UIL football playoff scenarios clear up as Week 11 approaches
There is nothing like the final weeks of the Texas high school football regular season — teams jostling for playoff spots and district titles.
Some teams are sitting comfortably, knowing they’ve locked up a spot, while others are fighting to get in with one game left.
The usual suspects — Aledo, Southlake Carroll, Mansfield, Fort Worth South Hills and Kennedale — are all playoff bound.
Then there’s Haslet Eaton, a brand-new varsity program that nobody considered a playoff contender. Well, back-to-back wins in District 6-5A have put the Eagles (3-6, 2-4) one victory — against White Settlement Brewer — from a spot in the postseason.
“I’ve looked and I don’t know if there’s been a first-year varsity program with no seniors to make the playoffs, I can’t find one,” Eaton coach Brad Turner said. “We have good young players that are getting better every week, and here we are, one game to play [with] a shot at doing something pretty special.”
For a handful of other area teams, the possible scenarios are as confusing as they are numerous. Four teams qualify from each district. Here’s what we know:
District 3-6A
In: Abilene (8-1, 5-0), Keller Central (5-4, 4-1), Keller Fossil Ridge (6-3, 3-2), Keller Timber Creek (6-3, 3-2)
Out: Haltom (4-5, 1-4), Keller (1-8, 1-4), Weatherford (2-8, 1-5)
Breakdown: Central is the top seed in the Division I bracket, followed by Timber Creek. Abilene is the top Division II team, then it’s Fossil Ridge.
District 4-6A
In: Mansfield (7-2, 6-0 district)
On the bubble: Arlington Bowie (7-2, 4-2), Arlington (5-4, 4-2), Arlington Martin (5-4, 4-2), Arlington Lamar (5-4, 3-3)
Out: Arlington Sam Houston (3-6, 2-4), North Crowley (1-8, 1-5), Fort Worth Paschal (2-7, 0-6)
Breakdown: Thursday, Bowie plays Paschal and Lamar plays Martin. Arlington plays Sam Houston on Friday. Bowie and Arlington are in with wins, which means the Martin-Lamar winner is in. If Lamar wins, and Bowie and Arlington lose, then it’s a four-way tie for three spots, and it goes to a tiebreaker using point differentials.
District 5-6A
In: Southlake Carroll (8-1, 6-0), Hebron (7-2, 5-1)
On the bubble: Euless Trinity (6-3, 3-3), Flower Mound Marcus (5-4, 3-3), Trophy Club Nelson (3-6, 3-3), Flower Mound (3-6, 2-4)
Out: Hurst L.D. Bell (3-6, 1-5), Lewisville (3-6, 1-5)
Breakdown: Trinity plays Marcus, and Nelson plays Bell on Thursday. Flower Mound plays Lewisville on Friday. The Trinity-Marcus winner is in. Nelson is in with a win or a Flower Mound loss. A Flower Mound win and Nelson loss creates a three-way tie for the last playoff spot that includes the Trinity-Marcus loser. Then it goes to tiebreaker rules using point differentials.
District 6-5A
In: Aledo (9-0, 6-0), Justin Northwest (8-1, 5-1), Saginaw Boswell (6-3, 5-1)
On the bubble: Haslet Eaton (3-6, 2-4), White Settlement Brewer (3-6, 2-4)
Out: Azle (2-7, 2-4), Saginaw Chisholm Trail (3-6, 1-5), Saginaw (1-8, 1-5)
Breakdown: Eaton plays Brewer on Friday at Northwest ISD Stadium. Winner is in.
District 7-5A
In: FW South Hills (9-0, 6-0), FW Arlington Heights (7-2, 5-1), FW Wyatt (5-4, 5-1), FW Southwest (5-4, 3-3)
Out: FW Trimble Tech (4-5, 2-4), FW Western Hills (4-5, 2-4), FW YMLA (1-8, 1-5), FW North Side (2-7, 0-6)
Breakdown: South Hills is the top Division I seed, followed by Heights. Wyatt tops Division II, then it’s Southwest.
District 8-5A
In: Richland (9-0, 6-0), Grapevine (8-1, 5-1), Colleyville Heritage (6-3, 5-1)
On the bubble: FW Dunbar (3-6, 3-3), Birdville (5-4, 3-3)
Out: FW Carter-Riverside (3-6, 1-5), FW Eastern Hills (3-6, 1-5), FW Polytechnic (1-8, 0-6)
Breakdown: Friday, Polytechnic plays Dunbar, and Grapevine plays Birdville. Dunbar is in with a win or Birdville loss. Birdville is in with a win and Dunbar loss.
District 9-5A
In: Burleson Centennial (8-1, 5-1), Crowley (7-2, 5-1), Arlington Seguin (6-3, 4-2)
On the bubble: Everman (6-3, 4-2), Cleburne (6-3, 3-3)
Out: Burleson (3-6, 2-4), Granbury (2-7, 1-5), Joshua (1-8, 0-6)
Breakdown: Friday, Cleburne is at Joshua and Centennial’s at Everman. Cleburne is in with a win and an Everman loss. Everman is in with a win or a Cleburne loss.
District 10-5A
In: Lancaster (8-1, 6-0), Mansfield Legacy (7-2, 5-1), Mansfield Timberview (5-4, 4-2)
On the bubble: Waxahachie (6-3, 3-3), Mansfield Lake Ridge (5-4, 3-3)
Out: Mansfield Summit (4-5, 2-4), Red Oak (3-6, 1-5), Midlothian (1-8, 0-6)
Breakdown: Lake Ridge is at Waxahachie on Friday. Winner is in.
District 5-4A Div. I
In: Kennedale (6-3, 4-0), Mineral Wells (7-2, 3-1), Springtown (6-3, 2-2), Lake Worth (3-6, 2-2)
Out: Castleberry (1-8, 1-3), FW Diamond Hill-Jarvis (0-9, 0-4)
District 4-4A Div. II
In: Hillsboro (6-3, 4-0), Glen Rose (4-5, 3-1), Godley (7-2, 2-2)
On the bubble: Waxahachie Life (2-7, 2-2), Venus (3-6, 1-3)
Out: FW Benbrook (0-9, 0-4)
Breakdown: Venus plays Waxahachie Life on Friday. Winner is in.
District 4-3A Div. I
In: Brock (9-0, 4-0), Ponder (6-3, 3-1), Breckenridge (4-5, 3-1), Bowie (4-5, 2-2)
Out: Paradise (3-6, 0-4), Boyd (0-9, 0-4)
This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "UIL football playoff scenarios clear up as Week 11 approaches."