2015 Football Preview

The new District 16-5A certainly lived up to the hype in 2014. It spawned the Division II state champion in Ennis, and also housed a Division I state semifinalist in John Tyler. What will the decorated district have in store for an encore?

Tyler Lee's district is in a period of transition. Gone are the dominant running backs that carried Rockwall and Garland to playoffs berths last season. This year's version of the league should have much more of a finesse feel with each team in the perceived top half bringing back an accomplished signal caller. But offense is still the name of the game. It looks like it's going to take a lot of po

There are many reasons why Thursday's season-opening meeting between Liberty-Eylau and Gilmer deserves the No. 1 ranking on ETSN.fm's list of the top 25 games of 2015. For one, it will be the first time Gilmer takes the field with someone other than Jeff Traylor coaching the Buckeyes since 1999...

The rivalry between Longview and Marshall is the oldest in the state of Texas, but it's been rather one-sided in recent years in Longview's favor. But for the first time in more than a decade, Marshall believes it has the horses to make a legitimate run at the Lobos in District 15-5A.

The 2014 meeting certainly lived up the hype, and District 16-5A championship implications could be at stake again this season when defending state champ Ennis travels East to take on reigning state semifinalist John Tyler. The Oct. 16 clash, which ranks No. 2 on ETSN.fm's list of the top 25 games of 2015, is a rematch of the last year's barn-burner, which Ennis won, 30-27, after a late turnover r

The stage was set Friday when we revealed Liberty-Eylau will begin the season ranked No. 1 overall in the ETSN.fm Class 4A Poll. Here's the followthrough. Steve Wells' Leopards squad returns unbelievable talent across the board, including three players that enter the 2015 season with FBS scholarship opportunities in athlete Ke'Mon Freeman, defensive back Andre Wiley Jr. and defensive end Lagaryonn

The Rose City Rivalry. The annual showdown between Tyler ISD's only two high schools Tyler and John Tyler has taken place every year since 1958, the year in which Lee opened. This year installment, set for Sept. 11 at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, checks in at No. 3 on ETSN.fm's list of the top 25 games of 2015. It will serve as each team's final tuneup before district play begins. Read Mor

You won't have to wait much longer for this big-time game. Lufkin at Longview checks in at No. 4 as ETSN.fm counts down the top 25 regular season football games of the 2015 season. Kickoff is in six days at Lobo Stadium. Should we start with the short-term or long-term significance to this one...

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.

By now, you know that we're really looking forward the Oct. 9 meeting between Athens and Van. The two East Texas teams didn't have much trouble in district last season except against each other and both still have clearly defined strengths plus college-caliber players on their rosters. It looks like it could be that way again.