While the top of most UIL district races in the Austin area are starting to sort themselves out, there's still plenty of teams jostling for a place in the high school football playoffs.
In the UIL, the top four teams in each district from Class 2A through 6A qualify for the postseason. Several local teams are hoping to a chance at the 2026 postseason.
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Here are five Central Texas teams aiming to snag one of the final spots in their respective districts to keep an eye on in the season's final weeks:
Hays Hawks
The Hawks went 3-1 in nondistrict play and began District 26-6A with a win over Johnson. But Hays (4-3, 1-2) has dealt with major injuries and dropped its last two games. Fifth in their league, they face district front-runner Dripping Springs (6-1, 4-0) on Friday.
Despite its recent defeats, Hays isn't out of the playoff picture. After Dripping Springs, the Hawks finish the regular season with winnable games against Del Valle (1-6, 1-2) and Akins (1-6, 0-3). If Hays goes 3-3 in district play, it has a strong chance of sneaking into the postseason, especially because it owns a head-to-head tiebreaker over Johnson.
Manor Mustangs
Manor is holding the final postseason spot in District 13-5A Division I. But the Mustangs (4-3, 3-2) enter Friday as the underdog against Anderson (5-2, 3-2).
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After Anderson, Manor finishes against Lockhart (3-4, 1-4) and Boerne Champion (7-0, 5-0). McCallum is right behind Manor, sitting at 2-3 in district with games against Lockhart, Champion and Seguin. Manor has the head-to-head tiebreaker over McCallum. So one win over the next three weeks should secure a playoff spot for the Mustangs. However, a winless finish to the season does put their spot at risk.
Rouse Raiders
Rouse is a solid team with standout talent on both sides of the ball. But the Raiders (4-3, 2-1) play their next two games against tough opponents: Hutto (6-2, 3-1) on Thursday and Vandegrift (4-3, 2-1) next week. A win in either would essentially secure a spot in the playoffs for first-year coach Mark Hopkins. Defeats in both set up a Nov. 5 matchup against East View (3-4, 1-2) that could decide the final playoff team in District 25-6A.
Hendrickson Hawks
Hendrickson is currently just outside of the playoffs. The Hawks (4-3, 3-2) are sitting fifth in District 12-5A but could sneak into the postseason with a couple of triumphs to end the season.
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Hendrickson has games against Shoemaker (2-5, 1-4), Weiss (5-2, 4-1) and A&M Consolidated (5-2, 4-1) left. The Hawks are trying to hop Killeen, which has the same district record as Hendrickson, but is in the final playoff spot because of a 16-15 victory over the Hawks a month ago. Killeen has contests against Weiss, A&M Consolidated and Georgetown (4-4, 3-3) left on its schedule.
Liberty Hill Panthers
Liberty Hill (4-4, 2-2) is holding the fourth spot in District 13-5A DII with two games left. The Panthers play winless Long Creek on Friday. After a bye, Liberty Hill will hope to cement a playoff spot Nov. 6 against San Antonio Veterans Memorial (4-3, 1-2). Veterans Memorial faces undefeated Boerne and then Long Creek ahead of Liberty Hill, meaning the Patriots will likely be 2-3 in district play heading into the regular-season finale, while Liberty Hill will be 3-2. The winner will take the final playoff spot.
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This article originally published at Liberty Hill football, Hays among 5 Austin-area teams hoping to claim playoff spots.