2015 ETSN.fm Preseason Poll

Is this the year of the Leopard? Liberty-Eylau closes the introduction of the ETSN.fm Class 4A Preseason Poll as the No. 1 overall team within East Texas. It's up to the team to show it belongs from here.

The John Tyler Lions are back on top of the mountain as one of East Texas' elite programs, and their recent track record speaks to that. JT has earned the top spot on the ETSN.fm preseason Class 6A/5A poll for the second consecutive year.

There's nowhere else for Gilmer to go. The Buckeyes won the 2014 Class 4A Division II state championship last season. That being said, they can get back. We think that's a realistic possibility. First-year head coach Matt Turner's squad will begin the year ranked No. 2 in ETSN.fm's Class 4A Poll.

The Tyler Lee Red Raiders carry the flag as East Texas' only member of Class 6A, and for the first time since 2010, Lee reached the postseason last year. And with a talented nucleus of offensive talent returning, the Raiders begin the season No. 2 in the ETSN.fm preseason Class 6A/5A poll.

Teams at this level of the poll usually start hot and finish the season capable of beating anyone. Defending Class 4A Division II champion Gilmer started the campaign at this spot a year ago. We think the No. 3 spot in the ETSN.fm Class 4A Preseason Poll is a good place for Gladewater to begin the year. The 2014 edition of the Bears certainly fit the mold, nine seconds away from toppling Gilmer an

The Longview Lobos are among the winningest programs in all of East Texas over the last decade-plus, so it should come as no surprise they check in at No. 3 in the ETSN.fm preseason Class 6A/5A poll.

The Hornets aren't exactly an East Texas blue blood program, but things are looking up on the western fringe of the area. Way up. Athens will begin the season ranked No. 4 in the ETSN.fm Class 4A Poll, and they're going to get the chance to show they belong on opening night with a big game against No. 9 Henderson.

The Lufkin Panthers' 6-5 record in 2014 doesn't tell the whole story. The five losses came by a combined 20 points, which made the Pack's season a tad misleading. Lufkin, which graduated the majority of its nucleus from a season ago, will be young this season. But the nonetheless, the Panthers check in at No. 4 in ETSN.fm's preseason Class 6A/5A poll.

The Bulldogs experienced a learning curve season last year and still finished the year with a minority share of the District 9-4A Division I title and an appearance in the area round. With 15 starters back, expectations are back to normal in Carthage. Scott Surratt's team checks in at No. 5 in the ETSN.fm Class 4A Preseason Poll, ahead of league opponents No. 6 Chapel Hill and No. 9 Henderson. Rea

The third year of the Clint Harper era in Marshall is set to begin, and expectations for the iconic East Texas program are on the rise. The Mavericks begin the season ranked No. 5 in ETSN.fm's preseason Class 6A/5A poll.