East Texas Looks to Continue Championship Success in Football

For the first time since 2000, the East Texas region failed to produce a football state championship last season. When comparing East Texas to other areas across Texas since the turn of the century, that fact seems all the more stunning.

In the last 13 years, East Texas trails only the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex in UIL 11-man state championships. And it's closer than you think.

Since 2000, DFW has produced 34 state titles compared to 29 from East Texas, which is striking considering how many more schools there are in the Metroplex.

If the numbers are analyzed a little further, a case can be made that East Texas is second to none when it comes to depth. East Texas' 29 titles have been won by 22 different schools, while 18 DFW teams have combined for its 34 championships.

Eight schools from the Metroplex have won multiple titles since 2000. Southlake Carroll, Celina, Aledo, Ennis, Euless Trinity, Allen, Denton Ryan and Everman have combined for 24 of the 34 championships.

East Texas has its fair share of multiple-title winners in that span -- Carthage, Daingerfield, Alto, Gilmer and Tatum -- that have combined for 12 crowns, but an eye-catching 17 other schools have brought the hardware back to their communities.

With the recent string of success and last year's rare shutout, the odds are in East Texas' favor to capture at least one state title in 2013.

East Texas Football State Championships Since 2000

(UIL 11-man only)

2001

• Lufkin -- 5A Division II
• Commerce -- 3A Division II
• Burkeville -- 1A

2002

• Texas High -- 4A Division I
• Corrigan-Camden -- 2A Division I

2003

• Atlanta -- 3A Division II
• San Augustine -- 2A Division I
• Garrison -- 2A Division II

2004

• Tyler Lee -- 5A Division I
• Kilgore -- 4A Division II
• Gilmer -- 3A Division II

2005

• Tatum -- 3A Division II
• Newton -- 2A Division I

2006

• Liberty-Eylau -- 3A Division I
• Tatum -- 2A Division I
• Alto -- 1A Division I

2007

• Alto -- 1A Division I

2008

• Sulphur Springs -- 4A Division II
• Carthage -- 3A Division II
• Daingerfield -- 2A Division II

2009

• Gilmer -- 3A Division I
• Carthage -- 3A Division II
• Daingerfield -- 2A Division II
• Cayuga -- 1A Division II

2010

• Henderson -- 3A Division I
• Carthage -- 3A Division II
• Daingerfield -- 2A Division I

2011

• Chapel Hill -- 3A Division I
• Tenaha -- 1A Division II