MOVING TO THE TOP: WEEK 10
With district races headed down the home stretch, the state’s Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A teams battle for playoff berths as Top 10 rankings for the 2023 Texas high school football season show cream rising to the top
With district races heading into the final two weeks of the 2023 Texas high school football regular season, each game carries postseason implications 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 predict favorites for state titles.
With eight Heart of Texas teams — China Spring, Stephenville, Lorena, 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 (2-1, 6-3) dropped five spots to No. 9 in the Class 4A, Division I state rankings following a 31-21 loss to the sixth-ranked Stephenville Yellowjackets (2-0, 6-2), who climbed one spot with the win.
Without representation in the Class 4A, DII Top 10 rankings, the Heart of Texas kept five teams in the smaller two classifications, while the Lorena Leopards (4-0, 6-2) finally climbed back into the Class 3A, DI poll at No. 7 after knocking off previously top-ranked Franklin (3-1, 7-1) in a crucial district showdown. But the undefeated Whitney Wildcats (6-0, 8-0) and the Grandview Zebras (6-0, 7-1) remain unranked in Class 3A, DII as the two district foes head for a showdown this week.
Despite a strong presence in the Class 2A polls, the undefeated Axtell Longhorns (4-0, 8-0) remain 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 (4-0, 7-1) coming off a 61-6 crushing of Bangs, while the perennial powerhouse Mart Panthers (4-0, 8-0) held on to second in Class 2A, DII following a shutout of Wortham, 35-0.
In six-man football, the Abbott Panthers (3-0, 8-0) held at No. 3 by disposing of district challenger Coolidge, 64-14, while the Jonesboro Eagles (2-0, 7-1) stayed at No. 5 with an open date in the schedule. 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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