SE Texas teams ranked low in Texas Football

[KFDM COOP]

SE Texas teams ranked low in Texas Football

Van Wade

The Orange Leader

It’s that time of the year again.

That’s right folks, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine is hitting the newsstands.

Of course, the long-time superb mag covers the Big 12 Conference, plus Rice, TCU, North Texas, SMU and UTEP like nobody’s business and then there are the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

However, being the local prep football “nerd†that I am, I always hit the high school section first.

Scanning through this year’s edition, there looks to be plenty of motivation for a local high school gridiron boys in 2007.

For the first time in their existence in the Class 3A ranks, the West Orange-Stark Mustangs are nowhere to be found in the Class 3A top 10 poll. Coach Dan Hooks’ Mustangs (11-1 last season) are ranked No. 16 in this year’s poll.

Heck, the Mustangs aren’t even picked to win District 21-3A. That top spot belongs to the Kirbyville Wildcats (8-4 last year). Kirbyville is ranked No. 12 in the state poll.

The Mustangs return just seven starters, four on offense, three on defense while the Wildcats, who placed third last year, return seven starters back on both sides of the ball.

Silsbee, last year’s runnerup with a 9-3 mark, return nine starters and is picked third.

First-year Bridge City head coach Cris Stump will see just two Cardinals on both sides of the ball as the Redbirds are picked sixth. Bridge City has not had a record below .500 since 1999. Coach Blake Morrison’s Orangefield Bobcats are tabbed fifth with six starters returning on offense and four on defense.

A big matchup to watch will be when the Mustangs visit Kirbyville this year. Also, Bridge City will host both WO-S and Orangefield while the Bobcats visit WO-S.

The pickers didn’t deviate at all with the top four selections in District 22-4A. Dayton, Beaumont Central, Nederland and Little Cypress-Mauriceville were picked as the top four, the same order that the district finished in last season.

Dayton whined about having to join the 22-4A loop last season and all Jerry Stewart’s Broncos accomplished was waltzing through the district unscathed. Central will be tough to bargain with again as Coach Donald Stowers has the Jags on the rise and returns 11 starters.

This could be the year that the LC-M Bears find their way back into the postseason. Coach Todd Moody’s squad was a play or two away from accomplishing that feat last season. By the looks of the Bears’ summer workouts in the weightroom, one with a superb turnout thus far, 2007 could be the first time in 10 years that LC-M makes the playoffs.

The Bears are fortunate enough to host both Dayton and Central this season. A rough spot could be trips over “the bridge†to face Nederland and Port Neches-Groves. We Orange County folks know how tough that can be, fair or not.

Coach Jeff Mathews’ Vidor squad must have slipped under the radar and knowing Jeff, he loves that. The Pirates are picked to finish last despite returning five starters on offense and seven on defense.

The other Pirates in our area, the Deweyville Pirates, are picked third in District 24-2A as head coach Dwight Bickham and Co. are seeking their third straight postseason berth.

Deweyville returns nine starters on offense but gone is 2,300-yard back Justin Williams. Five are back to lead the defensive charge.

The East Chambers Bucs are favored once again and Buna, the second-place squad last season, is in the No. 2 spot.

To no one’s surprise, long-time coach Curtis Barbay’s Newton Eagles are the 23-3A favorites and are ranked No. 6 in Class 2A.

In Class 5A, Dick Olin’s Baytown Lee Ganders are the 21-5A favorites with Beaumont West Brook and Port Arthur Memorial breathing down their necks.

So, for those local high school football hopefuls, be sure to pick up Texas Football, there should be plenty of motivation. After all, this is the lowest I’ve seen Southeast Texas teams picked in a long time. It’s amazing, not one team in the Golden Triangle is ranked in the top 15 with the exception of Newton.

[texans]

Dayton whined we will see who is crying in the end.

[knightrider]

you're right texan, we'll see .  ;D

[PURPLE 4EVER]

Dayton whined we will see who is crying in the end.

Dayton whined about having to join the 22-4A loop last season and all Jerry Stewart’s Broncos accomplished was waltzing through the district unscathed.

I believe the whining was from people in Dayton reluctant of all the travelling and being dissapointed about not being in the same district with teams that were less than 15 miles from Dayton (Crosby, Barbers Hill, and Huffman)....

As for me...

I was happy that Dayton got put into 22-4A...

This is one of the greatest districts in Texas in regards to "Friday Night Lights"...

To me 22-4A is like the "Big 12" while 21-4A is like the "outhland conference"...

There may be good players in 21-4A, but the level and excitement of the games in 22-4A can't be matched (go to a game at PNG and Smiley and tell me which one has more game time excitement)

For the last 3 years 22-4A has swept 21-4A out of the playoffs....

For a large part this is due to the "high energy level" of the games played in 22-4A.

21-4A really doesn't have the "football" rivalries found in 22-4A...

I know many people in Dayton would rather play against Huffman, Crosby, and Barbers Hill every year in a district, but the level of play in 21-4A just isn't the same as 22-4A.

This winter should be interesting to find out where they will end up putting Dayton.

What about it Dayton fans....

Would you rather stay in 22-4A or go back to 21-4A...

It may not make a difference if they do it by enrollment...

There was a previous thread that "projected 22-4A and 21-4A being merged and put in 2 districts by enrollment.

That would keep Dayton playing almost the same teams....

Regarding the topic of the thread...

This is unusual not to have hardly any teams in the top 10 preseason polls...

Hopefully there will be a couple of teams go all the way this year from SE Texas...

[knightrider]

i'm happy the broncos are in 22-4a now. better competition and fan support. more exciting to me in this district. i hope we stay in this district for years to come. makes football more enjoyable to watch.  ;D

[PURPLE 4EVER]

i'm happy the broncos are in 22-4a now. better competition and fan support. more exciting to me in this district. i hope we stay in this district for years to come. makes football more enjoyable to watch.  ;D

totally agree!!!!

You may have to drive more, but the competition and fan support (in all sports) blows away 21-4A...

[Guest ECBucFan]

It might bug some people, but I promise you, being underrated (or even basically ignored) can be a great thing....It can work to your advantage!  ;D

[TradinUp BH]

I like Dayton being in our district.  It makes it an even tougher district.  With thier new stadium, maybe other AD's will see it and do the same thing athier school.  They may only have another 3 years in 4A if the Houston population starts going that way though. The only thing I seen and it was kind of tasteless was last year in basketball, thier varsity went to center court and huddled up, and chanted the Indian fight song. That pissed some people off.

[Guest ECBucFan]

The only thing I seen and it was kind of tasteless was last year in basketball, thier varsity went to center court and huddled up, and chanted the Indian fight song. That pissed some people off.

No doubt. That was uncalled for. I gotta lay the blame on their BB coach for allowing that.

[JS]

I like being in 22-4A for football---the rest of it is just to much travel with kids getting home very late on school nights--the other concern is the amount of additional costs to the district--more busses, fuel, drivers etc

[bronco1]

I agree with Diamond-J, it is good football but it is a bit taxing on the school district and the parents. Every away game includes that 50 mile stretch of Hwy 90. Which wouldn't be as bad if we weren't used to 10-20 miles trips. ;D