Which Dallas area soccer teams could make the playoffs after staying at home last year?

With three weeks to go before the start of the high school football regular season, numerous Dallas-area teams are in the playoff hunt. The top four teams in each district will make it to the postseason, but for some, mid-November football would mean a little more.

Here are the schools capable of making the playoffs after finishing fifth in their district last year.

Crowley

Crowley (5-3, 4-0 3-6A) went 4-3 in District 3-6A last year but lost in a tiebreaker to Boswell for the final playoff spot. Top-four finishers Euless Trinity and Hurst LD Bell moved to District 4-6A as part of the UIL realignment, and Crowley has benefited this year, already matching its district win total from last season. The Eagles play Mansfield Legacy on Friday before a rivalry game with North Crowley in the final week of the regular season.

Mansfield

Another team that benefited from the UIL realignment, Mansfield (7-1, 3-1, 3-6A), moved from 11-6A, the Dallas area’s “District of Doom,” to which top-ranked DeSoto and Duncanville belongs to 3-6A this year. The Tigers went 3-4 in district play in 2023 but are in third place this year. They play North Crowley this week and finish the season with Weatherford.

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Flower Hill

One of The Dallas Morning NewsWhen the surprise teams emerged in the middle of the season, Flower Mound finished one spot behind its rival Marcus and the final postseason spot in 6-6A last year. Both teams are now in 5-6A and will play this Friday night. Flower Mound (5-2, 2-2 5-6A) is in fifth place in the district and will likely need to win its final regular season game against Hebron to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Richardson Pearce

Pearce (5-2, 3-1 7-6A) is primed for its first postseason berth since 2020. The Mustangs are second in their district, with their toughest opponents behind them. Jarrett Lambert’s team must win two of its last three games against Irving MacArthur, Irving Nimitz and Richardson Berkner to avenge last season’s playoff loss.

Garland Lakeview Centennial

Lakeview (3-5, 3-3 9-6A) hopes to clinch the final playoff spot in 9-6A behind Sachse, Wylie East and Wylie. With Wylie heading into the final week of the season, a win against Garland on Friday could really help the Patriots in the postseason.

Samuell

After going 3-7 overall and 1-4 in the district in 2023, Samuell is one of the most improved teams in the Dallas area in 2024. The Spartans (6-1, 3-1 5-5AII) are ranked fourth in their district, and while they play top teams Woodrow Wilson and South Oak Cliff in the next two weeks, they end the regular season with Spruce ( 0-7, 0-4), a game they may need to win to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Crandall

Last year, Crandall was defeated in its district by Lovejoy and Melissa and missed the playoffs by one game. Both teams moved up to 5AI this year, while Crandall remains at 5AII. The Pirates (6-1, 3-1 6-5AII) play Terrell and Greenville, two teams they beat last year, in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Pinkston

Pinkston (2-5, 2-2 8-4AI) was good enough for third place in its district this year. A sea of 2-2 teams trail the Vikings in the standings, but they still have two winnable games left against Roosevelt and Conrad, respectively.