Other than the titans of Class 6A football in Greater Houston, Katy Taylor and Fort Bend Elkins can hang with just about anyone. That's what makes their evenly-matched 1st-round (bi-district) playoff game against each other on Saturday so intriguing, and you can listen to what transpires inside Hall Stadium at vypefortbend.com starting at 12:45PM.
The Mustangs (5-5) and Knights (8-2) are in the UIL's 6A Division II playoff bracket, based on overall student enrollment. In District 19-6A, Katy and Katy Tompkins also qualified for the playoffs, and they have more students than Taylor; and the same is true for 20-6A's Fort Bend Travis and Ridge Point, whose enrollment numbers exceed Elkins.
Therefore, Taylor and Elkins should be more than happy in 6A's Division II. In Taylor's five wins, they outscored their opponents by an average of nearly 27 points (45.2 to 18.4). Their five losses were to a quartet of teams state-ranked by MaxPreps (Atascocita, #26; Dickinson, #23; Katy, #1; and Tompkins, #20) and a district rival, Mayde Creek – which went 8-2, losing only to Katy and Tompkins.
The Knights had an easier schedule. Their only losses were to Travis (ranked #28) and a Ridge Point team that is 27-1 in district games vs. Fort Bend ISD foes over the last four seasons. In all other games, Elkins dominated, outscoring the opposition 46.9-12.4.
Elkins is looking for its first playoff win since the Knights beat Madison 28-20 in the 2016 bi-district round. In the last 10 seasons, they are 3-8 in playoff games including two wins in 2013 when Jonathan Giles was their quarterback.
Taylor has broken even (7-7) in playoff games over the last 13 seasons, including three straight 1st-round wins over Fort Bend opponents: Kempner (2016), Bush ('17) and Dulles ('18).
The stars of 2025-26 Katy Softball
It came as no surprise that Kingwood (29-3) responded immediately to its lone district loss to Summer Creek, winning out to close the regular season and claim the 23-6A crown with a 13-1 record. The run included an 11-0 victory over the Bulldogs and a six-game shutout streak.
The same can be said for Katy (28-5), which cruised to its 11th straight district title (excluding the 2019-20 COVID season), capping the 19-6A slate on a 10-game winning streak while allowing just three runs in that span.
Tomball (23-3) and Bridgeland (26-5) remain the headliners out of Region II, both well-positioned to make a push toward the state stage in the coming weeks. One of the most impressive runs of the back half came from Grand Oaks (30-6), which won its final 11 games to steal the District 13-6A title from Willis (24-9)—another scrappy squad.
Region III again shapes up as a gauntlet in Houston’s 6A brackets, featuring powerhouses such as Pearland (28-4), Atascocita (23-8), Summer Creek (26-7), Deer Park (21-10), Jordan (21-5), Clear Creek (19-7), Foster (24-8), and Clear Springs (22-13).
Rounding out the notable Class 5A programs are La Porte (20-3), Friendswood (21-7), Santa Fe (24-7), and Kingwood Park (21-9), while Liberty (29-5) and Needville (29-2) pace the 4A field.
All that being said, let’s tap into the who’s who of H-Town with the postseason on the horizon.
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Barbers Hill Eagles
Dana Strange (VYPE)
*Second section denotes current record according to MaxPreps
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VYPE Houston Top 25 Softball Rankings (6A-4A) -- End of Regular Season (April 2026)
1. Barbers Hill Eagles (5A) -- 30-3 // 14-0 in District 19-5A
2. Lake Creek Lions (5A) -- 29-1 // 12-0 in 17-5A
3. Kingwood Mustangs (6A) -- 29-3 // 13-1 in 23-6A
4. Katy Tigers (6A) -- 28-5 // 15-1 in 19-6A
5. Tomball Cougars (6A) -- 23-3 // 16-0 in 15-6A
6. Bridgeland Bears (6A) -- 26-5 // 13-1 in 16-6A
7. La Porte Bulldogs (5A) -- 20-3 // 11-1 in 20-5A
8. Liberty Panthers (4A) -- 29-5 // 12-0 in 19-4A
9. Pearland Oilers (6A) -- 28-4 // 16-0 in 22-6A
10. Atascocita Eagles (6A) -- 23-8 // 11-3 in 23-6A
11. Summer Creek Bulldogs (6A) -- 26-7 // 11-3 in 23-6A
12. Friendswood Mustangs (6A) -- 21-7 // 9-3 in 20-5A
13. Deer Park Deer (6A) -- 21-10 // 11-3 in 24-6A
14. Grand Oaks Grizzlies (6A) -- 30-6 // 13-3 in 13-6A
15. Needville Bluejays (4A) -- 29-2 // 12-0 in 29-4A
16. Jordan Warriors (6A) -- 21-5 // 13-3 in 19-6A
17. Clear Creek Wildcats (6A) -- 19-7 // 10-4 in 24-6A
18. Foster Falcons (6A) -- 24-8 // 10-0 in 20-6A
19. Willis Wildkats (6A) -- 24-9 // 13-3 in 13-6A
20. Clear Springs Chargers (6A) -- 22-13 // 9-5 in 24-6A
21. Santa Fe Indians (5A) -- 24-7 // 8-4 in 20-5A
22. Magnolia Bulldogs (6A) -- 22-8 // 13-3 in 15-6A
23. Kingwood Park Panthers (5A) -- 21-9 // 10-2 in 18-5A
24. Cy-Fair Bobcats (6A) -- 17-9 // 13-1 in 17-6A
25. Cypress Woods Wildcats (6A) -- 22-11 // 10-4 in 16-6A
Others to Watch/Honorable Mentions: Oak Ridge War Eagles (13-6A), Cypress Ranch Mustangs (16-6A), Klein Oak Panthers (15-6A), Ridge Point Panthers (21-6A), Cypress Ridge Rams (17-6A), Crosby Cougars (18-5A), Conroe Tigers (13-6A), Dobie Longhorns (22-6A), Hargrave Falcons (19-4A), Fort Bend Travis Tigers (21-6A), Goose Creek Memorial Patriots (23-6A), Montgomery Bears (17-5A), Memorial Mustangs (17-6A)
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