Four newly-formed district games sure to entertain for the next two years

Photo by Gary SandersonWe’ve had nearly a week to digest the 2016-18 district alignment. The shakeup across the state created some very interesting district matchups in 2016. Here are four we’re excited to watch for the next two years. Allen vs. Denton Guyer District 6-6A was made interesting when Denton Guyer joined the fold. Both programs hold state championships at the highest levels this century. Allen, the biggest school in Texas, won three-straight state championships, including the first ever Class 6A D1 title, before being knocked out in the state semifinals by Westlake in 2015. Guyer also won state championships recently with top-flight quarterbacks. Not only are these teams two of the best programs in Texas, the two also put out a ton of FBS talent. These two juggernauts will battle it out for district championships for two years in a row. Lake Travis vs. Vandegrift Vandegrift moved up to Class 6A after two straight seasons of success at the 5A level. Vandegrift, a member of Leander ISD, won the district title in 2014 and was eliminated in the regional championship game in 2015 against district foe Vista Ridge. The Vipers are a relatively new school, but it has already become one of the more well-rounded athletic programs in the state. Lake Travis finally broke through in the biggest enrollment classification in the state, reaching the state championship in 2015. These two schools are on the same road and only 10 miles apart. These two, along with Westlake and Vista Ridge, all share the same district in Region IV. Liberty Hill vs. Waco La Vega Waco La Vega is a defending state champion and Liberty Hill was one of the teams it had to knock off to reach the crown. La Vega bested Liberty Hill in overtime to claim the regional championship. It was a defensive struggle. In fact, it took overtime just for a team to score a point. Liberty Hill now gets a guaranteed chance at revenge for two seasons. The schools now share District 13-4A in Division I. The winner of that district will be the favorite to win Region IV for the next two seasons. Franklin vs. Cameron Yoe Cameron Yoe came one game, and maybe one injury, away from becoming the third team to win more than three consecutive state championships. It wasn’t meant to be for Rick Rhoades’ program. The Yoemen lost a halftime lead when prolific running back Traion Smith hurt his leg and couldn’t return. The march for a fourth championship in five years won’t be easy, especially with Franklin High School moving up to Class 3A D2 to join Yoe in a district. Franklin reached the state semifinals as a Class 3A D2 program last season.

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