Is this a "golden year" for 3A football???

[big daddy russ]

This may just be what some may consider a "golden year" for 3A football, with a slew of the strongest teams in the past decade or more all battling in the same year. I believe 2A had a year like this in 2000, when Celina and Mart met up in the Division II Title Game and Celina ended Mart's 30-someodd game win streak... you know the rest of the story. That year, there were about five or six teams that could have cruised to a state title on an average year. Refugio, Lone Oak, Sonora (won Division I), and Alto were the other teams who had squads the same caliber as Mart and Celina, the two top dogs. This year appears to showcase two teams from last year's state championship game (Everman and Sinton) who haven't lost much, if anything at all, and still will have a very hard time getting back. Jasper, Burnet, Forney, Marlin and several other teams appear to be on the same playing field as those two. Are the teams at the top of this year's playoffs some of the strongest we've seen in years? Your opinions are more than welcome.

[cecilsav]

It's hard to say because I have not see every team play but it's a very interesting topic.

[Rabbit'93]

It would seem that way. I haven't really thought about it though. This year could be one of those years where you have tough games throughout the playoffs each week.

[2001GiddingsLB]

I think last year was a stronger at least with the teams I'm familiar with. Cameron isn't as strong as they have been, Bellville was stronger last year, Rice Consolidated was better last year, Newton was better last year, Giddings had a solid club, La Grange was better last year, Forney had Blanton(makes them better, Yoakum better last year. I think the only reason that there is a reasonaable argument about this yeaar being a better year is because the competition is spread out through each region. Last year in DII it was stacked in Region III I think. Cuz I know our playoffs went through 3 top 10 teams in Rice, Newton, and La Grange RegionIV. So, I guess its all how you look at it though I must say the addition of Jasper and Celina did up the anne a little in both Region III and REgion II.

[big daddy russ]

I haven't seen Forney this year, but from what I've been hearing it seems like they're actually stronger this year. I know they had some real good returnees, and supposedly their defense is even better than last year. It's hard not to miss Blanton, I think any team would miss a player like that, but this QB they now have seems to have opened up the offense and made the Forney attack even more dangerous than last year (ouch). Against Everman last year, I want to say that Forney only threw the ball four or five times, if that... I can't remember the stats for the life of me, but as a spectator it didn't seem like Forney passed that much. As far as everyone else, I don't know if you could categorize Newton in that truly "Elite" class this year. No offense to anyone from Newton... many schools would kill to have some of your "weaker" squads, not to mention your coach... but I think that the likes of Jasper, Sinton, Burnet, Everman, etc. are just that much better and can honestly do it all. And they do it all extremely well.

[oldbuff78]

2001 and 2002 will have been excellent years!!