The Texas 7-on-7 State Championship pools are out! Here are the predictions for the order of finish in each group in Division III, plus a mini-preview for each pool.

Pool A Predicted Order of Finish

1. Childress
2. Eastland
3. Groveton
4. Three Rivers

Childress comes into this pool as the favorite, the Bobcats have plenty of experience at the State Tournament, but they won’t be without challenges as Eastland looked strong in their qualifying efforts and Groveton will put pressure on teams with their athleticism. Three Rivers is back at State for the second straight year, but it’ll be tough for the Bulldogs to get a good seed going into day two.

Pool B Predicted Order of Finish

1. Gilmer Harmony
2. Albany
3. Ganado
4. Sudan

Harmony made a surprise run in the State Tournament a year ago and that proved to be a sign of things to come in the fall as they rolled all the way to the state semifinals in Class 3A-Division II. They won’t sneak up on anyone this year, but expect the Eagles to again be among the tournament favorites. Albany expects to be in the mix as well, while Ganado is becoming a regular in College Station and will be more than capable of challenging. Sudan is making their first state appearance and it may be tough in this pool for the Hornets.

Pool C Predicted Order of Finish

1. Hawley
2. Sunray
3. Sonora
4. Elkhart

This pool has a heavy West Texas flair with Hawley out of the Abilene area featuring a pair of dynamic FBS recruits at the WR spot, this makes the Bearcats who won the 2A-Division I state title in the fall a real force, the big question for Hawley is they don’t have a ton of depth at the skill spots outside of their front-line guys. Sunray is going to be really fun to watch in their debut out of the Texas Panhandle, QB Armando Lujan led the state in passing last year so expect the Bobcats to be fun to watch. Sonora, which is south of San Angelo has a veteran cast back and the Broncos were dominant in their qualifying advancement. Elkhart, the lone team from east of I-35 in this pool is making their State Tournament debut.

Pool D Predicted Order of Finish

1. Daingerfield
2. Tidehaven
3. Tioga
4. Wink

Daingerfield year in and year out is as talented as anyone in the Division III bracket and the pressure the Tigers are capable of putting on teams at this level makes them a tough out. Tidehaven is more dynamic than most would think and the Tigers bring a lot of State Tournament level experience to this pool. Tournament newcomer Tioga gets the nod over State Tournament veteran Wink who brings a much younger team to College Station.

Pool E Predicted Order of Finish

1. Gunter
2. Lexington
3. Stamford
4. Dilley

Gunter gets it done in 7-on-7 and they get it done in the fall and the Tigers are always a threat to bring home the crown from College Station. They enter as the favorite to win this tough pool and they are one of the favorites in the entire tournament. Lexington is a formidable foe, the Eagles bring a good mix of talent and state tournament experience to the party. Stamford is back for their second straight trip to College Station, the Bulldogs are experienced, but they just went through a coaching change so it’ll be interesting to see if they are running a different system in preparation for the fall. Dilley, from far South Texas is making their State Tournament debut.

Pool F Predicted Order of Finish

1. Miles
2. Jacksboro
3. Poth
4. Rogers

Defending Division III champion Miles was absolutely dominant in their qualifying stint at Sonora, the Bulldogs are an absolute unit whose sum is much greater than their individual parts. Jacksboro is making their State Tournament debut and the Tigers have some dangerous playmaking ability, remember the name WR Kaleem Howard. Poth is a force in the summer and the fall after they made a run all the way to the state title game, the Pirates are more of a run heavy team, but they know how to play 7-on-7 and are regulars in College Station. Rogers is another run-heavy team, who has a lot of success in the fall and can’t be taken lightly in a deep pool.

Pool G Predicted Order of Finish

1. Chilton
2. Henrietta
3. Merkel
4. Wallis Brazos

This is a pool I don’t have a good feel for heading into Thursday, Chilton gets the early nod, they’ve got the speed and skill talent and they have experience having been to College Station three straight years. Henrietta and Merkel should be a good battle for the second spot, while State Tournament newcomer Wallis Brazos has shown in qualifying tournament action they are solid as well.

Pool H Predicted Order of Finish

1. East Bernard
2. Hearne
3. Millsap
4. Goldthwaite

East Bernard is an force in the 7-on-7 game and after a couple of down seasons in the fall, the Brahmas expect to make a big bounce back this fall and they’ll be a factor in this tournament. Hearne is another regular at the State Tournament, the Eagles always put pressure on the opposition with big-time speed at the skill spots. Millsap is back for their second straight state tournament and could be poised to challenge, while Goldthwaite who went 0-10 a year ago brings back the house and is hoping a trip to the State Tournament can be a catalyst for major improvement in 2023.