Top 25 Games of 2018: No. 15 Silsbee at Newton

The defending Class 3A Division II state champion Newton Eagles had trouble scheduling non-district opponents this offseason. Obviously.

Newton had just gone 15-0, outscoring opponents by an average of more than 42 points per game, and will enter the 2018 season with at least five Division I recruits.

Oh, and 17 starters return from last year's juggernaut.

Silsbee is one of four teams brave enough to take on the challenge. The Week 2 battle from Newton's Singletary Stadium ranks No. 15 on ETSN.fm's list of the top 25 games of 2018.

Last season, Silsbee went three rounds deep in the Class 4A Division I playoffs, falling to eventual state champion Carthage.

The Tigers bring back 12 starters from that group, and are of the few teams on Newton's schedule that won't be completely overmatched from an athletic standpoint.

Newton's big three return in QB/DB Josh Foster, RB Darwin Barlow, and WR/DB Tamauzia Brown. Foster has committed to TCU, while Barlow and Brown are two of the most sought-after uncommitted recruits in the state of Texas.

Last season's meeting went to Newton, which defeated Silsbee, 41-17.