Road To The Playoffs: Champions Are Crowned And Playoff Spots Are Decided In An Exciting Week 11

DISTRICT 13 – It was an exciting final week of the regular season, with plenty of points scored across all 4 district games. The postseason is right around the corner, so this week was the final prep for teams looking to make a splash in the tournament. The same 4 teams that made the postseason in 2025 return this season, with The Woodlands, College Park, Willis, and Grand Oaks all locking in their placements this week. Let's look at how these teams finished and what we could expect in the 6A state playoffs.

The Woodlands vs. Oak Ridge: Crowning an Undefeated District Champ

The Woodlands Highlanders had a great night, securing an undefeated district title in a 63-7 routing of the Oak Ridge War Eagles. This is their 1^st district championship since 2021, and the 1^st title since District 13 was formed in 2022. The Highlanders are primed for a big run, but they have tough opponents ahead, and it will be a big test if they want to prove they are more than just an elite regular-season team. We’ll dive more into the Highlanders later this week, but for now we’ll keep it brief.

The Highlanders have a good shot in the postseason thanks to elite play at QB, as Kaden Copelin has been on fire all season. He had one of his best games of the season against the War Eagles, going 15/17 for 428 yards and 7 TDs. He made some beautiful throws throughout, including several deep balls to WR Carter Cass that looked like they were shot out of a cannon. Speaking of Cass, the junior WR put together a record-breaking night in his final regular-season game. Cass finished with 245 yards through the air, breaking the Highlander single-game record, and tied the 4-TD single-game record. We’ve talked all season about how big of a threat he is, and it showed in this game. If this dynamic duo gets rolling, postseason opponents could be in serious trouble.

For Oak Ridge, this is a tough way to end an already rough season. The War Eagles will finish the 2026 season at 2-8, their worst record since 2021. The offense could not get anything going against the Highlanders, suffering 10 tackles for loss and managing only 1 TD all night. They were sorely missing their top runner, Cody Cooksey, who was absent from the contest, and the War Eagles crossed the 50-yard line only 3 times all game. Oak Ridge has young talent heading into next season, but it needs changes if it ever wants to find success in this district.

Willis vs. Conroe: A Frustrating Thursday Night Showdown

This game was the only one on the slate with any postseason meaning, and it certainly felt that way early on. In the end, though, the Wildcats pulled through, winning 63-37 in a game that was very close at the half. This game was a prime example of the struggles the Conroe Tigers have had for the past few seasons, and it was not a good sign for the future of this program.

We’ll start with a summary of Willis’s night, as they are the winners and deserve the spotlight for toughing out a rough start. QB Parker Stephenson really balled out in the 2nd half, finishing with 426 yards and 6 TDs. Stephenson also added 144 yards on the ground for another TD, further highlighting his excellent play to end the season. He started slow in the 1st half, mostly due to Tiger pressure, but cleaned it up later and proved why this team trusts him moving forward. Willis also had 3 WRs go for more than 100 yards, with Preston Stephenson, Trey Finney, and DeShaun Williams all having stellar nights. Preston Stephenson led the pack with 9 catches for 150 yards and 3 TDs, while Finney was right behind him with 7 catches for 114 yards and 1 TD. Williams also finished strong, catching 4 passes for 117 yards and 2 TDs, emerging as an elite 3rd option in this offense. RB Jamarcus Williams also had himself a day, rushing for 161 yards and 2 TDs, further cementing himself as one of the best RBs in the district. This team has elite weapons all over the field, and they will be dangerous in the state tournament.

For Conroe, this was an ugly way to end the season and one of the most disappointing games we’ve seen all season. They were down 23-17 at the half, but pulled off some unbelievable plays in the 1st half and took the lead back several times early in the contest. The big reason was the emergence of QB Sawyer Buzbee, who took over for Cameron Nunley to start the game. Buzbee wasn’t perfect, but he hit some magnificent throws to WR Jayden Lane in the 1st half, highlighting an aggressive shift in the offense we haven’t seen from the Tigers all season. The defense was lights out, too, with aggressive play calls that had Stephenson running for his life on multiple plays and that shut down this Willis offense quite effectively. They had multiple gutsy plays, with special teams really shining throughout the night and some miraculous plays on both sides of the ball.

Things changed in the 2nd half when Buzbee was unexpectedly benched in favor of Nunley midway through the 3rd quarter, despite the senior QB not making any massive errors. With Nunley in, the offense completely died and went right back to how they played before; boring and run-heavy. They ran the ball multiple times down several scores with Nunley in, and to top it off, they lost 3 fumbles in a row, killing all offensive momentum they had with Buzbee in. The defense also stopped playing aggressively, instead allowing Willis to drive down the field with ease and score multiple back-breaking TDs, preventing any sort of comeback by the Tigers. This is a coaching failure on all levels, and normally we don’t touch that too much, but this was insane to watch unfold in the stadium. Taking out the guy who was giving you a chance in the game for a QB who, frankly, hadn’t done anything all season, is just unbelievable, on top of the play-calling decisions on both sides of the ball. Watching this really shows why Conroe has been in the pits all season and why they’ve only been an agonizing team to watch in district play, and it really sucks for these players who can play well if given the chance. The Tigers need to make changes, as a 4-6 record and a 3-4 district record isn't a fun season, and this school could be more if they can figure things out. As it stands, this was a frustrating game to watch, and a tough way for the Tigers to end their season.

College Park vs. Caney Creek: Tough Way To End The Season

With that rant over, let's look at yet another blowout game, as the College Park Cavaliers handled the Caney Creek Panthers 48-14. The game was essentially over by the start of the 2nd quarter. The Cavaliers finished 2nd in the district, with only 1 district loss to the Highlanders on their resume. They struggled outside the district to start the season, but hopefully they’ve turned a corner heading into the state tournament.

The offense didn’t have to do much to move the ball, scoring several TDs all night and taking care of business against a weak Caney Creek team. QB Camden Hughes was solid once again, throwing for 3 TDs and keeping the ball out of harm's way. RB Duke Stephens unfortunately exited early, but he did catch a nice TD early for the Cavaliers’ 1st score. We do wish him the best, and hopefully this injury isn't anything too serious and we get to see him this week, as he is an electric part of this offense. WR Julian Cromartie had a quiet night by his standards, but the Clemson commit did have a nice TD catch over the middle early on, showing why he is a top threat heading into the postseason. Other guys like Brian Snodgrass and Jake Ericsson also got in on the scoring, with a TD apiece, while RB Bryce Reeves stepped into the starting role well and recorded 2 TDs with excellent efficiency. Like we’ve said all season, this College Park team is talented, but they have struggled against top-level opponents, and there will be plenty of those in the state playoffs. They can make a deep run, but can they get over that hump?

For Caney Creek, there isn’t much to say about this team, as they finished the season with a rough 2-8 record and failed to win more than 1 district game. This has been the unfortunate norm for the Panthers year in and year out, and it's hard to see a path to contention in this district. We would love to see it, but right now, they need to go back to the drawing board for the 2027 season.

Grand Oaks vs. Cleveland: Wrapping Up The Final Spot

With Willis taking care of Conroe on Thursday, the Grand Oaks Grizzlies were all but guaranteed a playoff spot before even stepping onto the field. The Cleveland Indians had another rough season, and the Grizzlies ended it with a brutal 69-0 win. Grand Oaks looks like a solid team heading into the postseason, and they will be hungry to prove they belong as they seek another strong playoff run.

The Grizzlies offense was in full swing throughout, scoring 9 total TDs. The QBs rotated a bit, with Harley Adams starting early before Luke Blackmon came in for relief after Adams nearly lost a fumble. Blackmon finished with 137 yards and 4 TDs through the air, marking his best outing of the season. WR Darnell Jackson Jr. returned and put on a show, catching just 2 passes for 115 yards and 2 TDs, meaning he scored every time he touched the ball. The TEs also got involved in the scoring, with both Kadin Mattingly and Ethan Vera scoring TDs, and Pierceson Lackey adding another. On the ground, Lackey also had the best rushing day of his season, recording 110 yards and 2 TDs against the Cleveland defense. RB Kaden Carter had a solid game before being pulled later on, rushing for 62 yards and a TD. This offense can get things done when needed, and yes, while it was against Cleveland, this is a good way to end the season. It will be interesting to see how the Grizzlies fare in the 2026 state tournament.

Much like Caney Creek, this was another woeful season for the Cleveland Indians, who failed to win a district matchup yet again. They did not, however, go 0-10 like the last few seasons, as for a moment, they were 2-0 and snapped a dreadful losing streak that dated back to 2022. Overall, this is a win for the program, as these players finally got a win for a team that has really needed it for a long time. We always hope they can improve, but with Cleveland, it’s hard to see them do much of anything when the season rolls around.

Still, this team has one thing it's good at: the band, which, in all honesty, is the best in the district, hands down. Watching a Cleveland football game is enjoyable because this band is awesome, and everyone should go see them perform if you haven’t already. Classic marching bands are so rare these days, and seeing these kids put on an awesome show week in and week out is a joy to witness and truly a highlight of the season. Seriously, it’s the best, and it’s a weird bright spot for this school, but one we think is cool and something we enjoyed every Friday this season.