Predicting the winners of the 6A, 5A Texas high school football playoff regional finals

High School On SI is going on the record to make our predictions on the UIL Class 5A, 6A regional finals

Iowa Colony center Tyson Windham prepares to snap the ball in a game against Fort Bend Marshall on Nov. 29 at NRG Stadiium in Houston. / Julie Isbell

Only eight teams remain in each 11-man classification in the 2024 Texas High School football season. 

High School on SI has predictions for every quarterfinal game.

The UIL regional finals — or state quarterfinals — will be held on Dec. 6 and 7 various locations in the state. High School on SI will have coverage throughout the 2024 Texas high school football state tournament and the march to AT&T Stadium.

Texas [UIL] high school football 2024 state tournament brackets, matchups and game times

Texas High School Football Regional Finals Predictions

CLASS 6A Division I

North Crowley Panthers (13-0) vs. Allen Eagles (13-0)

This game pits an old-school power in Allen versus an upcoming program in North Crowley, ranked No. 5 in the country. The Panthers reached the semifinal last year before losing to Duncanville. Both teams had close wins last week.

North Crowley beat Coppell, 35-24, with Cornelius Warren running for 3 TDs and 204 yards. Allen escaped with a 22-21 win over Euless. The Eagles' defense hasn’t given up more than 21 in any game this year. 

Prediction: North Crowley 42, Allen 28

Galena Park North Shore Mustangs (13-0) vs. Humble Atascocita Eagles (12-1)

The District 23-6A championship game rematch happens. The Mustangs won the first game, 27-23. QB Kaleb Bailey threw for 274 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Katy last week.

Atascocita earned the rematch with a 47-42 win over Fulshear with Oklahoma signee running back Troy Blaylock scoring 5 TDS. No. 6-nationally ranked North Shore has won the previous 4 meetings in the playoffs against No. 14 Atascocita.

Prediction: North Shore 31, Atascocita 24

Duncanville Panthers (12-0) vs. Cypress Bridgeland Bears (12-1)

The nation’s No. 2-ranked Panthers will look to move one step to getting back to the finals for the third year in a row. Alabama signee Keelon Russell threw for six touchdowns last week against The Woodlands.

Bridgeland faces a second straight District 11-6A foe in this game after beating Waxahachie last week, 24-19. Sophomore RB Kash Schwab ran for 173 yards and 2 TDs in the win. By comparison, Duncanville beat Waxahachie, 41-17. 

Prediction: Duncanville 49, Cypress Bridgeland 21

Austin Westlake Chaparrals (12-1) vs. Austin Lake Travis Cavaliers (12-1)

This is a rematch of a District 26-6A game held on Oct. 25. Westlake won that game, 28-16. This is the lone quarterfinal game on Friday so whoever wins this Austin showdown will get a chance to see what happens in the North Shore/Atascocita matchup. Nationally ranked No. 10, Westlake has won 10 in a row since losing to Atascocita on Sept. 13. QB Reese Wise and RB Brandon Clark ran for two touchdowns in a 52-14 win over Buda Johnson.

Lake Travis hammered San Antonio East Central, 52-7 to reach this game. Junior RB Vann Hopping had 4 TDs and 181 yards in the victory.

Prediction: Westlake 35, Lake Travis 28 

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Class 6A Division II 

Southlake Carroll Dragons (13-0) vs. Denton Guyer Wildcats (10-3)

Dating back to 2004, this is the third time the two teams have met in a December playoff game. Guyer has won in both of those games — 2022 and 2010. Southlake keeps finding ways to win despite battling injuries. The latest blow was losing RB Davis Webb. Southlake ran for 190 yards last week, but QB Angelo Renda did the heavy lifting with 103 yards and 3 scores — to go with 304 yards passing and 2 more touchdowns.

Guyer got a special teams touchdown on a punt return by DJ Reese and a defensive score from Jaylon Sterling in a 44-7 win over Crowley.

Prediction: Southlake Carroll 34, Guyer 21

Humble Summer Creek Bulldogs (11-2) vs. Humble Kingwood Mustangs (9-4)

Kingwood is one of the few No. 4 seeds left in the playoffs and will face a District 23-6A rival for the second time this season. Summer Creek won 42-14 on Nov. 1. QB Blake Thomas had four touchdowns in a 54-20 win over Katy Jordan last Friday.

The Mustangs beat Houston Strake Jesuit, 27-16, to advance. Senior WR Jailen Monegan had four catches and two touchdowns in the win. This Kingwood’s second berth in the quarterfinals. In 1990, the Mustangs made the semifinals. 

Prediction: Summer Creek 49, Kingwood 28

DeSoto Eagles (11-2) vs. Longview Lobos (11-2)

DeSoto won its seventh in a row by besting previously unbeaten Willis, 55-35, last week. Texas A&M signee Deondrae Riden Jr. ran for 254 and 4 touchdowns — a game where the Eagles ran for 503 yards on the ground.

Longview runs the ball well. Last week, Kelvin Washington ran for 4 scores and 229 yards in a 42-28 victory against Spring Klein Collins. 

Prediction: DeSoto 52, Longview 21

Austin Vandegrift Vipers (12-1) vs. San Antonio Harlan Hawks (12-1)

Junior QB Miles Teodecki threw for three touchdowns and ran for another to help the Vipers win 49-35 against Cibolo Steele.

Peyton Matthews had a pair of scores for the Hawks in the victory — the team’s 10th in a row — 39-36 against New Braunfels Canyon. This is the further the Hawks have ever reached in the postseason. The teams played each other in 2022, with Vandegrift winning 49-21.

Prediction: Vandegrift 35, Harlan 14

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Class 5A Division I 

Denton Ryan Raiders (12-1) vs. Aledo Bearcats (12-1)

This is another district rematch in the quarterfinals and if it is like the first game, it will be worth the price of admission. The Raiders were up 27-14 but were shutout in the second half on Oct. 4. 

Junior QB Gavin Beard was 15-for-15 passing with 4 TDs and 276 yards in a 62-7 win over Amarillo Tascosa last week. The reigning state champions are looking for state title No. 13 — after winning a UIL record 12th last year. Ryan beat North Richland Hills Richland 48-35 behind two touchdowns by RB Tre'Vaughn Reynolds. 

Prediction: Aledo 45, Ryan 31

Angleton Wildcats (12-1) vs. La Porte Bulldogs (10-3)

District 11-5A Division I rivals La Porte and Angleton will meet for the second time this year with the winner going to the final four. La Porte won 35-28 on Nov. 1.

Angleton beat College Station, 35-34, while La Porte posted a 35-17 win over A&M ConsolidatedSenior Tyresse Barnes ran for 123 yards and 3 scores for the Bulldogs. The Wildcats had a balanced offensive attack against College Station with 267 yards passing and 205 yards rushing. Senior WR J’shun Sanders hauled in nine catches for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Angleton.

Prediction: La Porte 41, Angleton 34

Frisco Lone Star Rangers (12-1) vs. Dallas Highland Park Fighting Scots (12-1)

QB Karece Hoyt combined for 244 yards of offense and ran and threw a touchdown to lift Lone Star to a 39-35 win over Midlothian. It’s the Frisco school's first quarterfinal berth since 2019. A chance to play another Frisco school was foiled by Highland Park, which beat Frisco Rick Reedy, 31-12.

QB Buck Randall threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another in the win. The Scots are back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020. 

Prediction: Highland Park 31, Lone Star 28

Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Hornets (12-1) vs. Comal Smithson Valley Rangers (11-2)

For the fourth time in the past five years, the Hornets are back in the quarterfinals. Flour Bluff has won the past two games by a combined 8 points. Cameran Dickson had 9 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown and added an interception on defense in a win against San Antonio Southwest last week.

The Rangers have won eight in a row. A state runner-up last year, the Rangers beat New Braunfels last week, 56-21.

Prediction: Flour Bluff 42, Smithson Valley 41

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Class 5A Division II 

Lucas Lovejoy Leopards (10-3) vs. Argyle Eagles (12-1)

Lovejoy, guided by legendary coach Todd Dodge, beat Anna 52-49 last week. Jacob Janecek ran for three scores and passed for another in the win over a defending state champion.

Argyle is back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020 when the Eagles made the state finals. Watson Bell (108 yards, 2 TDs) and Logan Rexroat (104/1) helped Argyle beat Prosper Walnut Grove, 52-35, last week.

Prediction: Lovejoy 35, Argyle 31

Richmond Randle Lions (13-0) vs. Iowa Colony Pioneers (12-1)

This is yet another district showdown that has turned into a rematch deep in the playoffs. Randle went 11-2 last year and lost a point in its deepest run in the playoffs. Now they are a win away from the semifinals against a team they beat 30-10 on Sept. 26. Jayden Warren had a touchdown catch and a kickoff return in a 31-21 win over Fort Bend Marshall last week.

Randle beat Brenham, 28-14, in what the team’s lowest-scoring game this year. Sophomore Landen Williams-Callis ran for 107 and a score, while his only catch was a 73-yard score in the win vs. Brenham.

Prediction: Randle 38, Iowa Colony 21

Dallas South Oak Cliff Golden Bears (11-2) vs. Port Neches-Groves Indians (12-1)

For the third year in a row, South Oak Cliff will play Port Neches-Groves in the postseason. While there will still be a lot on the line, it won’t be like the previous two meetings — with a state title awaiting the winner. 

This showdown is a regional final because the Indians moved from Region III to Region II in realignment before the start of the season. South Oak Cliff won in 2022, while PNG prevailed last year. 

Mikail Trotter and Levon Morton had two rushing touchdowns in a 35-7 win for the Golden Bears. Port Neches-Groves beats survived a showdown with Texarkana Texas High, 31-28, thanks to a late blocked field goal.

Prediction: South Oak Cliff 21, Port Neches-Groves 17

Corpus Christi Roy Miller Buccaneers (11-2) vs. Boerne Greyhounds (10-3)

The Buccaneers enter on an 8-game winning streak following a 38-28 win over San Antonio Alamo Heights. Now, Miller will play Boerne, another team from District 13-5A. Alamo Heights beat Boerne earlier in the season. UTRGV signee WR Corey Holmes had five catches for 124 yards and two scores for the Buccaneers in the win against Alamo Heights.

Boerne had the ball for more than 34 minutes in the 59-15 win against Victoria West and just shy of 500 yards of total offense. Senior RB Hutson Hendrix ran for 4 TD, while QB Hank Hendrix threw for a pair of scores. These two haven’t played much but when they have the scoreboard has changed often — Miller won 70-45 in 2020 and Boerne won 63-14 in 2021.

Prediction: Boerne 56, Miller 45