2016 Region Outlooks: 4A DII Region III

4C5A2299 (2)The UIL recently realigned the district for the 2016 and 2017 football seasons. Realignment not only changes district races. Regional championships can be decided with new groupings competing once the playoffs begin. We’ll take a closer look at the frontrunners in each region throughout the spring doldrums. Previous Outlooks:6A Region I / 6A Region II / 6A Region III / 6A Region IV / 5A Region I / 5A Region II / 5A Region III / 5A Region IV / 4A DI Region I / 4A DI Region II / 4A DI Region III / 4A DI Region IV / 4A DII Region I / 4A DII Region IIClass 4A Division II Region III Region III returns a state champion ready to repeat. West Orange-Stark finished the job in 2015, beating Celina 22-3 to win its first state championship since 1988. The win ended the recent dominance of DFW and East Texas at the Class 4A level and showed teams in the southeast are still able to compete for championships. It was the second straight title game appearance for West Orange-Stark and the program will be ranked at the top of polls entering 2016. The Mustangs are clear favorites in Region III, with teams like Caldwell, Giddings and Bellville lingering the background. West Orange-Stark Head coach Cornel Thompson needed his team to win one more game in 2015 after West Orange-Stark fell to Gilmer in the previous year’s state championship game. The 2014 team, while more talented, didn’t have the experience to close the door. The remaining players from the team that fell short in 2014 came back on a mission and closed the deal in emphatic fashion against Celina. Junior quarterback Jack Dallas started slowly, but the offense picked up as the game went on and the defense was dominant throughout. Dallas’ return puts the target on West Orange-Stark to begin 2016. That bullseye was placed clearly on Gilmer for the past few seasons and the Mustangs now become the hunted instead of the hunter. That carries a unique set of pressures, which an experienced and playoff-tested program must navigate this season. Bellville The Brahmas fell to West Orange-Stark in the state quarterfinals. It was a great season for head coach Grady Rowe’s squad, even with a lopsided playoff-loss to end the season. Bellville was on the same field as the state champions and held their own as much as any team did against the Mustangs. The district championship and 11-3 record in 2015 should be confidence builders for the returning players in the program. Bellville’s playoff win over Giddings, a team Bellville lost to in non-district play, showed the improvement of the Brahmas throughout the season. Caldwell/Giddings/La Grange The champion from District 10 likely enters the playoffs as the main threat to West Orange-Stark’s reign as king in Region III. Giddings won this district, formerly District 11, in 2015. The Buffaloes and Caldwell, which finished second in the former District 11, both reached the third round of the playoffs. Giddings fell to Bellville and Caldwell was blown out by West Orange-Stark. La Grange lost in the first round of the state playoffs, but return the most talented player in Class 4A Division II. Running back J.K. Dobbins committed to Ohio State recently, and might be the best playmaker in the region.

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