District 3A-2 football preview: Purcell looking for deep playoff run

Eleventh-year coach Mike Wilson took this team to the state championship game six years ago when they were still in Class 2A, and he wants his players to get a taste of that.

"We'd like to get past that second-round game," Wilson said. "We went to the finals in 2004 and haven't been back to the semifinals since then. But we've been in the second round almost every year, we need to get past that mark.

The second round has been a thorn in the Dragons' side; their season has ended there the past two seasons. And even though District 3A-2 is smaller now, newcomers Plainview and Sulphur were both in the playoffs last season.

Instead of it being three games then a championship, a game has been added to the 3A playoff bracket making it just a little harder.

"A seven-team district probably makes it a little easier to make the playoffs," Wilson said. "But those two teams we traded for are pretty good football team, so I'm not sure if we made a good trade."