With playoff berths on the line, the state’s Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A teams battle in district as Top 10 rankings for the 2023 Texas high school football season anticipate showdowns ahead
With district races turning down the home stretch in the 2023 Texas high school football season, almost every game remaining offers postseason implications under the Friday night lights each week throughout the Heart of Texas. As a result, the state’s Top 10 polls for Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A predict favorites for state titles.
With seven Heart of Texas teams — China Spring, Stephenville, Tolar, Mart, Abbott, Jonesboro and Oglesby — remain steadfast in their positions among the state’s elite with convincing wins, while a few more stand on the outside looking in at their respective Top 10 polls.
The defending state champion China Spring Cougars (2-0, 6-2) climbed one spot to No. 4 in the Class 4A, Division I state rankings with a 52-49 victory over Waco La Vega, while the Stephenville Yellowjackets (5-2) jumped to No. 7 by thumping Waxahachie Life, 59-19.
Without representation in the Class 4A, DII, Class 3A DI, Class 3A, DII Top 10 rankings, the Heart of Texas kept five teams in the smaller two classifications. But the undefeated Whitney Wildcats (5-0, 7-0), the Grandview Zebras (5-0, 6-1) and even the Lorena Leopards (4-0, 6-2) continue to make cases for breaking into the Class 3A, DI poll with dominating victories.
Despite a strong presence in the Class 2A polls, the Axtell Longhorns (4-0, 8-0) remains overlooked among top teams in the Heart of Texas from Class 2A, DI. But in the meantime, Class 2A, DI includes the third-ranked Tolar Rattlers (3-0, 6-1) coming off a 44-8 thrashing of DeLeon, while the perennial powerhouse Mart Panthers (3-0, 7-0) held on to second in Class 2A, DII during its open week.
In six-man football, the Abbott Panthers (2-0, 7-0) held at No. 3 while remaining idle, while the Jonesboro Eagles (1-0, 6-1) stayed at No. 5 with a dominating 54-0 district victory over Santa Anna in Class 1A, DI. The Oglesby Tigers (7-0) held as the second-ranked team in Class 1A, DII in its open week before starting district play.
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 9 in all classifications on the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website: Dave Campbell’s Texas Football – Texas High School Football State Rankings
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