With the state’s Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A teams focusing on district competition, Top 10 rankings for the 2023 Texas high school football season reveal top dogs heading into the home stretch
Turning down the home stretch of the 2023 Texas high school football season, district races drop the spotlight under the Friday night lights throughout the Heart of Texas. As a result, the state’s Top 10 polls for Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A reveal the frontrunners for state titles.
With eight Heart of Texas teams — Stephenville, China Spring, Tolar, Mart, Abbott, Jonesboro, Aquilla and Oglesby — solidified their positions among the state’s elite, a few more appear on the verge of cracking their respective Top 10 polls.
The defending state champion China Spring Cougars (4-2) solidified their hold on No. 5 in the Class 4A, Division I state rankings after a 49-28 victory over San Antonio Cornerstone, while the Stephenville Yellowjackets (4-2) dropped back two spots to No. 8 after struggling to knock off Brownwood, 27-17, last Friday night.
Without representation in the Class 4A, DII, Class 3A DI, Class 3A, DII Top 10 rankings, the Heart of Texas placed six teams in the smaller two classifications. But watch for the likes of the undefeated Whitney Wildcats (3-0, 5-0), the Grandview Zebras (3-0, 4-1) or possibly even the Lorena Leopards (2-0, 4-2) to break into the Class 3A, DI poll.
Despite a strong presence in the Class 2A polls, two teams in the Heart of Texas might be getting overlooked in Class 2A, DI — the Axtell Longhorns (2-0, 6-0) and the Riesel Indians (2-0, 5-0).
In the meantime, Class 2A, DI includes the third-ranked Tolar Rattlers (1-0, 4-1) coming off a 38-0 whitewash of the Hamilton Bulldogs (0-2, 3-3), while the perennial powerhouse Mart Panthers (2-0, 6-0) held on to second in Class 2A, DII with a hard-earned 23-0 district win over the surprising Hico Tigers (1-1, 4-2).
In six-man football, the Abbott Panthers (6-0) held at No. 3 with an impressive 78-56 victory over Borden County, while the Jonesboro Eagles (5-1) stayed at No. 5 by crushing Austin Hill Country, 62-16, in Class 1A, DI. The Oglesby Tigers (6-0) continued to hold down the second-ranked spot in Class 1A, DII with a overwhelming 54-8 over the perennial powerhouse May Tigers.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has published the state’s most respected Texas high school football rankings for decades, and became the official rankings provider for the Associated Press starting in 2019. The rankings are compiled by the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football staff, and weekly rankings are revealed live on “Texas Football Today” every Monday at 12:15 p.m. at TexasFootball.com/Live.
Check out the complete pre-season state rankings going into Week 7 in all classifications on the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website: Dave Campbell’s Texas Football – Texas High School Football State Rankings
©2023 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
