Posted: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:39 AM - 8,255 Readers
By: Shane Stark
The Eyes of Texas headlines the cover of this year's Dave Campbell's Texas Football, which features UT quarterback Colt McCoy, the leading Heisman candidate the magazine predicts will lead the Longhorns to their second national title of the decade.
There's little doubt that many eyes of East Texas will be on Colt and the Burnt Orange as well, but the high school ranks around here feature several teams expected to achieve similar success.
Texas Football, which on its cover hails itself as "The Southwest's Leading Football Source Since 1960," has ranked four ET programs tops in the state. Not to mention, it's given a couple of others the No. 2 spot in their respective classifications.
Perhaps the biggest no-brainer is in Class 4A. That's where Longview, which moved down in classification prior to last season, is expected to end the playoffs with a victory.
The top-ranked Lobos (13-3 last season) return six starters on each side of the ball from a squad that reached the state final in their first season in 4A. Yet they'll begin the season on the heels of one of the most eye-popping losses in school history, an oh-so convincing 48-23 setback against Lake Travis in the Division I final last December.
In respective order, Longview is followed in the top 10 by Denton Guyer (12-3 last season), Cibolo Steele (10-2), Denison (12-1), Lake Travis (16-0), Everman (14-1), Highland Park (11-2), Waco Midway (12-2), Aledo (11-1) and Dallas Carter (12-1).
Despite the loss of All-American quarterback Garrett Gilbert to graduation and nearby UT, Lake Travis is rated atop the coaches' poll.
In 3A, Gilmer is the preseason No. 1 for the first time since 2006.
In the 3A preview, Texas Football notes how that season came to an end for the Buckeyes -- a first-round exit against eventual state champion Liberty-Eylau. Considering the misfortune of that season, Gilmer coach Jeff Traylor -- his squad returns five offensive and nine defensive starters -- is quoted as saying about the current ranking, "It doesn't fire me up a lot."
Who could blame him?
More reasons state rankings won't lead him to swagger are the teams behind the Buckeyes in the top 10, which in respective fashion includes: defending Class 3A Division II champion Carthage (16-0); West Orange-Stark (12-1); Celina (12-4); Wimberley (5-5); Giddings (11-4); Bellville (12-2); Abilene Wylie (11-3); Cuero (11-2); and China Spring (12-1).
Down in 1A, Cayuga is coming off its best season in school history -- a berth in the Division I title game -- and has been picked to improve upon that finish. The top-ranked Wildcats return seven starters on each side of the ball from a 13-3 team, including a pair of NCAA Division I recruits in 1A coverboy Traylon Shead (Texas) and Malcome Kennedy (Texas A&M).
The rest of the top 10 includes Wellington (11-1), Quinlan Boles (13-1), Albany (14-1), Seymour (8-4), Alto (8-4), Ganado (9-4), Canadian (13-1), Falls City (10-3) and New Deal (11-1).
Meanwhile, Arp (11-1) is ranked second in Class 2A behind fellow ET school Daingerfield (not located in the Tyler Morning Telegraph's coverage area), the defending Division II state champion. But the respectable ranking isn't all Texas Football gave to the Arp program this year.
Tigers senior defensive back LaVocheya Cooper was the only area player named First Team on the Super Team. Cooper, which the magazine considers the "best 2A player in Texas," was selected as the utility player on defense.
Other ET players named to the Super Team include Shead (Second Team Offense), Texas High quarterback Nathan Sorenson (Second Team Offense), Lufkin defensive back Carrington Byndom (Second Team Defense), Sulphur Springs defensive back Bryant Jackson (Second Team Defense) and John Tyler lineman Ashton Dorsey (Third Team Defense).
State polls not mentioned earlier are for Classes 5A and 2A.
The top 10 for the state's highest classification consists of top-ranked Katy (13-3), Allen (15-1), San Antonio Madison (9-3), Galena Park North Shore (9-1), Odessa Permian (12-1), Lufkin (7-5), Southlake Carroll (8-3), Euless Trinity (13-1) and Garland (11-2).
Daingerfield and Arp are followed in 2A by third-ranked Bushland (10-1), Kirbyville (13-1), Boyd (5-6), Altair Rice (12-1), Holliday (10-1), Refugio (13-1), Omaha Paul Pewitt (9-3) and Newton (9-4).
