October is turning early impressions into district standings. Goldthwaite and Santo have already won their openers. Comanche’s eight-team district has produced two weeks of reversals. Cisco, De Leon and Hico are preparing to begin a five-game race on October 9.
This week offers a chance to take stock of what the results show—and what the next round of games still needs to answer.
DISTRICT 5-2A DIVISION I: THE OPENING TESTS AWAIT
Cisco and De Leon have set the early standard in Region II’s District 5, but neither has separated from the other. Hico enters 5–0 with an opportunity to establish where it fits among the leading teams. Anson and Hawley have results that make them credible playoff contenders, while Abilene TLCA begins district play at 0–0 like everyone else.
The October 9 openers send De Leon to Hawley and Anson to Cisco. Hico’s trip to De Leon follows a week later, alongside Cisco’s visit to Hawley. De Leon later travels to Anson, Cisco visits Hico, and the final week pairs De Leon at Cisco and Hico at Anson.
Those games should tell us more than a projected finishing order could now. Read the full District 5 preview for the six-team breakdown and the questions each contender carries into district play:
Read the full District 5 preview
DISTRICT 7-2A DIVISION II: CROSS PLAINS CHANGES THE PLAYOFF DISCUSSION
Goldthwaite is 5–0 and 1–0 in district after beating Winters 69–0. Stamford opened with a 69–7 win over Miles and stands at 3–2 overall, 1–0 in district. Albany is 3–1 and has yet to play a district game.
Goldthwaite, Albany and Stamford remain central to the title conversation. The playoff-position picture has already changed, though: Cross Plains is 3–2 and 1–0 after beating Hamlin 39–12.
VarsityVue’s earlier District 7 preview projected Hamlin fourth before that head-to-head result. Cross Plains’ win is substantial new evidence, and that result has changed the fourth-place conversation as the district schedule unfolds.
Week 6 puts Goldthwaite at Miles, Cross Plains at Albany and Stamford at Hamlin. Albany then visits Stamford in Week 7, hosts Goldthwaite in Week 8, and Goldthwaite travels to Stamford in Week 10. Those meetings will provide a clearer account of both the title race and the playoff positions.
The earlier District 7 preview remains useful background on the teams entering district play; its projection should be read in the context of when it was published:
Read the earlier District 7 preview
DISTRICT 5-3A DIVISION II: TWO WEEKS, FEW SIMPLE ANSWERS
Millsap is 2–0 in district and Dublin is 0–2. The six teams between them—Comanche, Clifton, Eastland, Hamilton, Rio Vista and Tolar—are all 1–1. The results explain why that middle group resists an easy order.
Comanche beat Clifton 21–14, then lost to Tolar 42–24. Tolar had lost 44–40 to Millsap. Rio Vista beat Hamilton 38–34, then lost 42–32 to Clifton. Eastland beat Dublin 55–14 before Hamilton shut out Eastland 51–0. Millsap followed its Tolar win by beating Dublin 60–7.
Millsap has the early district lead. Around it, teams have already shown both strengths and vulnerabilities against one another. Week 7 brings Comanche to Millsap, Eastland to Clifton, Dublin to Hamilton and Rio Vista to Tolar. That round should add evidence without forcing an early finishing-order call.
DISTRICT 8-2A DIVISION II: SANTO HEADS TO FROST
Santo is 4–1 overall and 1–0 in district after beating Crawford 28–10. Its non-district results also include large wins over Roscoe and Dublin. Frost enters at 3–1 following a Week 5 bye and has yet to play a district game.
Santo’s Week 6 trip to Frost is the next useful measure for both teams. It deserves attention without assigning a winner in advance.
The rest of the district has begun to move as well. Hubbard is 3–2 and 1–0 after beating Meridian; Mart is 2–3 and 1–0 after beating Wortham. This week Mart visits Crawford and Hubbard travels to Wortham. Together, those results will show whether the early leaders begin to separate or the race remains crowded.
STEPHENVILLE WAITS FOR DISTRICT PLAY
Stephenville takes a 5–0 record into its Week 6 bye. Lampasas visits Stephenville for the District 12 opener on October 9.
A fuller look at that district should follow once complete, current results for its opponents are available. For now, Stephenville’s unbeaten start and the Lampasas opener are the relevant markers.
WHAT TO WATCH IN WEEK 6
- Goldthwaite at Miles, Cross Plains at Albany, and Stamford at Hamlin will move the District 7 race beyond its opening results.
- Santo at Frost is an early test in District 8, with Mart at Crawford and Hubbard at Wortham adding context elsewhere in the standings.
- Cisco, De Leon and Hico have one more week before their District 5 opener on October 9.
Non-district records shaped the questions. October’s head-to-head games will begin supplying the answers.