Kickoff to the 2026 season is getting closer and closer, and the time has come to take a stab at how things will play out in each district featuring Big Country football teams.

I call them educated guesses, like your teachers used to, because I feel I have at least a little bit of knowledge about the upcoming season after speaking with area coaches for the 2026 edition of Big Country Blitz.

For the record, last season Big Country Blitz got a perfect 12 out of 16 playoff picks correct in 2A Division I.

Ballinger joins Colorado City in District 4 out west. Can the Bearcats make a playoff push in 2026? And can the Wolves finally get past their rough stretch and back to their winning ways?

District 5 may be the toughest in the state and will be a blast to follow this season as Anson, Cisco, De Leon, and Hawley compete weekly for the crown.

The new-look District 7 still keeps Bangs and Coleman together, but the other four teams will be new and ready to finish on top.

Ozona cruised to the district title behind the running of the record-setting Christian Villareal a year ago and looks to be the favorite again with 14 starters returning.

Forsan and Sonora have a ton of talent back as well, and the trio of teams should have some good battles to decide the eventual district winner.

Ballinger battled injuries all last season and missed out on the playoffs in a very tough district. They’re in another tough district after realignment but have the returning talent to make a run at the playoffs. Christoval has the fewest returning starters of any team in the district (9), but they were a playoff team in 2025 and should be in the mix as well.

Colorado City hopes to improve in year two under head coach Daniel Mejia. They closed out 2025 with an upset of Sonora and hope the momentum can carry over to help them find the win column much more often in 2026.

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL

1. Ozona
2. Sonora
3. Forsan
4. Christoval
5. Ballinger
6. Reagan County
7. Colorado City

District 5 features five teams that made the playoffs last year and have hopes of making a deep run in 2026, plus an improving TLCA Abilene squad under head coach Webb Murphy.

The Loboes made the deepest run a year ago and are the favorites, in my opinion, to get the job done again in district play.

De Leon loses a great four-year starter at quarterback in Heston Jobe, but getting Hud Price back from Stephenville to go along with some great offensive weapons and big boys up front will keep them in the title mix in 2026.

Hawley and Anson will be tough to beat as well with weapons like Camden Ables, Braylen Williams, and Jagger Wiley for the Bearcats and the Grayson Feagan to Malachi St. John connection for the Tigers.

I wouldn’t be surprised if any of those four teams win the district.

Hico made the postseason a year ago and welcomes back 14 starters under Britt Hart, so they cannot be counted out either and will make every game in the district one worth watching in 2026.

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL

1. Cisco
2. Anson
3. De Leon
4. Hawley
5. Hico
6. TLCA Abilene

Mason at the top is the easiest pick in this district, as the 2025 regional finalists should be even better after getting more help this offseason.

After that, however, it is tough to choose, and the remaining five teams all have a pretty good shot at the three remaining playoff spots.

Johnson City, with 17 returning starters, gets the nod in the second position, just ahead of Brady. The Bulldogs drop from 3A DII to 2A DI this season and will lean on lineman Nasir Menefield a lot on both sides of the ball.

San Saba was a playoff team in 2025 and has the talent to return to the postseason this year. Same with Bangs, who broke through with a 6-5 2025. They’ll need to replace some key players in their running attack but should be in the playoff mix.

Coleman made a coaching move right before the season, as long-time offensive coordinator Zach Edington takes over, and the Bluecats hope to bounce back from a tough 2025 that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL

1. Mason
2. San Saba
3. Bangs
4. Coleman
5. Johnson City
6. Brady

Educated Guesses: 2A Division I

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL

Educated Guesses: 2A Division II

BIG COUNTRY BLITZ