East Texas’ Top Football Programs Over the Last Five Years

There have been 12 football state champions from East Texas in the last five years, which includes this past season when the region was shutout for the first time since 2000.

Both Carthage and Daingerfield three-peated from 2008-10. Gilmer, Henderson and Chapel Hill grabbed 3A titles from 2009-11. Sulphur Springs captured the 4A Division II crown in 2008, while Cayuga (2009) and Tenaha (2011) represented the area with 1A championships.

The region's dominance over the past half-decade got ETSN.fm thinking about East Texas' top programs since 2008. And while most of the schools at the top in each classification may not come as a shock, there are a few that we found surprising.

In Class 5A and 4A, the top two programs have spent time in both 5A and 4A over the past five years. Longview and John Tyler have the same number of losses since 2008, but the Lobos have three more wins thanks to consecutive 4A D-I state title game appearances in 2008 and 2009.

One of the biggest surprises may be Sulphur Springs, which has the third-highest winning percentage in 5A/4A since '08. The Wildcats have followed up their state-championship season with consistency. Sulphur Springs is one spot ahead of Lufkin, which dominated in the early and mid-2000's.

It doesn't get much better than the top of 3A. Not only do Carthage and Gilmer rank first and second among East Texas schools in 3A, they hold the top two spots in the entire state among 3A programs since 2008.

Van has quietly built a solid program over the years and has the third-highest winning percentage of any 3A schools in East Texas in the last five seasons. Van Zandt County rival Canton is fifth, behind Chapel Hill. It must be pointed out, however, that Canton has had just two playoff games in five years.

Northeast Texas reigns supreme among 2A programs since 2008. Daingerfield has the most wins (66) of any area program in any classification. District 8-2A D-I rival New Boston is a distant second-place.

Tatum ranks sixth, which may come as a surprise to same, but the Eagles' winning percentage would surely have been much higher had they not competed in 3A in 2008 and 2009 when they combined to go 11-11.

Not surprisingly, Tenaha and Cayuga are at the top of the class for 1A programs in the last five years. However, fellow state-power Alto is tied for third in winning percentage (.717) with Mount Enterprise, which has quietly become a force in 1A D-II over the last few years.

East Texas Football Programs Since 2008

By Classification

CLASS 5A/4A

• 1. Longview -- 57-16 (.781)*
• 2. John Tyler -- 54-16 (.771)**
• 3. Sulphur Springs -- 49-16 (.754)
• 4. Lufkin -- 42-16 (.724)
• 5. Texas High -- 36-19 (.655)
• 6. Lindale -- 34-22 (.607)***
• 7. Whitehouse -- 34-23 (.596)
• 8. Jacksonville -- 25-29 (.463)
• 9. Hallsville -- 24-28 (.462)
• 10. Marshall -- 24-31 (.436)

* -- played in Class 4A from 2008-09.
** -- played in Class 5A from 2008-09.
*** -- played in Class 3A from 2008-11.

CLASS 3A

• 1. Gilmer -- 63-9 (.875)
• 2. Carthage -- 64-11 (.853)
• 3. Van -- 44-15 (.746)
• 4. Chapel Hill -- 45-16 (.738)
• 5. Canton -- 33-19 (.635)
• 6. Henderson -- 39-24 (.619)*
• 7. Kilgore -- 37-23 (.617)**
• 8. Pittsburg -- 32-23 (.582)
• 9. Jasper -- 30-24 (.556)
• 10. Mineola -- 29-24 (.547)***

* -- played in Class 4A from 2008-09.
** -- played in Class 4A from 2008-11.
*** -- played in Class 2A from 2010-11.

CLASS 2A

• 1. Daingerfield -- 66-11 (.857)
• 2. New Boston -- 48-13 (.787)
• 3. Newton -- 51-14 (.785)
• 4. Arp -- 48-15 (.762)
• 5. Garrison -- 46-15 (.754)*
• 6. Tatum -- 44-17 (.721)**
• 7. Corrigan-Camden -- 38-19 (.667)
• 8. Paul Pewitt -- 40-21 (.656)
• 9. White Oak -- 36-19 (.655)
• 10. Edgewood -- 35-19 (.648)

* -- played in Class A from 2010-11.
** -- played in Class 3A from 2008-09.

CLASS A

• 1. Tenaha -- 52-13 (.800)
• 2. Cayuga -- 48-17 (.738)
• T-3. Alto -- 43-17 (.717)
• T-3. Mount Enterprise -- 43-17 (.717)
• 5. Carlisle -- 38-16 (.704)
• 6. Joaquin -- 34-21 (.618)*
• 7. Big Sandy -- 31-26 (.544)
• T-8. Harleton -- 29-25 (.537)**
• T-8. West Sabine -- 29-25 (.537)
• 10. San Augustine -- 26-27 (.473)***

* -- played in Class 2A from 2008-09.
** -- played in Class 2A from 2008-11.
*** -- played in Class 2A from 2008-11.