REGIONAL OUTLOOK
Region III newcomer Cuero took down Silsbee in a classic game a year ago to take home the Region III title. Cuero should be in contention once again, but the power in Region III without question lies in the Golden Triangle, so to win the region you’ll need to go through the 409 in 2023.
District 9-4A Division I features not one, not two, not three, but FOUR teams ranked in the top 20 in 4A-Division II, so that gives you an idea of the depth and talent in this district. Silsbee is the favorite and rightfully so, but Jasper, Hamshire-Fannett and West Orange-Stark all are capable of being dangerous. Tough luck Liberty is a playoff team in many other districts, but not in this loaded group.
Transition is the name of the game in 10-4A Division II with three of the seven schools in this district under new head coaches in 2023. Bellville is not one of those teams and the defending district champions have some stability on the sidelines. Graduation hit the Brahmas hard though. Can they keep the run going they’ve had the past couple of seasons? Brookshire Royal made huge strides a year ago and will be a real threat to Bellville’s dominance. Sealy and West Columbia are two of the teams with new coaches; it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt, especially Sealy, which hired its coach in late June. Sweeny is the sleeper in this district. The Bulldogs' new coach was hired early in the offseason; they bring nearly everyone back and the head coach brought with him a pretty good signal caller. The Bulldogs will be a team to keep an eye on in 2023.
If there’s a team outside of the big four from the 409 and Cuero who can challenge for a regional title, it may be Waco Connally. The Cadets are always among the most talented teams in the region, but can they put it all together? If they do, they’ll be a team to keep your eyes on. Madisonville made a surprise run to the third round a year ago and the Mustangs return a strong cast that should allow them to challenge for the district title. Gatesville gets the edge over Salado for the three slot.
Defending Region III champion Cuero headlines 12-4A Division II. Although the Gobblers lost a good crop of skill players, they are still the team to beat in this district and among the regional favorites. Smithville and La Grange will battle for the 2-spot, with Smithville getting the slight edge as La Grange has a new coach for the 2023 season. Gonzales and Giddings will battle for the final playoff spot with that edge going to Gonzales who missed out on the playoffs a year ago.
DISTRICT PREDICTIONS
District 9-4A Division II
- Silsbee
- Jasper
- Hamshire-Fannett
- West Orange-Stark
- Liberty
- Hardin-Jefferson
- Bridge City
District 10-4A Division II
- Bellville
- Brookshire Royal
- Sealy
- West Columbia
- Sweeny
- La Marque
- Wharton
District 11-4A Division II
- Waco Connally
- Madisonville
- Gatesville
- Salado
- Robinson
District 12-4A Division II
- Cuero
- Smithville
- La Grange
- Gonzales
- Giddings
- Caldwell
PROJECTED BI-DISTRICT MATCHUPS
W9 Silsbee vs F10 West Columbia
R12 Smithville vs T11 Gatesville
W10 Bellville vs F9 West Orange-Stark
R11 Madisonville vs T12 La Grange
W11 Waco Connally vs F12 Gonzales
R10 Brookshire Royal vs T9 Hamshire-Fannett
W12 Cuero vs F11 Salado
R9 Jasper vs T10 Sealy
REGIONAL CHAMPION
Silsbee over Jasper
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