Way to early State Picks

[footballfan10113]

It's way to early to know but who do y'all feel are the front runners for winning state? Favorites or dark horses?

 

[MilfordInsider]

Front Runners
D1 East
Milford,
D1 West
McLean, Rankin

Contenders: Sterling City, Garden City ,Coolidge

D2 East,
Oakwood, Richland Springs
D1 West
Jayton

Contenders: Strawn, Calvert,

 

[Johnny South]

Front Runners
D1 East
Milford,
D1 West
McLean, Rankin

Contenders: Sterling City, Garden City ,Coolidge

D2 East,
Oakwood, Richland Springs
D1 West
Jayton

Contenders: Strawn, Calvert,

That is a good guesstimate on the frontrunners. I am going to say that the D1 west representative will be Rankin. I'm thinking the State Championship game will be between Milford and Rankin.

 

[tsmbwm]

Here is your too much info, way too deep into 6-man insight of the week...

Watch the nonconference schedule early in the season. Both Calvert and Rankin play Tribe Warriors. This is a team that has won their state title (TAIAO) two times in a row, is a favorite for a third and returns about 90% of their team including their top QB, RB, and D1 prospect WR. They almost beat Sterling City last year except for a last minute goal-line interception and they are a better team this year. Keep your eyes on this as it is quite possible that either or both teams could end up with a quick blemish before heading into conference play.

 

[Johnny South]

tsmbwm, I did not include the privates and the homeschool teams. I was thinking in terms of teams who follow all of the UIL rules and regulations. But, I'll bet that your folks can put together a pretty salty team.

 

[Texlonghorn75]

I guess calling Rankin a frontrunner for the top D1 team is appropriate. Rankin hasn't shown much in the past few years. Getting JB as a assistant will definitely help. Getting Landon on the field would help even more. Still think McLean will be the Big dog of D1 until someone knocks them off. McLean returns too much talent and expect to see them a Jerry's World in late December. Milford should be very good again but they play better away from Arlington.

 

[Blue Bird]

In my opinion, Rankin will have to beat Garden City before they can be considered a state front runner. Who knows? This might be the year, but Garden City seems to be able to reload every year!

 

[One _pac2018]

I don’t think jb will be there . There is a listing for an assistant job there and that would be his right ?

 

[tsmbwm]

JohnnySouth - Not trying to compare UIL to private leagues, I know there is a difference on way too many fronts. I follow all 6-man leagues. All I was suggesting was that both Rankin and Calvert will get a test early to see where they are on their quest for a title before heading into conference play. Many times nonconference is a chance to pad the resume along with lower ranked conference teams and the top teams rarely face a test until the end of the season. I applaud teams who at all levels who are willing to be tested and see where their weaknesses are so they can adjust.

 

[The Bears]

I wouldn’t count Balmorhea out.

 

[Johnny South]

JohnnySouth - Not trying to compare UIL to private leagues, I know there is a difference on way too many fronts. I follow all 6-man leagues. All I was suggesting was that both Rankin and Calvert will get a test early to see where they are on their quest for a title before heading into conference play. Many times nonconference is a chance to pad the resume along with lower ranked conference teams and the top teams rarely face a test until the end of the season. I applaud teams who at all levels who are willing to be tested and see where their weaknesses are so they can adjust.

Like I said I'll bet you can field a pretty salty team. I've seen some of the homeschool teams though that have different players week to week, so are hard to prepare for. And the large Church schools that play sixman can come up with some super athletes at times.
For example, a homeschool team comes in and plays Calvert one week and gets beat, then plays Rankin the next week with a different roster, and wins big, how does anyone know which team was or wasn't tested?
Different eligibility rules make it hard to compare teams, for me anyway.
Another thing that irks me is when folks complain about a UIL team "padding" their schedule by playing a homeschool team or private school. That is not always the case. IMO

 

[Roach]

Watch out for White Deer as well. They will reload and should be a very good team as well as McLean. The West will be stacked again it seems in D1

 

[pup]

[Like I said I'll bet you can field a pretty salty team. I've seen some of the homeschool teams though that have different players week to week, so are hard to prepare for. And the large Church schools that play sixman can come up with some super athletes at times.
For example, a homeschool team comes in and plays Calvert one week and gets beat, then plays Rankin the next week with a different roster, and wins big, how does anyone know which team was or wasn't tested?
Different eligibility rules make it hard to compare teams, for me anyway.
Another thing that irks me is when folks complain about a UIL team "padding" their schedule by playing a homeschool team or private school. That is not always the case. IMO

Or a current private sixman school that uses it's relationship with the local 6A public school and magically inherits six really good athletes. Said private sixman school then goes on to win TAPPS State in football and basketball. Must be nice inheriting six studs. No wonder public schools don't want to schedule private schools.

 

[tsmbwm]

The replies here smack a little of sour grapes. I don't doubt there are instances at ALL levels where kids are recruited and teams cut corners in order to win. Don't kid yourself if you don't think this happens at UIL as well. I know that UIL, TAPPS, and even homeschool leagues try and police this and I know of teams in all those conferences who have been suspended and had to forfeit games and seasons because of this. The fact is the most teams are playing fair and there is a pureness to the 6-man game that encourages great competition.

How many big 11-man UIL programs have kids who move into the district or keep ghost addresses in the district so that they can play for championship level teams?

I don't doubt it happened, but it seems strange that kids would leave a 6A school to go to smaller 6-man teams. We typically lose kids the other way where they no longer want to play 6-man and go to bigger schools to play 11-man.

I am proud our team is in a league that is regulated and all our kids are from the area and abide by rules that try and prevent unfair competition. We had one team two years ago that forfeited their entire season because they self-reported that one of their athletes had come to them from another school without their knowledge and violated the recruiting rules.

I think most teams at all levels are trying to do it right and play fair ball. I think it is a mistake to group all the cheaters into certain categories and assume that all teams public, private, or otherwise are gaining an unfair advantage.