Published: July 03, 2008 03:30 pm            

Hays picked for title, no love for SMHS

High School Football

San Marcos — It’s a summer tradition for Texas football fans. Tired of basketball and baseball, Texans can feed their veracious football appetites even though the season is still more than two months away.

That’s because Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine recently hit the stands, giving Lone Star football their first glimpse of the upcoming season.

The magazine, which has come out annually for more than 40 years, previews every football program in the state on all levels — professional, college and high school. It’s the brainchild of Campbell, the long-time sports editor at the Waco Tribune Herald.

This year’s edition lauds the Hays Rebels as district favorites, while San Marcos, a team which has made the playoffs 10 of the past 11 seasons, is predicted to fall short of a postseason berth in a very tough District 27-4A. Wimberley, another team consistently in the playoffs, is predicted to return to the postseason as the second-place team in District 7-3A, while Navarro is tabbed to claim a district title in District 28-2A.

Lehman and San Marcos Academy, are both predicted to finish last in their respective districts.

San Marcos head coach Steve Van Nest said he doesn’t put much faith into preseason predictions, but was surprised his team was picked fifth (the top four teams go to the playoffs) in the newly realigned District 27-4A, especially when you consider the fact that San Marcos has made the playoffs the last nine straight seasons.

“Our district is so tough that even though we’re picked fifth, we’re still going to be a pretty good ballteam,” Van Nest said. “It’s definitely going to be one of the toughest Class 4A districts in the state.

Alamo Heights, a 10-2 regional finalist last season, is tabbed to win the 27-4A crown, followed by Cibolo Steele (11-2, regional semifinalists in 2007) and Kerrville-Tivy, a 10-2 area finalist last season. New Braunfels-Canyon, a team which San Marcos beat by two touchdowns last season, is predicted to place fourth. Schertz-Clemens, a perennial area power is tabbed to place sixth, followed by Champion High School from Boerne and former District 25-5A foe Seguin.

Van Nest said he’s hoping the lower-than expected forecast will motivate his players.

“It might, I don’t know,” Van Nest said. “As a coach I don’t really care about rankings and such. That’s for the fans and the people to talk about. The team knows that it’s going to be a challenge and I’m sure they’re looking forward to it.”

The magazine says Hays should have an easy path to the title in District 17-4A. Hays was 6-4 and failed to make the playoffs last season, but players like running back Nick DeSantiago and wide receiver Brandon Lawrence will put the Rebels back into the fold.

Manor is tabbed second in 17-4A, followed by Del Valle, Elgin, Lockhart and Lehman.

Another team which finds itself in a tough and competitive district is the Wimberley Texans. The Texans spent the past two seasons in a four-team district, but realignment sent the Texans into Disrtrict 8-3A, which includes last season’s Class 3A, Division I state champions Liberty Hill. The Panthers, as expected, are predicted to win District 8-3A, followed by the Texans, Fredericksburg, Burnet, Llano, Canyon Lake and Ingram-Moore.

Wimberley was undefeated in district play last season and finished the year with a 6-7 record as the team advanced all the way to the regional playoff last season.

Navarro, is picked to win 28-2A ahead of Karnes City, Poth, Stockdale, Nixon-Smiley and Kenedy.

The magazine also offered prediction for the college conferences, including Texas State’s standing in the Southalnd Conference. The Bobcats, entering their second year under head coach Brad Wright, are tabbed to finish fourth in the SLC. Central Arkansas is tabbed to win the Southland title, followed by McNeese State and Northwestern State. Sam Houston is predicted to place fifth, followed by Nicholls State, Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin.

Texas State finished 4-7 last season and finished sixth in the SLC with a 3-4 record.

        

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