Educated Guesses: 1A Division I
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 7 out of 10 playoff picks correct in 1A Division I.
Gordon still has firepower, but maybe not quite as much. Can they make it four state titles in a row? Can Jayton continue its successful run in 1A DI? Who else can step up in the race to Arlington? I’m excited to see how things play out this season!
Jayton was barely above the 1A DI/DII cutoff and will have to compete for a third straight title in the DI ranks.
The Jaybirds lose the likes of Bode Ham, Sean Stanaland, and Colt Gentry, but they still have four players that were all-state in 2025 back: Lorenzo Vargas, Dayton Bleiker, Tucker Scott, and Garrison Allen.
Hermleigh is poised to make a playoff run this season, and I feel like they are the top contender to the Jaybirds in District 4. The Cardinals were a playoff team a year ago and, with a big group of returning starters, are hungry for more.
Aspermont joins Jayton as a new DI team this season, and they’ll be a playoff contender as well. Roby should be too with the returning talent it has in year three under Zane Graves.
Rotan and Spur welcome new coaches this season: Troy Sparks for the ‘Hammers and Mark Weaver, who leaves Loraine to take over the Bulldogs.
This should be a competitive district with plenty of great games to keep an eye on all season long.
Photo: SMcCowen Sports Photography
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Jayton
2. Hermleigh
3. Aspermont
4. Roby
5. Rotan
6. Spur
There is no doubt that this is the “District of Doom” in 1A Division I.
-Four of the six teams made the playoffs last season
-Five of the six finished with a winning record.
-Five are ranked the top 16 of the sixmanfootball.com preseason rankings, and O’Donnell checks in at a respectable number 39
Borden County comes in as the favorite, with Westbrook and Ira certainly in the mix as well. Klondike and Sands come up from 1A DII with plenty of firepower and will be tough to deal with as well.
The Wildcats saw a five-year streak of winning at least ten games come to an end, and they’ll be ready to bounce back after “only” winning seven games in 2025. Ira loses a lot to graduation, but their tradition always makes them tough to count out.
Photo: SMcCowen Sports Photography
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Borden County
2. Westbrook
3. Klondike
4. Sands
5. Ira
6. O’Donnell
District 7 is about as new-look as you can get, as Robert Lee and Paint Rock are the only two teams that were in the same district last season. The six teams that make it up played in five different districts a year ago.
The Steers have to replace a ton of talent, but head coach Lee McCown feels like many of his JV players from last season would have played on varsity if Robert Lee wasn’t so stacked. Now they’ll get their chance to shine.
Highland and head coach Bryson Oliver feel refreshed to be out of a district with the likes of Westbrook, Ira, and Hermleigh for the first time in a long time. They should be in the playoff mix, with Baird and Bronte also having a great chance of nabbing the number two seed. The Bears missed out by a game last year in a district with state power Gordon, while Bronte was a district champion a year ago in Division II. They enter a new era this season under first-year head coach Julian Helms. division
Santa Anna has a new coach that is not new to the program in Tom McVey. He and the Mountaineers are glad to be out of district with May and Jonesboro and are excited to see what they can do.
Photo: SMcCowen Sports Photography
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Robert Lee
2. Bronte
3. Baird
4. Highland
5. Santa Anna
6. Paint Rock
Menard made a great run last season before falling to eventual state champion Gordon in the playoffs for the second year in a row. Now the Yellowjackets look to go further as a very good nucleus adds former Richland Springs star Cohen Ethridge to the mix.
Water Valley was a state semifinalist a year ago but will have to replace some key players lost to graduation.
Sterling City is back in the six-man ranks after four seasons of 11-man ball. They could come back to six-man with a bang, as they certainly have a history of winning at this level.
The Bobcats welcome back four big-time players and are the favorites to take home the District 9 title.
Newcastle went two rounds deep in the postseason a year ago and has a good shot at a better run this time around. They’re one of the favorites on the east side of the bracket to have a shot at making it to Jerry World.
Northside surprised a lot of folks to make the playoffs a year ago and hopes to do it again. Bryson has plenty of talent back and should be in the playoff mix as well.
Photo: Michael Leal/Texas 1A Fan
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Newcastle
2. Northside
3. Bryson
4. Perrin-Whitt
The Longhorns brought in Nathan and Keegan Hayes in the offseason to help lessen the blow of the loss of one of the greatest six-man senior classes of all time. Keegan should give them a big shot in the arm after putting up huge numbers in his three seasons at Benjamin.
May only has two starters back, but the Tigers always reload instead of rebuilding. There should be enough in the pipeline to get them in the playoffs once again.
Gorman made the postseason a year ago and will be a contender again this season.
Ranger hopes to show improvement in year two under Mark Thomas, and Lingleville looks to bounce back after a winless 2025.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Gordon
2. Gorman
3. May
4. Ranger
5. Lingleville
Photo: Dency McClure/Texas 1A Fan
Bluff Dale makes the move to 1A Division I this season after a great run in DII a year ago.
They’ll be in the playoff mix right away in their new district, but Milford enters the year as the slight favorite with four starters back on each side of the ball.
Alex Saucedo tops the list of Bobcat returning players and will be a huge weapon on offense and defense.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Milford
2. Bluff Dale
3. Avalon
4. Blum
5. Covington
