Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has revealed its predictions of pool play in Division II of the 7-on-7 state tournament, where the Brownwood Lions are Pool B favorites.
The Lions, who will be making their 22nd straight appearance at the state tournament Thursday and Friday at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station, was picked to place first in Pool B followed by Anna, Silsbee and Smithville.
DCTF stated the following:
“This may be the deepest pool in the Division II bracket with four solid teams, all capable of doing damage. Brownwood and Anna both dominated in qualifying, who will have the edge when these two get after it? Silsbee top to bottom will be the most athletic team in the pool, but the Tigers have struggled at the State Tournament in recent years. Smithville, making their first appearance is a wildcard with their outstanding defense.”
Brownwood posted a 6-6 record in 12 qualifying games, advancing at the Ponder tournament on May 21, its first outing of the summer.
The Lions will face Anna at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, Smithville at 3:15 Thursday, and Silsbee at 4:45 p.m. Thursday. All 32 teams in the state field will then begin single elimination bracket play at 8:45 a.m. Friday. Seeding will be based on pool play results.
The rest of the pool predictions, and comments from DCTF, are as follows:
Pool A Predicted Order of Finish
1.Hamshire-Fannett
2.Graham
3.Pleasanton
4. Ponder
Perennial power Graham will have their hands full with a really strong crew from Hamshire-Fannett that was dominant in qualifying. The battle for the third spot expects to be intriguing as well with Pleasanton and Ponder poised to battle it out for seeding.
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Pool C Predicted Order of Finish
- Texarkana Pleasant Grove
- West Orange-Stark
- San Antonio Davenport
- Clyde
If Pool B isn’t the “pool of death” it is definitely Pool C with 7-on-7 regular Pleasant Grove leading the way, the Hawks made deep runs in 2018 and 2019 but stumbled in College Station in 2021, don’t expect a repeat this year. West Orange-Stark is making a return to 7-on-7 after a long absence and the Mustangs certainly have the talent and pedigree, while San Antonio Davenport is a relative unknown. Clyde unfortunately got a really tough draw with this group.
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Pool D Predicted Order of Finish
- Lorena
- Kaufman
- Fort Bend Christian
- Goliad
Defending champion Kaufman had to wait until the final weekend to qualify, but the Lions got it done, even when they don’t play well in SQTs Kaufman is always a really tough out in College Station. Lorena is the pool favorite, but don’t count out Fort Bend Christian who was impressive in their lone qualifier.
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Pool E Predicted Order of Finish
- Columbus
- Wichita Falls
- Cameron Yoe
- Tuscola Jim Ned
If you are looking for a sleeper in the Division II State Tournament, look no further than the Columbus Cardinals who have some real potential to do some damage with elite QB play and a strong defense. Wichita Falls impressed in SQT play all summer and has good depth that could be pivotal in the summer heat. Yoe makes a return to State 7-on-7 and they’ll be in the mix for a spot behind Columbus.
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Pool F Predicted Order of Finish
- Hitchcock
- Breckenridge
- Sunnyvale
- Lago Vista
Make no mistake about it, the matchup in pool play featuring Hitchcock and Breckenridge is a showdown of tournament favorites. Both teams will be worth watching when it gets to bracket play on Friday. Sunnyvale and Lago Vista will be hard pressed to challenge these two inside of the pool.
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Pool G Predicted Order of Finish
- Dumas
- Celina
- Bay City
- Rockdale
This pool will feature another top two showdown as perennial power Celina and up and coming 7-on-7 power Dumas will tangle, last year Dumas blew Celina out in single elimination play. No doubt Celina didn’t forget about that defeat. Bay City is dangerous with their athleticism, the key for the Blackats will be consistency at the QB spot.
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Pool H Predicted Order of Finish
- China Spring
- Lindale
- Sealy
- Hereford
China Spring, who won a state title in the fall is always a real threat to make big noise in State 7-on-7 and this year is no different as they should dominate in a pool that features three “newbies.” Lindale and Sealy will be a really good battle for the second spot, while Hereford, a surprise qualifier out of the panhandle could have a steep learning curve in their first ever trip to College Station.
Additional information on the Lions’ trip to state can be found here Lions to face Anna, Smithville and Silsbee to open 7-on-7 state tournament | Brownwood News