#bEASTTexas Football Countdown: Carthage

Published 1:15 pm Monday, August 22, 2022

Editor’s Note: During the 30 days leading up to the high school football season, we will be spotlighting teams ranked in the preseason #bEASTTexas Fabulous 15 for the 2022 season. The series continues today with the No. 2 team in the Class 6A/5A/4A poll: the Carthage Bulldogs.

Another season means another chance to win a state championship for Carthage. The Bulldogs have eight state championships in Scott Surratt’s 15 years as the head coach. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the preseason in Class 4A Division II, just ahead of Gilmer. Carthage and Gilmer met in the Class 4A Division II title game in 2020. If the two programs meet in this year’s postseason, it would be in the third round.

Poll history: Carthage was ranked No. 5 in the inaugural edition of the poll in the 2019 preseason. That is the only time the Bulldogs haven’t been ranked No. 1 or No. 2. Carthage was ranked No. 2 for the remainder of the 2019 season and opened the 2020 season ranked No. 2. The Bulldogs then jumped to No. 1 the next week and was No. 1 for 24 consecutive weeks until landing at No. 2 in this year’s preseason poll. The Bulldogs did receive two first-place votes.

That dude: Montrel Hatten. The three-star receiver who is committed to Oregon State has had 96 catches for 1,756 yards and 22 touchdowns the past two seasons after hauling in 61 receptions for 1,054 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.

———

For more on Carthage and other East Texas high school football programs, check out The Zone magazine, which released on Aug. 21 inside the Tyler Morning Telegraph and Longview News-Journal.

Aug. 26: Kilgore

Sept. 2: at Pittsburg

Sept. 9: San Antonio Cornerstone

Sept. 16: at Marshall

Sept. 23: *Bullard

Sept. 30: *at Brownsboro

Oct. 7: *Canton

Oct. 14: *at Rusk

Oct. 21: *Center

Oct. 28: *at Van

*District 8-4A Division II game

All Games are at 7:30 p.m.