Top 10 toughest Texas high school football schedules of 2019

Video: Katy vs. North Shore game action
These two teams rank among the top three in toughest schedules for 2019.

When Gordon Wood was coaching Brownwood to seven state titles from the 1960s into the 80s, he made a habit of scheduling a school from the largest division for his season opener.

He felt a stronger opponent would find his team's weaknesses. Then he and his coaching staff would have time to work out the problems.

For UIL teams in Texas, a good portion of a team's regular season schedule is predetermined when schools are assigned to a district. But that still leaves slots for non-district games that can be filled at the discretion of the head coach or athletic director.

A word of warning: The combination of membership in a particularly strong district coupled with a choice to play upper-echelon non-district opponents can land schools on our list.

Top 10 toughest Texas football schedules for 2019

10. West Texas (Stinnett)
Division: UIL 2A DI
Three toughest games
Aug. 30 vs Canadian
Sept. 20 at Wellington
Nov. 1 vs Panhandle

9. Pleasant Grove (Texarkana)
Division: UIL 4A DII
Three toughest games
Sept. 6 at Henderson
Sept. 20 at Gladewater
Oct. 4 vs Carthage

8. Bishop Dunne (Dallas)
Division: TAPPS DI
Three toughest games
Sept. 6 at Skyline (Dallas)
Sept. 14 vs No. 20 DeSoto
Oct. 25 at Bishop Lynch (Dallas)

7. Decatur
Division: UIL 4A DI
Three toughest games
Aug. 30 vs Kennedale
Sept. 13 vs Heritage (Midlothian)
Sept. 27 vs Glen Rose

6. Tidehaven (El Maton)
Division: UIL 3A DII
Three toughest games
Aug. 30 vs. Refugio
Sept. 20 vs. Shiner
Oct. 4 at East Bernard

5. Lake Ridge (Mansfield)
Division: UIL 6A
Three toughest games
Aug. 30 vs Union (Tulsa, Okla.)
Sept. 6 at Midway (Waco)
Sept. 27 at No. 20 DeSoto

4. West Orange-Stark (Orange)
Division: UIL 4A DII
Three toughest games
Aug. 30 at Nederland
Sept. 13 vs. Newton
Sept. 20 vs. Crosby

3. (No. 5) Katy
Division: UIL 6A
Three toughest games
Aug. 29 at No. 1 North Shore (Houston)
Sept. 6 at No. 16 Atascocita (Humble)
Oct. 3 at Tompkins (Katy)

2. No. 1 North Shore (Houston)
Division: UIL 6A
Three toughest games
Aug. 29 vs No. 5 Katy
Sept. 13 vs No. 24 Westfield (Houston)
Oct. 24 at No. 17 West Brook (Beaumont)

1. South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie)
Division: UIL 6A
Three toughest games
Aug. 30 at No. 7 Carroll (Southlake)
Oct. 25 at No. 25 Cedar Hill
Nov. 1 at No. 20 DeSoto

Randy Jennings begins his ninth season as a MaxPreps correspondent and has covered Texas high school football since 1975. The 2010 Texas High School Coaches Association sportswriter of the year has written for the Dallas Morning News, Arlington Morning News and served 18 years as sports editor of the Grand Prairie News.