2024 Texas high school football playoffs: Regional championship predictions

Our panel of high school football experts — Greg Riddle, Myah Taylor, Ronald Harrod, and Colin Capece — break down each playoff region featuring Dallas-area teams.

Other playoff predictions

6A Division I Region I

Capece: North Crowley over Allen. North Crowley has been ranked as one of the top two teams in its class all season, and for good reason. The Panthers have one of the best offenses in the area led by dual-threat quarterback Chris Jimerson, who is among the 6A leaders in passing and rushing yards. They knocked off reigning state champion DeSoto earlier this year, and will take down a powerhouse Allen team in the regional final.

Harrod: North Crowley vs. Allen. North Crowley defeated Allen 49-37 in last season’s regional final and now returns with even more firepower. Wide receiver Quentin Gibson, one of 6A’s top playmakers, leads the area with 1,309 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. North Crowley also added running back Daniel Bray, an SMU commit, who has scored 11 rushing touchdowns.

Riddle: North Crowley over Allen. This would be a rematch of last year’s regional final that North Crowley won 49-37. The scary thing is that North Crowley is better than last year’s team thanks to the emergence of wide receiver Quentin Gibson (24 touchdown catches) and the addition of transfer running back Daniel Bray, who has run for 11 touchdowns and is committed to SMU.

Taylor: North Crowley over Allen. North Crowley came from behind to beat Allen 49-37 in last year’s regional final last year. Allen hasn’t lost a game since then, but North Crowley has been one of the most formidable teams in the state, thanks in part to the play of senior wide receiver Quentin Gibson, who has 24 touchdown catches.

6A Division I Region II

Capece: Duncanville over Waxahachie. No surprise here, as Duncanville continues to roll to its third consecutive state title. The five-star combination of quarterback Keelon Russell, an Alabama commit, and wide receiver Dakorien Moore, an Oregon pledge, has been lethal for opponents this year, and Waxahachie will fall victim to it for the second time this season.

Harrod: Duncanville over Cypress Bridgeland. Duncanville is favored to dominate the region and should have a state semifinal rematch with North Crowley. However, Cypress Bridgeland, with a 9-1 record, is ranked No. 17 in the state and will look to challenge Duncanville’s path to the semifinals.

Riddle: Duncanville over Cypress Bridgeland. Bridgeland is 9-1 and ranked No. 17 in the state, but Duncanville’s toughest test in this region could come in the regional semifinals against 15th-ranked The Woodlands. But no matter who it plays, expect back-to-back 6A Division I state champion Duncanville to roll into a state semifinal rematch with North Crowley.

Taylor: Duncanville over Cypress Bridgeland. The back-to-back 6A Division I state champion should fare well against 9-1 Bridgeland, the state’s 17th-ranked team, before potentially meeting North Crowley in a 6A Division I state semifinal rematch.

6A Division II Region I

Capece: Southlake Carroll over Denton Guyer. Carroll is looking for redemption after losing to DeSoto in the state semifinals last season in one of the best Dallas-area games of 2023. It takes another step towards its ninth state title by outlasting a Guyer team that has a four-star quarterback and a physical defensive line.

Harrod: Southlake Carroll over Denton Guyer. Southlake Carroll is aiming to advance past the state semifinals, where they were defeated by DeSoto last season. They are expected to face DeSoto again in the state tournament, but first, they’ll need to get past Denton Guyer, who beat Carroll 45-21 in their last meeting in 2022.

Riddle: Southlake Carroll over Denton Guyer. Guyer beat eight-time state champion Carroll 45-21 in a regional final in 2022. Expect Carroll to get its revenge with an offense led by Baylor pledge Davis Penn (836 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing) and TCU pledge Brock Boyd (1,112 yards and 16 touchdowns receiving).

Taylor: Southlake Carroll over Denton Guyer. The last time these two teams met, a Jackson Arnold-led Guyer topped Carroll 45-21 in the 2022 regional final. Even without four-star running back Riley Wormley, undefeated Caroll will likely have a better showing against Guyer in 2024 after making a run to the state semifinal last season.

6A Division II Region II

Capece: DeSoto over Longview. This game could fly under the radar, but may turn out to be one of the best of 2024. DeSoto will win en route to its third consecutive state title, but it will get all it can handle from a Longview team that lost a nail biter to South Oak Cliff earlier this year before dominating highly-ranked Rockwall and North Forney.

Harrod: DeSoto over Spring Westfield. Back-to-back 6A Division II state champion DeSoto is expected to dominate Spring Westfield, who reached the regional final in 6A Division I last year but was defeated 70-28 by Duncanville.

Riddle: DeSoto over Spring Westfield. Spring Westfield reached a regional final in 6A Division I last year, losing 70-28 to Duncanville. Expect back-to-back 6A Division II state champion DeSoto to dominate in similar fashion this year. A regional semifinal game against state No. 14 and undefeated Willis could be DeSoto’s toughest matchup in this region.

Taylor: DeSoto over Spring Westfield. DeSoto should wreak havoc through the Region II bracket this season and that won’t stop with Spring Westfield. The back-to-back 6A Division II champ is averaging 526 yards of offense per game and has three rushers with double digit touchdown totals.

5A Division I Region I

Capece: Aledo over Denton Ryan. Aledo won this matchup earlier this season, scoring 34 unanswered points to extend its record district winning streak. The Bearcats will down the Raiders once again as they go for back-to-back state titles.

Harrod: Denton Ryan over Aledo. Aledo has been the top team in 5A this season, ranked No. 1 in the state. However, Denton Ryan, ranked No. 3, had Aledo on the ropes the last time they met. Ryan led 27-8 in the second quarter before Aledo scored 34 straight points, with four-star running back Raycine Guillory Jr. rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns. This time, Denton Ryan must hold on to end Aledo’s reign of dominance in 5A.

Riddle: Aledo over Denton Ryan. This would be a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the state and would be a rematch of Aledo’s 42-27 win Oct. 4. Ryan led 27-8 in the second quarter in that game before Aledo scored the final 34 points as four-star running back Raycine Guillory Jr. ran for 157 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Taylor: Aledo over Denton Ryan. Aledo, the 12-time UIL state champion, beat Ryan 42-27 in a comeback win earlier this season. Ryan led 27-8 in the second quarter, but Aledo held on to continue its longstanding district win streak.

5A Division I Region II

Capece: Lone Star over Highland Park. The Rangers will prevail in this clash of top-five 5A teams to reach their first state semifinal in school history. This will be a season-defining victory for Lone Star on its path to its first state championship.

Harrod: Frisco Lone Star over Highland Park: After moving down from 6A, Highland Park aims to return to the state semifinals for the first time since winning the last of three straight state titles in 2018. Frisco Lone Star last reached a regional final in 2019, defeating Highland Park in the regional semifinals to advance. But Lone Star has been the No. 2 total offense (487.5) among 5A teams this season.

Riddle: Highland Park over Frisco Lone Star. Six-time state champion Highland Park is trying to get back to the state semifinals for the first time since winning the last of three consecutive state titles in 2018. Lone Star last reached a regional final in 2019, beating Highland Park in the regional semifinals to get there.

Taylor: Highland Park over Frisco Lone Star. Both programs won district titles this season and rank among the state’s best in Class 5A. But six-time state champion Highland Park has been pretty much unstoppable since moving down to 5A Division I from Class 6A with marquee wins over Lovejoy, Red Oak and Midlothian — all area-ranked teams.

5A Division II Region I

Capece: Lovejoy over Argyle. After a brief retirement, Todd Dodge leads another team to a state semifinal by knocking off Argyle, led by another legendary coach in Todd Rodgers. Both of these teams have a legitimate shot to win a state title this year, but their meeting in the regional final will go to the Leopards.

Harrod: Prosper Walnut Grove over Lovejoy. Prosper Walnut Grove has been the team of destiny this season, winning several close games. The team claimed its district title, including a win over Lovejoy. Walnut Grove is expected to carry its momentum into the state semifinals. Receiver Luke Watkins leads area 5A players with 1,079 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.

Riddle: Prosper Walnut Grove over Lovejoy. This region has about six teams capable of winning it and going on to the state semifinals. The prediction here is that Walnut Grove continues its remarkable second season of varsity football by beating Lovejoy for the second time to advance to the state final four. Walnut Grove beat Lovejoy 41-37 on Oct. 25 as Hayes Hackney threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns, Cam Newton ran for 210 yards and three scores and Luke Watkins had 12 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown.

Taylor: Argyle over Lovejoy. Since winning a state championship in 2020, Argyle has advanced to at least the third round of the playoffs each year. The closest Argyle got to state since 2020 was when it made a run to the state semifinal in 2022. While a hot Prosper Walnut Grove team could challenge Argyle in the third round, Argyle has a way of winning games it doesn’t look like it should on paper (see its win over Frisco Emerson in 2023).

5A Division II Region II

Capece: South Oak Cliff over Port Neches-Grove. These teams have met in the state finals for the last two seasons and have split the series. The third installment will go to South Oak Cliff on its way to its first state championship since 2021.

Harrod: South Oak Cliff over Port Neches-Groves. For the third straight season, South Oak Cliff is expected to face Port Neches-Groves in the playoffs. Unlike last year’s loss in the state championship, South Oak Cliff is poised to win this time, similar to their victory in the 2022 season.

Riddle: South Oak Cliff over Port Neches-Groves. Look for these teams to meet in the playoffs for the third straight year, just two rounds earlier this time. Their last two matchups were in the 5A Division II state championship game, with South Oak Cliff winning 34-24 in 2022 and Port Neches-Groves winning 20-17 last year. Not counting a forfeit win, SOC has outscored the opposition 362-51 while winning its last seven games that were played on the field.

Taylor: South Oak Cliff over Port Neches-Groves. Two-time state champion South Oak Cliff looks to avenge its loss to Port Neches-Groves in last season’s 5A Division II state title game. The teams look like they could meet earlier than the state championship this year, but bet on battle-tested SOC — which played Duncanville, Longview and Galena Park North Shore in its pre-district slate — to win this one.

4A Division I Region II

Capece: Celina over Frisco Panther Creek. The Bobcats beat the Panthers for the second time this year on their way to the 4A Division I state championship.

4A Division II Region II

Capece: Carthage over Gilmer. The reigning state champions fall to Carthage, which has won nine straight regular season games after a Week 1 loss.