After enjoying a day at our annual company picnic (struck out in Bingo and avoided the zip line this year), I looked at a couple of bibles on Sunday – The King James version and then Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine.

After reading a couple of chapters of the gospel, I scanned the magazine like it was Christmas morning.

I’ve been reading the magazine since the early 1970s when I recall Grant Teaff gracing the cover.

After last year’s cover sported local product Patrick Mahomes II and Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, new Texas coach Tom Herman is on the cover of the 2017 magazine.

Mahomes, the former Whitehouse Wildcat and Texas Tech Red Raider, had a standout personal season and parlayed that into the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

As for Kingsbury, not so much as the Red Raiders had a losing record.

Herman hopes he follows Mahomes’ success and not that of his fellow Big 12 coach.

The inside cover has Phil Danaher, the successful Corpus Christi Calallen coach.

The college section has everything from the Big 12 and SEC to the American Southwest Conference, along with the junior colleges.

Some of the other highlights include the prep Super Team. On offense, Carthage running back Keaontay Ingram (6-0, 205) is a first teamer.

On the second team is Robert E. Lee quarterback Chance Amie (6-4, 215).

Defensively, Arp standout linebacker/defensive back Demarvion Overshown (6-3, 205) is on the second team with Carthage linebacker Mykel Gates (6-0, 225) a third teamer.

Other East Texans in the Texas Top 300 include: Henderson quarterback Trae Hall (6-3, 190), Lufkin running back Isaiah Phillips (5-9, 190), Rusk RB Sam Thomas (5-8, 184), Lufkin wide receiver Malik Jackson (5-10, 165), Kilgore WR Jonathan Shepherd (6-3, 180), Texas High WR Tervailance Hunt (6-2, 175), Kilgore WR Patrick Jackson Jr. (5-7, 150), Marshall offensive lineman Chasen Hines (6-3, 345), Van OL Kris Dike (6-5, 270), John Tyler defensive lineman Dekalen Goodson (6-3, 220), Marshall DL Marje Smith (6-6, 205), John Tyler linebacker Martrevious Allision (6-2, 215), Texarkana Pleasant Grove LB Xavier Benson (6-3, 215), West Rusk LB Tyree Wilson (6-5, 225), Brownsboro LB Kenneth Woods III (6-4, 220) and Tyler Lee LB Lanthony Simmons (6-1, 210).

In the Top 100 Juniors are Pittsburg WR Keonte Burns (6-3, 175), Lufkin WR Breylon Garcia (6-4, 215), Paris OL Elijah Ellis (6-6, 310) and Henderson DL Del’Keiveon Rose (6-4, 230).

Some of the high school rankings include:

Class 6A – 1, Converse Judson; 23, John Tyler; 30, Rockwall; 35, Longview. Texas Football’s comment on District 11-6A, “The distance between the first-place and last-place teams in this East Texas meat grinder could be a razor’s edge.” The magazine picks JT to win the league, followed by Rockwall, Longview, Rockwall-Heath, Mesquite Horn, Tyler Lee, Mesquite and North Mesquite.

Preseason All-State: JT LB Martrevious Allison.

Class 5A – 1, Manvel; 40, Marshall.

Preseason All-State: Whitehouse DB Javier Neal.

Class 4A – Division I: 1, Carthage; 7, Van; 9, Henderson; 10, Kilgore; 17, Kaufman. Division II: 1, Gilmer; 8, Texarkana Pleasant Grove; 14, Gladewater.

Preseason All-State: Gilmer QB Poppy Brown (Offensive Player of the Year); Carthage RB Keaontay Ingram; Van OL Kris Dike; Wills Point DL Tyriq Burnett; Carthage LB Mykel Gates; Henderson LB Garrett Lybrand; Kaufman LB Devyn Morris; Carthage DB Mekhi Colbert.

Class 3A – Division I: 1, Cameron Yoe; 5, Malakoff; 11, Mineola; 17, Kemp; 18, Jefferson; 19, Whitehouse. Division II: 1, Lexington; 7, Elysian Fields; 9, Arp; 11, Crockett; 12, Harmony; 13, West Rusk; 15, Winona; 17, Daingerfield.

Preseason All-State: Jefferson WR T.Q. Jackson; Mineola OL Hugo Sanchez; Winona K Pablo Tarango; White Oak DL Elijah Trest; Jefferson DL Taylor Smith; Crockett LB Ahmad Brown; Arp DB Demarvion Overshown; Redwater punter Payton Davis.

Class 2A – Division I: 1, Mart; 8, San Augustine; 14, Groveton; 15, Alto; 17, Big Sandy; 20, Carlisle. Division II: 1, Tenaha; 16, Maud; 20, Overton.

Preseason All-State: Tenaha QB C.J. Horn; Tenaha WR Trai Gardner; Alto OL Steven Soto; Tenaha LB Tavoris Giles; Alto LB Jaqualon Finley; Carlisle DB Max Jackson; Linden-Kildare utility player Ja’Kevian Rose.

Class 1A (Six-Man) – Division I: 1, Happy; 2, Union Hill. Division II: 1, Richland Springs.

In TAPPS, Fort Worth All Saints is ranked No. 1 in all divisions. In Division II District 2, Dallas Christian is favored, followed by Grace Community, Bishop Gorman and Bullard Brook Hill.

In TAPPS Six-Man Division II District 3, Longview Christian Heritage is favored, followed by Longview Trinity. Henderson Full Armor is picked fifth with first-year program East Texas Christian Academy seventh.

Marshall Christian Academy is picked third in T-Cal Six-Man Division I with King’s Academy slated for fifth in T-Cal Six-Man Division II.

Pick up your Texas Football at Brookshire’s, Super 1, Walmart, Barnes & Noble and other grocery and fine book stores and enjoy the read.

 

TWITTER: @PhilHicksETFS