We're getting close. The high school playoff season is drawing close. Teams are jockeying for position for one of their respective district's four playoff spots.
For the first rendition, we'll look at the current UIL playoff matchups for all classes (6A-1A) on the boys side of things. We'll head over to the girls playoff matchups Friday.
(NOTE: All seedings are based off MaxPreps standings. W = winner; R = runner-up; T = third place; F = fourth place)
R5 Burleson Centennial vs. T6 FW Southwest
R6 FW Eastern Hills vs. T5 Mansfield Timberview
W6 FW Wyatt vs. F5 Arlington Seguin
W5 Crowley vs. F6 FW Arlington Heights
W8 Denton Ryan vs. F7 FW Brewer
W7 Birdville vs. F8 Northwest
R7 Colleyville Heritage vs. T8 The Colony
R8 Denton Braswell vs. T7 Saginaw
R9 Frisco Independence vs. T10 Princeton
R10 Lovejoy vs. T9 Frisco Centennial
W10 McKinney North vs. F9 Frisco Memorial
W9 Frisco Wakeland vs. F10 Wylie East
W12 Dallas South Oak Cliff vs. F11 Dallas Conrad
W11 Carrollton Smith vs. F12 Dallas Samuell
R11 Highland Park vs. T12 Dallas Spruce
R12 Dallas Kimball vs. T11 Dallas Wilson
R13 Mesquite Poteet vs. T14 Ennis
R14 Red Oak vs. T13 Kaufman
W14 Midlothian vs. F13 West Mesquite
W13 Lancaster vs. F14 Cleburne
W16 Nacogdoches vs. F15 Texarkana Texas
W15 Greenville vs. F16 Hallsville
R15 Sulphur Springs vs. T16 Lufkin
R16 Marshall vs. T15 Mount Pleasant
After a season filled with highs and lows, the Clear Falls Knights remain a prominent contender in the 24-6A district heading into 2025. Despite a brief postseason run that ended in a Game 3 loss to Deer Park in the Area Round, expectations are high for Coach Eddie Youngblood and his team.
Their primary goal: to reclaim their district title. The Knights’ success starts with senior left-handed pitcher/outfielder David Ramirez, a Texas A&M commit who was named District MVP and earned first team all-state honors after finishing a perfect 9-0 with 123 strikeouts. Ramirez also hit a solid .365 last season, showcasing his all-around talent. Senior pitcher Zach Mann, a Wharton County JC-commit, is a reliable closer, earning second-team all-district recognition.
The pitching staff is rounded out by seniors Nolan Valasek (RHP) and Julian Izaguirre (LHP), who will form a strong rotation. Behind the plate, senior catcher Parker Collier (also a Wharton County JC-commit) will be key both defensively and offensively.
Additionally, senior outfielders Carter Felcman (second-team) and Brodie Focke (St. John’s University commit) will bring added firepower to an already deep lineup.
The Grizzlies make their way back to the diamond on the heels of taking bronze within District 13-6A and producing an impressive 25-win season. Unfortunately, they were tasked with taking on the eventual State Champs Tomball in the second round of the playoffs, which led to their season ending sooner than anticipated.
Regardless, coach Lou Ferrell has fostered a winning culture within the Grand Oaks program since the school was established in 2018. Excluding the COVID year, there has yet to be a single period where they haven’t reached the postseason, and that’s unlikely to change this spring. Senior LHP Mason Kinchen (Texas Tech-commit) is the essential returner for the Grizzlies.
As the ace of pitching staff, Kinchen went 8-1 a year ago, while maintaining a pristine 1.01 ERA with 55 strikeouts, resulting in first-team, all-district honors. Meanwhile, juniors Sebastian Segura (second-team) and Braeden Sanches will be key contributors in the infield as well as in the batting order.
Furthermore, Callum Wilson (Jr. OF) and Collin Martin (Jr. C/1B) provide additional veteran leadership on a relatively young unit that will vie for a district title in the near future.
The Falcons secured the No. 3 spot in the always-competitive Katy district last season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs before falling to eventual Region III Finalist Cy-Fair in three games.
Coach Kyle Humphreys – who surpassed 300 career wins last spring – knows what his team is capable of, and they’re likely to remind audiences in the coming months. Junior Nic Piazza, who earned District 19-6A Newcomer of the Year honors after batting .398, is a key returner.
Piazza contributes not only at the plate but also as a versatile outfielder, pitcher, and first baseman. Junior 3B Ian Palacios (.308 BA) is another reliable bat, following up a second-team all-district season. Alongside him, junior shortstop Daylen Foor and sophomore outfielder Cash Wilson will continue to set the table by getting on base.
Senior catcher Lucian Albright is expected to impact both sides of the game, while senior right-hander Chase Simon (Odessa College commit) returns as the ace of the pitching staff.
After finishing 2024 with an 8-1 record and a 2.31 ERA, Simon will be relied upon to anchor the staff and lead the Falcons to what could be an extensive run in the postseason
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