But for those who can’t wait for the season to begin, the release of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine can’t come too early.
The Lone Star State’s annual bible of the gridiron game arrived at newsstands this week, and it gives fans a first glance at what they’ll see when the real games begin in late August and early September.
High school predictions are a staple of the 49-year publication. And with most area schools having had their districts and/or league opponents shaken up in February by the University Interscholastic League’s biennial reclassification and realignment, it’s interesting to see how Texas Football projects the new districts.
It’s guaranteed that Temple won’t repeat as District 13-5A champion after going 6-0 for its first league title since 1999, but that’s because the Wildcats will compete in eight-team 12-5A.
However, Texas Football’s prediction has coach Bryce Monsen’s team finishing in third place, behind back-from-Class 4A Copperas Cove and traditional contender College Station A&M Consolidated.
Bryan is picked to edge Belton for 12-5A’s fourth and final berth in the 5A state playoffs, followed by Killeen Ellison, Harker Heights and Killeen Shoemaker.
Four players from area 12-5A schools are ranked among the state’s top 300 senior recruits: Belton linebacker Kyle Voss, Cove linebacker Tanner Brock, Ellison defensive back Daniel Cobb and Shoemaker receiver Maurice Porter.
Temple junior Lache Seastrunk, coming off of a 1,532-yard, 19-touchdown season that produced honorable-mention all-state awards, is listed as one of the state’s top 17 running backs for the recruiting class of 2010.
Seeking its first playoff berth since 2004, Killeen is projected to finish as runner-up to defending 4A Division II state champion Austin Lake Travis in the seven-team 25-4A. Lampasas is picked last.
Salado, after winning its first 13 games and reaching the 2A Division I semifinals in 2007, is Texas Football’s pick to repeat as champion of 25-2A. That district now has seven teams instead of eight and no longer includes Troy or Rosebud-Lott.
Perennial playoff qualifier Lexington is predicted to finish second in its return to 25-2A, with Florence a surprise choice to take the final playoff spot. Academy is fourth, followed by Jarrell, Rogers (which is looking for its next coach) and 2007 playoff squad Lago Vista.
Moved from Region IV back to Region II after a 9-3 playoff season, Troy is picked to finish behind only McGregor - and ahead of Crawford - in eight-team 16-2A. Bruceville-Eddy and Moody are predicted to take the bottom two positions.
Sent back into Region III, Rosebud-Lott is the last-place pick in six-team 20-2A. The projected playoff qualifiers are Teague, Marlin and Franklin.
One of the more intriguing new districts is seven-team 24-3A, with Texas Football predicting a runner-up finish for Rockdale - behind the Navasota squad of former Rogers coach Lee Fedora and ahead of Madisonville, which features Texas-committed running back Chris Whaley.
Cameron Yoe, a playoff team the last four seasons, is picked fourth, followed by Caldwell, Taylor and new school Bryan Rudder, whose oldest players this year will be sophomores.
Moved from its customary 17-3A spot in Region III, Gatesville is picked fifth in Region I’s six-team 7-3A. China Spring, which reached the 3A Division II state final last year, is the predicted champion, followed by Glen Rose and West.
Granger, after capturing the 27-A title and reaching the Division I semifinals last fall, is picked to win the new six-team 26-A with new coach Allen Dews. Thorndale and Thrall and projected as the other playoff teams, followed by Milano, Bartlett and Holland.
The predicted order in District 16 of Six-Man Division I has Buckholts again finishing behind heavyweight Calvert and Lometa.
NOTES: Texas Football picked Mary Hardin-Baylor to win its fourth straight outright American Southwest Conference championship, followed by Hardin-Simmons. . . . Texas senior lineman and Shoemaker graduate Roy Miller is a member of the All-Texas College Team’s first-team defense. . . . Temple’s opponent Sept. 19 at Wildcat Stadium is Plano, which Texas Football ranks No. 2 in 5A. Plano’s Wildcats were 13-2 last year and reached the Division II semifinals before losing 30-27 in double overtime to eventual champ Euless Trinity. The Wildcats have a new coach in Jaydon McCullough and top recruits in running back Rex Burkhead, receiver Kris Lott and quarterback Carson Meger. . . . Former Temple coach Tam Hollingshead left Rockwall-Heath after three seasons (7-3 last year) to become director of high school relations at Southern Methodist. His son, Drew, is a Rockwall-Heath senior and rated one of the state’s top 35 QBs. The Hawks’ new coach is Mickey Moss, whose South Garland team lost to Temple last season.
