2016 Region Outlooks: 2A DI Region III — Speed abound in top-heavy region

[caption id="attachment_22823" align="aligncenter" width="3000"]Photo by Ronnie Sartors Photo by Ronnie Sartors[/caption] The UIL realigned the districts for the 2016 and 2017 football seasons in February. Realignment doesn’t just change district races – 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 II / 4A DII Region III / 4A DII Region IV / 3A DI Region I / 3A DI Region II / 3A DI Region III / 3A DI Region IV / 3A DII Region I / 3A DII Region II / 3A DII Region III / 3A DII Region IV / 2A DI Region I / 2A DI Region IIClass 2A Division I Region III Region III once again missed out on representation at the state championship game. Lovelady advanced through Region III before falling to Refugio in the state semifinals. Centerville dropped a game to Mason at the same point in 2014. The usual programs should vie for a chance to end the drought and play for a state title, but there was movement inside the districts of Region III. Beckville moved up to Class 3A and that means an easier path for teams like Lovelady, Alto and Shelbyville. District 10 is wide open with Beckville’s move up and Shelbyville’s move to District 11, joining Alto. District 12 should once again come down to a battle between Lovelady and Centerville. District 9 champion Harleton also moved up to Class 3A, leaving a weak district with even less depth. Lovelady The Lions steamrolled their way to a Region III title, going an impressive 14-0 before a loss to Refugio in the state semifinals ended the season. Lovelady outscored opponents 666-218, averaging an impressive 44.4 points per game. A 64-28 victory over defending district and regional champion, Centerville, proved Lovelady was the class of Region III. Two easy playoff victories started the road towards a title, but only one-point separated Lovelady from Beckville in the third round of the playoffs. The Lions held on, but it shows how evenly matched Region III is at the top. The final three games in the region were decide by a touchdown or less. Shelbyville An undefeated campaign came to a close against Lovelady in the Region III finals. The 14-7 loss was a bitter pill for head coach Jason Ferguson’s squad, but one that should serve as motivation to make the next step as a program. The Dragons are knocking on the doorstep of a regional championship and the 2016 team should compete for a District 11 championship alongside Alto. A third-round playoff-victory over Centerville was the highlight of the season for the Dragons. Centerville The Tigers schedule as hard as any Class 2A program and the overall record suffers. Centerville lost its first five games in 2015, also dropping a district game to Lovelady and eventually a loss to Shelbyville in the playoffs. The record doesn’t look like a team worthy of regional championship talk, but this is the same Centerville program that lost three non-district games in 2014 before winning a district and Region III crown. Early season opponents like Mart, Troy, Corrigan-Camden, as well as sharing a district with Lovelady, make Centerville a battle-tested team come playoff time every season.

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