2016 Football Preview

Marshall began last season ranked fifth in the ETSN.fm Class 6A/5A Poll and definitely over delivered with a nearly flawless regular season, a share of the district crown and a trip three rounds deep into the Class 5A Division II playoffs...

These two East Texas powerhouses have a combined seven state championships since 2004, and it's always a slugfest when Gilmer and Carthage get together. Yet again, the Buckeyes and Bulldogs will face off in a Saturday night showdown on Sept...

It was a disappointing finish to the 2015 season for the Henderson Lions. Despite going 7-3, Henderson missed out on the playoffs because of a district tie-breaking rule. With 13 returning starters coming back, the Lions believe this is their year to make some serious noise...

Jacksonville, Lindale, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse were parts of the best top-to-bottom Class 5A district in the state the past two seasons. Things have changed a little bit and should be more fair for the group of four East Texas teams plus their regular out-of-region adversaries in Corsicana and Ennis. The University Interscholastic League plucked away John Tyler and Lufkin and promoted them to t

Longview has a long streak of winning districts or at least managing to claw back late and take a share of the league crown. We're banking on the Lobos' history to guide the 2016 team. It's short on known quantities but not on talent, which could keep the program's district streak alive against the odds in District 11-6A. Longview will begin the season ranked fourth in ETSN.fm's Class 6A/5A poll.

The Kilgore Bulldogs rebounded from a tough 2014 with a district championship last season. And with 13 starters coming back, the expectations remain high in Kilgore. The Bulldogs begin the year ranked No. 4 in the ETSN.fm Class 4A Preseason Poll...

The last time Highway 271 rivals Gilmer and Gladewater met, an epic playoff game before an overflow crowd at Longview's Lobo Stadium ensued. And while the stakes won't be quite as high this time around, fireworks should fly when the Buckeyes and Bears renew acquaintances on Oct...

Liberty-Eylau rolled to a district championship in 2015, and despite losing several key pieces from last season's state quarterfinalist team, the Leopards appear to be in prime position to repeat as league champs. District 7-4A Division I sets up nice for Liberty-Eylau, but the Leopards could be challenged by a Paris team that returns several impact performers...

There are a lot of teams out there that would view getting promoted by the University Interscholastic League to a higher classification as a death sentence. They were something at a lower level but know they don't have the numbers to compete with bigger schools. John Tyler, contrarily, is looking forward to its new home in District 11-6A. It has five NCAA Division I FBS recruits identified on its

Liberty-Eylau has re-emerged as a power player in East Texas over the last couple of seasons, having reached the state quarterfinals in each of the previous two years. The Leopards will have some work to do in trying to accomplish that feat for a third straight campaign, but L-E does have several returning letterman in 2016...