2015 Football Preview

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.

Football environments just don't get any better than Longview-Marshall games. The fanfare has always been there, but the on-field delivery has lagged behind in recent years. We believe the Mavericks are back on the map and, consequently, the rivalry is on pace to return to its elite status. Longview at Marshall on Oct. 9 checks in as the No. 5 game on ETSN.fm's list of the top 25 games of 2015. Re

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.

How many districts in Texas can match seven state championships since 2004? Well, there is at least one, and it resides in East Texas. Between District 9-4A DIvision I heavyweights Carthage, Kilgore, Chapel Hill, and Henderson, the combined playoff record of that foursome since 2007 is a ridiculous 71-19 (.789).

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

District 16-5A was so tough last year that the race was over with one week still to play. We think it could be that way again this season with the Dragons and Wildcats once again sitting on the bubble as Halloween weekend begins. No disrespect to them, that's just how it is with John Tyler and Ennis as the evenly divided favorites and the rest of the eight-team league expected to be even stronger

You'd think the Bulldogs would have some major issues in Class 4A Division I as, far and away, the smallest school in District 10-4A Division I. The next closest school has about 70 more students to chose from and the largest school in the league has 370 more prospective people to work with. But Jasper is Jasper.

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.

TAPPS Division II, District II is often left holding the bag in its competition for attention with similarly stacked East Texas UIL districts. Yes, good football is played at the private school level. In fact, Bullard Brook Hill at Tyler Bishop Gorman is the No. 7 game of the year as ETSN.fm counts down the top 25 East Texas regular season match ups of 2015.