Texas high school football isn't just a sport. It's a religion with a 15-week liturgical calendar that culminates in a four-day pilgrimage to Arlington. If you’ve spent any time on the sidelines or in the stands, you know that Dave Campbell Texas Football playoffs coverage is the undisputed Bible for every bracket-obsessed fan from El Paso to Orange.
But the 2025 postseason? Man, it was something else entirely.
Forget the "chalk" predictions. While the DCTF staff usually has a pulse on the powerhouse programs, the road to AT&T Stadium this past December was paved with more upsets and "did that really just happen" moments than we've seen in a decade. We saw dynasties fall, underdogs rise, and a 6A Division I final that felt more like a heavyweight boxing match than a football game.
The Chaos of the Brackets: Why 2025 Was Different
Usually, you can look at the Dave Campbell preseason rankings and pen in about 75% of the regional finalists. Not this year. The 2025 Dave Campbell Texas Football playoffs cycle proved that "enrollment numbers" and "star recruits" don't always translate to December hardware.
Take the 6A landscape. For years, the Duncanville vs. North Shore rivalry has been the sun that the rest of the Texas football universe revolves around. They met again, sure, but the path was treacherous. North Shore had to survive a brutal Region III gauntlet, while Duncanville found themselves in a 10-7 defensive slog in the state final that left everyone at "Jerry World" breathless.
It wasn't just the big schools.
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In the smaller classifications, the "experts" were left scratching their heads more than once. We saw Shiner, a perennial powerhouse with a 15-0 record, get absolutely shut out 28-0 in the 2A Division II final by a Muenster team that many—including some on the DCTF staff—thought might struggle with Shiner's physicality.
Breaking Down the State Champions
If you missed the final scores or just want to relive the glory, here is how the 2025-2026 season officially wrapped up in the UIL state finals:
- 6A Division I: Galena Park North Shore 10, Duncanville 7
- 6A Division II: DeSoto 55, Houston C.E. King 27
- 5A Division I: Comal Smithson Valley 28, Frisco Lone Star 6
- 5A Division II: Dallas South Oak Cliff 35, Richmond Randle 19
- 4A Division I: Stephenville 10, Kilgore 0
- 4A Division II: Carthage 49, West Orange-Stark 21
Honestly, the Carthage win shouldn't surprise anyone. Surprell Surratt's program is basically a pro team at this point. KJ Edwards, the Bulldogs' star back, ripped off an 87-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. It was over before the fans even finished their nachos.
What the "Insiders" Got Wrong
Dave Campbell's Texas Football is known for their "Stepp’s Predictions" and deep-dive analysis, but the 2025 playoffs showed that momentum is a scary thing.
The biggest shocker? Probably Frisco Lone Star. They entered the 5A Division I final with a perfect 15-0 record and a high-octane offense that looked unstoppable. Then they ran into the "Blue Wall" of Comal Smithson Valley. Smithson Valley didn't just win; they dominated, holding a high-scoring Frisco team to just 6 points.
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This is why we watch.
The DCTF brackets are a great roadmap, but the map isn't the territory. When you get into the regional semifinals (the "Round of 16"), the margins become razor-thin. One muffed punt or a questionable holding call in a 2A Division I game between Hamilton and Joaquin can change the entire trajectory of a season. Hamilton ended up taking that one 21-7, but ask any fan in the stands—it was a dogfight.
The Six-Man Magic
We can't talk about the Dave Campbell Texas Football playoffs without mentioning the 1A schools. Six-man football is the purest form of the sport, and Gordon High School is currently the king.
Gordon’s story is legendary. An EF-1 tornado basically leveled their facilities in May. Most people thought they’d be lucky just to field a team. Instead, they went on a scorched-earth tour of the state, finishing with a 69-22 "mercy rule" victory over Rankin in the 1A Division I final. It was their third straight title.
Jayton followed suit in 1A Division II, putting up a ridiculous 99 points against Richland Springs. If you’ve never seen a 99-54 football score, you haven't lived. It’s basically basketball with pads.
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Navigating the DCTF Playoff Central
If you're already looking ahead to the 2026 season—and let’s be real, in Texas, the 2026 season starts the day after the 2025 finals—you need to know how to use the resources available.
DCTF isn't just a magazine. Their "Playoff Central" website is the hub for real-time scores and bracket updates. During those frantic November Friday nights, that site handles more traffic than a Dallas freeway at 5:00 PM.
Pro Tip: Don't just look at the brackets. Look at the "Points For" and "Points Against" (PF/PA) stats in the DCTF rankings. A team like DeSoto might have a couple of losses (they finished 12-3 this year), but their ability to explode for 50+ points in a state final against Houston C.E. King shows why you can't ever count out a Claude Mathis-coached team.
Actionable Steps for the 2026 Offseason
The playoffs are over, the trophies are in the cases, and the "Gone Fishing" signs are up for many coaches. But if you're a die-hard fan, the work is just beginning.
- Monitor Coaching Changes: We’ve already seen huge moves. Dave Henigan stepped down at Denton Ryan, and Craig Stump retired from Atascocita. These "tectonic shifts" change the playoff landscape for 2026.
- Study the Realignment: 2026 is a "Mock Realignment" year for many analysts. Pay attention to which schools are moving up to 6A or dropping to 5A. A powerhouse dropping down a division can turn a playoff bracket into a "pre-determined" massacre.
- Track the All-State Lists: Keep an eye on the DCTF All-State Championship teams. Players like Muenster’s Casen Carney (who won back-to-back MVPs) or Carthage's KJ Edwards are the benchmarks for the next crop of talent.
- Bookmark the Scores Page: Even in the spring, coaching hires and "seven-on-seven" schedules will start populating. Stay ahead of the curve so you aren't the one asking "who is this team?" come November.
Texas high school football moves fast. One minute you're celebrating a district title, the next you're looking at a 10-7 loss at AT&T Stadium and wondering what went wrong. But that’s the beauty of it. The road to the Dave Campbell Texas Football playoffs starts long before the first whistle in August. It starts now.