UIL realignment burning questions: Aledo, Southlake Carroll, N. Crowley enter new era
.png "Southlake Carroll wide receiver Blake Gunter (left) the Aledo Bearcat football team (middle) and North Crowley running back G’Yrell Smith are set for a new era following the UIL’s realignment.")
The UIL Texas high school football regular season is closer than you think, and several area squads will enter new situations with fresh opponents, playoff scenarios and more.
Here are six realignment questions set to be answered in the fall.
Will Aledo, Southlake Carroll contend?
Aledo’s rise to Class 6A is the hot realignment topic. How could it not be? With Aledo arguably being one of the most successful programs in the state, many are interested in what will mark a new era.
The Bearcats will be tested early against Fort Worth-area power North Crowley, Waco Midway and Euless Trinity before entering a District 3-6A slate where they’ll be expected to run the table.
Their toughest matchup will likely be Arlington Bowie, a rising program with consecutive district titles, but one that is still looking to prove it can hang with the likes of the 12 time state champion Bearcats.
Although it’s possible for Aledo to go to Class 6A Division I with Granbury and Arlington Bowie having lower enrollments, the Bearcats are more likely to enter a Class 6A Division II bracket that has been frequented by the likes of Denton Guyer and Southlake Carroll.
That makes for a fresh, interesting playoff scenario.
With reigning state champion DeSoto moving down to Class 5A, Aledo and Carroll could find themselves among the championship contenders despite both squads losing a large chunk of talent to graduation.
DeSoto has handed Carroll two state semifinal losses (2025 and 2023) in recent memory and will no longer be a roadblock in the path to state – that’s a significant development for the Dragons’ chances of winning their first state title since 2011.
However, another Fort Worth-area power could make its way to the Class 6A Division II bracket after being a recent staple in Division I: North Crowley.
How will North Crowley handle Texas’ toughest schedule?
With arguably the toughest schedule in Texas, North Crowley is running toward the competition. Aledo, Southlake Carroll and Humble Summer Creek await in non-district play, and it somehow gets more challenging from there with Duncanville and Waxahachie in District 11-6A play.
With Waxahachie and Duncanville, both district title contenders, having larger enrollments than North Crowley, the Panthers could find themselves heading to Class 6A Division II to face fresh playoff opponents.
Regardless of the outcomes, the competition should be fierce and entertaining, as North Crowley has one of the best defenses in Class 6A and a solid group of returning skill players in DeMarcus Harris’ first year as head coach.
Entering the season, the Panthers will be the Fort Worth-area’s team to beat.
Will Euless Trinity reestablish itself as an area power?
Euless Trinity has gone four seasons without a district championship, and for a storied program, that’s a significant amount of time.
The past four years have been the roughest stretch since before Trinity captured its first state title in 2005. In the 2026 season, however, the Trojans have a golden opportunity to end that streak.
Avoiding state powers such as Southlake Carroll and North Crowley in district play for the first time in two realignment cycles makes Trinity a clear favorite. The Trojans’ fiercest competition will come from South Grand Prairie, L.D. Bell and Haltom, a group of promising yet beatable squads.
Will Richland continue upward trajectory?
Richland hasn’t had a crowning moment against a local power like Aledo, but sure has gotten close. In fact, the Royals might have given Aledo the toughest district challenge in its 135-game district win streak by taking the Bearcats to overtime.
Now, Richland enters the 2026 season with a new district challenge on a similar level: Highland Park.
The Royals may be as dangerous as ever with running back Jayshon Gibson, who scored 41 touchdowns as a junior and is arguably a top returner in Texas, in terms of production.
Will Arlington Heights continue success?
White Settlement Brewer and Fort Worth Arlington Heights delivered one of the most entertaining playoff games of the 2026 season in the bi-district round – one that the Yellow Jackets won en route to making their first third-round playoff appearance since 1973.
The realignment cycle pits the two against each other in District 4-5A Division I in what could be a tight district race.
Arlington Heights is set to return running back Carson James, who tallied 2,532 yards and 40 TDs to further establish himself as one of the Fort Worth-area’s top performers.
Which area team will seize the opportunity?
In Class 4A, Springtown, Decatur and Alvarado were always thorns in the side of Fort Worth-area teams as the clear standouts.
But with all three teams being shoved into what should be a competitive District 4-4A Division I, a huge opportunity has been created for the teams in District 5-4A Division I to win a district championship.
That group includes Fort Worth Eastern Hills, Fort Worth Southwest, Kennedale, Fort Worth Benbrook, Fort Worth Dunbar, Fort Worth Western Hills, Fort Worth Carter-Riverside and Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis.
Eastern Hills, Southwest, Kennedale and Benrbook will be early favorites, as all have seen some success over the past few seasons, but in general, district play should be competitive all around, with every team having a fair chance to exceed expectations.
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