley (2-2), Hillsboro (1-3)
Eliminated: Venus (0-4)
What to know: Dunbar can advance to the postseason with a win over Glen Rose on Thursday. The Wildcats will also advance if Godley downs Hillsboro.
If Hillsboro beats Godley and Dunbar falls to Glen Rose, three-way tiebreaker rules will apply.
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