Several East Texas Football Teams Crack Preseason Associated Press Poll

Eleven East Texas football teams are ranked in the Associated Press Preseason High School Football Poll, which was released Thursday.

The region claimed the top spot in Class 2A as Newton begins the year ranked No. 1 after receiving 13 of 23 first-place votes. The Eagles finished 13-1 last season, advancing to the 2A Division I state quarterfinals.

Newton's Kevin Shorter. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Three other 2A teams are in the top 10. New Boston is ranked No. 6 after the Lions reached the Division I state quarterfinals last season, 2012's D-I runner-up Daingerfield is No. 7 and Tatum enters the year at No. 9. White Oak, Elysian Fields, Arp and Hughes Springs also received votes.

In the 4A poll, Whitehouse is ranked No. 6 after the Wildcats finished 10-2 with a trip to the Division II area round of the playoffs in 2012. District 16-4A rival John Tyler, a 13-2 D-I state semifinalist from a season ago, checks in at No. 8.

Three East Texas teams are ranked in the top 10 in 3A. Carthage is No. 2, just one point behind top-ranked Stephenville, the defending Division I state champions. Carthage finished 11-3 last season, advancing to the D-I semifinals.

Gilmer is right behind Carthage at No. 3. The Buckeyes were 14-2 last season, losing to Navasota in the D-II title game last December. Fellow 16-3A member Kilgore is ranked No. 6 after the Bulldogs went 11-2 and advanced to the D-I semifinals in 2012. Jasper, Henderson and Chapel Hill received votes.

Two of the top three spots in the 1A poll belong to East Texas teams. Tenaha, last season's D-II state runner-up is No. 2, while Alto is ranked No. 3 after the Yellow Jackets reached the D-I state quarterfinals in 2012. West Sabine received votes.

The region's three largest schools -- Tyler Lee, Lufkin and Longview -- all received votes in the 5A poll.

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AP Preseason High School Football Poll

(First-place votes in parentheses, points based on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, and the team's ranking in the last poll)

Class 5A

School Total Points Prv
1. Allen (14) 227 6
2. Katy (6) 205 1
3. Cibolo Steele (2) 176 3
4. DeSoto 139 2
5. Southlake Carroll 129 7
6. Euless Trinity (1) 124 --
7. Austin Westlake 75 --
8. Galena Park North Shore 62 --
9. Houston Lamar (1) 49 --
10. Coppell 34 4
Others receiving votes: 11, Cedar Hill 33. 12, Dallas Skyline 19. 13, Lake Travis 14. 14, Arlington Martin 7. 15, Converse Judson 5. 15, Arlington Bowie 5. 17, SA Northside O'Connor 3. 17, Lufkin 3. 17, Tyler Lee 3. 20, SA Northside Brandeis 2. 20, SA Madison 2. 20, Abilene 2. 23, Abilene Cooper 1. 23, Longview 1.

Class 4A

School Total Points Prv
1. Denton Guyer (17) 224 7
2. Cedar Park (6) 211 --
3. Aledo 136 3
4. SA Northside Brennan 119 9
5. Lancaster 106 --
6. Whitehouse 92 --
7. Humble Summer Creek 73 10
8. John Tyler 58 2
9. Georgetown 39 --
10. WF Rider 38 --
(tie) Texas City 38 --
Others receiving votes: 12, Dallas Highland Park 34. 13, Pearland Dawson 25. 14, Mesquite Poteet 15. 15, Leander 13. 16, Elgin 12. 17, Manor 6. 17, Nederland 6. 19, Leander Rouse 5. 20, Wolfforth Frenship 4. 21, N. Richland Hills Birdville 2. 21, Ennis 2. 21, Fort Bend Marshall 2. 21, CC Calallen 2. 25, Amarillo 1. 25, Brenham 1. 25, FW Southwest 1.

Class 3A

School Total Points Prv
1. Stephenville (10) 203 3
2. Carthage (10) 202 9
3. Gilmer (1) 177 10
4. Navasota (1) 134 1
5. Argyle (1) 133 7
6. Kilgore 119 --
7. La Marque 97 5
8. Graham 49 --
9. Bellville 29 --
10. Abilene Wylie 25 2
Others receiving votes: 11, Silsbee 19. 12, Celina 15. 13, West Orange-Stark 13. 14, El Campo 9. 15, Jasper 7. 15, Gatesville 7. 17, Henderson 6. 18, Shallowater 5. 18, Wimberley 5. 20, Port Isabel 4. 20, Gainesville 4. 22, Chapel Hill 2. 23, Kennedale 1.

Class 2A

School Total Points Prv
1. Newton (13) 205 3
2. Cameron Yoe (7) 195 2
3. East Bernard (2) 180 4
4. Refugio (1) 115 1
5. Canadian 95 --
6. New Boston 93 5
7. Daingerfield 89 --
8. Wall 79 --
9. Tatum 55 --
10. Cisco 38 9
Others receiving votes: 11, Franklin 25. 12, Hallettsville 17. 13, Sonora 16. 14, Callisburg 9. 14, Grandview 9. 16, Corsicana Mildred 7. 16, Lexington 7. 18, Rogers 6. 19, White Oak 5. 19, Elysian Fields 5. 21, Arp 3. 21, Hempstead 3. 23, Hughes Springs 2. 23, Lago Vista 2. 23, Littlefield 2. 26, Teague 1. 26, Godley 1. 26, Centerville 1.

Class 1A

School Total Points Prv
1. Mart (8) 197 10
2. Tenaha (10) 191 --
3. Alto (1) 162 --
4. Mason (1) 154 2
5. Stamford (2) 120 4
6. Wellington 109 3
7. Shiner 97 6
8. Stratford 40 8
9. Munday 39 1
10. Anson (1) 37 --
Others receiving votes: 11, Chilton 30. 12, Falls City 16. 13, Albany 14. 14, West Sabine 11. 14, Bosqueville 11. 16, Hubbard 9. 17, Muenster 8. 17, Burton 8. 19, Ganado 3. 19, Goldthwaite 3. 19, Italy 3. 22, New Deal 2. 23, Frost 1.

Carthage's Mario McCain (left) and J.D. McCarthy participate in the "Blood Alley" drill during a morning practice Aug. 9 in Carthage. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)