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Experts predict repeat title for Allen; could Mansfield Legacy overcome John Tyler; must-see games and more

Over the next six weeks hundreds of teams will compete for the chance to hoist the UIL plaque as winners of the Texas high school football championships.

The single-elimination tournament will conclude Dec. 21, and the SportsDayHS experts have done their homework and picked apart some of the finer points of this year's brackets.

What is the toughest region? Who might have the easiest road through the first couple rounds? And most importantly, who will bring home the big prize?

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We answer these questions and more.

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Regions of Death

5A Division I Region I

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This group features seven teams that finished the regular season ranked in the area top-20; with a potential DeSoto vs. Coppell area-round matchup in the works.

4A Division II Region II

Nine teams in this region finished the season in the area top-20, but the biggest challenger might be Whitehouse, the undefeated district 16-4A champions out of East Texas.

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Kyle Fredrickson

Regions of Breath

4A Division II Region I

Aledo would be a contender in any group. Considering its opposition in this region, it has an excellent chance to advance. But a potential matchup with Wichita Falls in the Regional round could provide some challenge.

4A Division I Region II

Highland Park enters this region with 9-straight wins since its season-opening loss to Aledo. It faces a beat-down The Colony team in bi-district, and a slew of very winnable matchups down the line for coach Randy Allen’s team.

Kyle Fredrickson

Championship predictions

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Breaking a drought

The following schools broke extended playoff droughts this season.

*Of the six teams who had broken extended playoff droughts this season, only Mansfield Legacy advanced to the area round.

David Just

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First-round blockbusters

5A Division I

Plano vs. Skyline — Seven-time state champions, Plano (7-3) has surprised this season — relying on a strong defense and good running game. Despite graduating a majority of last year’s offense, Skyline (9-1) is humming along again, behind senior QB Sederian Copeland.

5A Division II

Colleyville Heritage vs. Denton Ryan — These two have combined to win 52 games over the past three seasons. Heritage (8-2) has weathered the loss of Oklahoma’s Cody Thomas nicely, with Griffin Pickler producing at QB. Ryan (7-2) has one of the area’s stingiest defenses, allowing just 14.4 points per game.

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Corbett Smith