2016 Region Outlooks: 2A DI Region IV – One of the deepest in the state

Photo by Artie Guerrero 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 II / 2A DI Region IIIClass 2A Division I Region IV Class 2A Division I is home of the best Region IV in the state. Refugio outlasted the rest of the competition in 2015, claiming a Region IV championship despite not winning a district title. Refugio lost to Canadian in the championship. Canadian beat Mason, the Region IV champ in 2014, to win the state title. With Canadian now in Class 3A Division II, Region IV emerges as the favorite to claim a state title. Refugio enters as the favorite due to last year’s playoff run, but programs like Shiner, Mason and Weimar are eager to claim a title. Refugio The Bobcats lost two games in the regular season, with a 30-19 loss to Shiner costing Refugio a district title. This followed a 15-point non-district loss to Cameron Yoe. Talk heading into the playoffs centered on Mason and Shiner as possible contenders to knock off Canadian in the championship game. Instead, Refugio rebounded and went on a five-game playoff run to reach the state title. The Bobcats blew out Weimar to end the season and then upset Mason in the area round of the state playoffs with an eye-opening score of 43-6. A 17-14 victory over Shiner clinched another Region IV championship. Shiner Shiner rolled through the regular season, earning the District 15 championship with an 11-point victory over Refugio. The Bobcats earned revenge over Shiner in a 17-14 win in the Region IV championship. It was the only loss for the Comanches in 2015. Shiner outscored opponents 525-105 over 14 games, allowing more than 20 points just once all season. The offense hadn’t scored fewer than 28 points until the playoff loss to Refugio. Those two will once again battle it out for a District 15 championship. The winner in the regular season will enter the playoffs with an easier route to a regional championship. Mason A lot of people picked Mason to repeat as Region IV champions. The Punchers represented the region in the 2014 championship game and were a perfect 11-0 entering the area-round matchup with Refugio. Mason never got its footing and Refugio cruised to a victory. The Punchers won a District 14 championship and are in line to do so again in 2016. Head coach Kade Burns always fields an effective offense and a hard-nosed defense. Mason allowed a total of 96 points in 2015. The offense averaged 41.25 points per game.

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