Ten East Texas Class 4A teams are ranked in the first preseason poll of the season.

All ten teams are expected to have solid seasons and advance deep in the playoffs, but first they must survive their own districts.

Kilgore, Chapel Hill and Lindale are all ranked in District 9-4A. Pleasant Grove, Gilmer and Van are ranked teams in District 7-4A Division II, and Carthage, Athens and Center are in the preseason poll out of District 8-4A Division II.

The other ranked ET team – Sulphur Springs – doesn’t exactly have an easy road. The Wildcats reside in District 7-4A Division I along with preseason No. 1 and defending state champ Celina, No. 4 Frisco Panther Creek and No. 24 Aubrey. Every team in that district other than Nevada Community (1-9) won at least five games a year ago, with Celina, Panther Creek, Sulphur Springs and Aubrey combining to go 44-10.

Here’s a look at the ranked 4A Division I and Division II ET squads.

KILGORE

Coach: Clint Fuller

2024 results: 13/3, 6-1 district

2025 ranking: No. 3, 4A Division I

Players to watch: QB Kayson Brooks 5-11, 175 (241 of 362, 3,673 yards, 43 TD, 9 interceptions; 64 carries, 345 yards, 5 TD) … WR/LB LaKeyleon Graves 6-2, 190 (48 catches, 987 yards, 14 TD; 136 tackles, 3 interceptions) … DL Cameron Christina 6-0, 290 (111 tackles, 8 sacks, 10 TFL) … DB Ja’Kalen Sheffield 5-10, 180 (131 tackles, 7 interceptions, 14 PBU) … OL Hunter Whipkey 6-4, 300 (12 pancakes, allowed one sack)

Did you know: Fuller has a 46-11 record at Kilgore … Kilgore played for the Class 4A Division I state championship last season, falling to Celina

SULPHUR SPRINGS

Coach: Brandon Faircloth

2024 results: 10-3/4-2 district

2025 ranking: No. 9, 4A Division I

Players to watch: OL Vincent Johnson 6-5, 315 (50 pancakes) … DB Grayson Hardy 6-3, 190 (180 tackles, 2 interceptions) … RB Jaxson Haire 6-0, 180 (1,005 yards, 13 TDs rushing; 790 yards, 5 TDs receiving) … DL Truth Holmes 6-4, 290 (50 tackles, 6 sacks) … QB Deuce Timmons 6-1, 180 (774 yards, 20 TDs rushing)

Did you know: Faircloth is 25-10 in three seasons at Sulphur Springs and 126-62 in his coaching career … Haire was the district’s Utility Player of the Year in 2024, and Timmons, who is moving to QB from RB this season, was the league’s Newcomer of the Year

CHAPEL HILL

Coach: Jeff Riordon

2024 results: 10/4/4-2 district

2025 ranking: No. 11, 4A Division I

Players to watch: QB Malik Gee 6-3, 205 (100 of 183, 1,228 yards, 13 TDs; 105 carries, 520 yards, 7 TDs) … WR Damarcion Blaylock 5-8, 155 (13 catches, 146 yards, 3 TD) … OL Greg Mayfield 6-4, 255 (14 starts at right tackle in 2024) … DL Isaiah Collins 6-0, 275 (118 tackles, 8 TFL, 4 sacks, 35 QB pressures) … DB Josh Casteneda 6-1, 185 (67 tackles, 2 TFL)

Did you know: Riordan is 56-27 at Chapel Hill and 123-44 overall in his coaching career … Gee started seven games under center for the Bulldogs last season … Blaylock is a three-year starter, but played in only five games last season due to injuries … Collins squats 620 pounds and benches 400

LINDALE

Coach: Chris Cochran

2024 results: 6-6/3-3 district

2025 ranking: No. 18, 4A Division I

Players to watch: DL Kaleb Walker 6-3, 255 (89 tackles, 20 TFL, 10 sacks, 26 QB knockdowns) … OL Cameron Griffin 5-11, 285 (Graded out at 88% with 47 knockdowns, 66 pancakes and one sack allowed) … RB A’Million Johnson 5-11, 178 (139 carries, 771 yards, 9 TD) … LB/Slot Jackson Parker 5-9, 175 (62 tackles, 2 interceptions; 2 catches, 75 yards, 2 TD) … QB David Lindig 5-9, 160 (1,579 passing yards, 12 TDs, 6 interceptions)

Did you know: Cochran is 59-39 in his coaching career, all at Lindale … The Lindale JV compiled a 9-1 record last season … Walker has given a verbal pledge to the University of Houston … Johnson had a long TD run of 91 yards last season

CARTHAGE

Coach: Scott Surratt

2024 results: 15-1/5-0 district

2025 ranking: No. 1, 4A Division II

Players to watch: QB Jett Surratt 6-1, 175 (235 of 368, 3.378 yards, 53 TDs) … RB K.J. Edwards 5-11, 185 (143 carries, 1,785 yards, 23 TD; 31 catches, 382 yards, 3 TD) … LB Da’Quives Beck 6-2, 215 (102 tackles, 21 TFL, 5 sacks) … LB Carson Crawford 6-3, 205 (91 tackles, 22 TFL, 9 sacks, 4 forced fumbles) … WR Keymian Henderson 6-4, 190 (64 catches, 1,085 yards, 18 TD)

Did you know: Scott Surratt has compiled a 234-31 record and won 10 state championships at Carthage … Edwards and Beck have given verbal pledges to Texas A&M, and Henderson has given a verbal to the University of Arkansas

PLEASANT GROVE

Coach: Josh Gibson

2024 results: 10-3/5-0 district

2025 ranking: No. 2, 4A Division II

Players to watch: Edge Kedrid Smith 6-3, 225 (48 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) … DB Jamarion Richardson 6-0, 165 (26 tackles, 7 PBU, 2 interceptions) … WR Kamdyn Harris 6-3, 195 (24 catches, 458 yards, 6 TD) … RB/Slot Nick Bells 5-8, 170 (142 carries, 907 yards, 15 TD) … DB Jaylen Foster 6-0, 200 (89 tackles, 21 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 interception)

Did you know: Josh Gipson has a 112-38 coaching record, all at Pleasant Grove … Smith’s sister plays basketball for LSU, and he received his first football offer in the 8th grade … Richardson is a two-time district 100 and 200 meter champion in track

GILMER

Coach: Alan Metzel

2024 results: 8-4/4-1 district

2025 ranking: No. 9, 4A Division II

Players to watch: OL/DL Tyler Hagler 6-0, 325 (103 tackles, 16 QB pressures, 10 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 interception) … OL/DL Ismael Camara (6-6, 350) … DL Jet Bates 6-1, 200 (89 tackles, 20 QB pressures, 5 sacks, 11 TFL) … WR/DB Trace Haynes 6-2, 170 (9 catches, 79 yards; 5 PBU) … DL/TE Davion King 6-1, 265 (39 tackles, 7 QB pressures, 1 sack)

Did you know: Metzel is 60-12 as head coach at Gilmer … Camara is a move-in from France who played on the JV last season. He was the MVP of the Under Armor Combine in Frisco in December

ATHENS

Coach: Zac Harrell

2024 results: 8-3/4-1 district

2025 ranking: No. 20, 4A Division II

Players to watch: QB David Richardson 6-2, 205 (127 of 216, 1,622 yards, 22 TD, 7 interceptions; 62 carries, 278 yards, 4 TD) … LB/RB Ja’bory Taylor 6-1, 225 (68 tackles, 7 TFL, 8 QB pressures; 33 carries, 173 yards, 5 TD) … DL Jayden DAvis 6-0, 280 (45 tackles, 7 TFL) … Slot Julious Brewer 5-10, 170 (60 catches, 559 yards, 7 TD; 20 carries, 167 yards, 1 TD) … LB Eli Carnes 5-11, 210 (114 tackles, 15 TFL, 6 QB pressures … WR E’manuel Moore 6-2, 175 (55 catches, 789 yards, 10 TD)

Did you know: Harrell has a 32-31 record at Athens … The Hornet JV went 8-2 last season

VAN

Coach: Jared Moffatt

2024 results: 10-4/3-2 district

2025 ranking: No. 23, 4A Division II

Players to watch: DL Waylon King (74 tackles, 17 TFL, 5 sacks) … OL Collier Bryant (5-11, 260) … OL Landon Robinson (6-1, 290) … LB Boston Blaylock 5-9, 170 (48 tackles) … OL Karter Broyles (6-1, 245)

Did you know: Moffatt has a 127-52 coaching record, all at Van … The Vandals JV finished 9-1 last season … Bryant’s dad, Zac Bryant, is Van’s OL coach

CENTER

Coach: Nick Brown

2024 results: 8-3/3-2 district

2025 ranking: No. 24, 4A Division II

Players to watch: OL/DL Jamarios Canton (6-5, 250) … RB/DB Jeremy Bluford 6-0, 175 (987 rushing yards, 10 TD) … OL JaCorey Smith (6-5, 400) … QB/LB Easton Wulf 5-10, 180 (100 tackles) … LB Cody Adkinson 6-0, 210 (100 tackles

Did you know: This is Brown’s first season as a head coach. Prior to coming to Centerm Brown served as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Aubrey for nine years. He also had coaching stops at Bryan Adams, Callisburg, Diamond Hill-Jarvis and Southern Nazarene … Canton, only a sophomore, already has multiple Division I offers