DCTF 2017 Preseason Rankings

[d0tc0m]

Buckeyebob
I believe this could be the best Dawg team coach S has had since he has been at Carthage.
Does it mean a state championship, we sure hope so, the Dawgs will have big time senior leadership and I believe the best defense in 4A.
I believe the Dawgs give the Buckeyes a loss at their house this year. I also believe the Buckeyes win the Dll state championship if they play defense enough to make one or two key stops a game. God Bless coaches, players, and fans.
Let's Go Dawgs!!!!

If this is the best team Surratt has ever had, then, sheesh, it'll be hard to see anybody staying within double digits of the Bulldogs.

[lostaussie]

If this is the best team Surratt has ever had, then, sheesh, it'll be hard to see anybody staying within double digits of the Bulldogs.

They will be terribly athletic. Still have to produce on the field though. They have all the potential in the world.

[Dawgs]

They will be terribly athletic. Still have to produce on the field though. They have all the potential in the world.

Agree 100%. Potential doesn't mean anything unless you produce in Friday nights. We will see if they can live up to the hype. But I will say I don't think we can get thru the regular season undefeated. Just too many teams that match up good with us. You are just not going to out athlete Gilmer, Hendo, Kilgore, and LE. We all have pretty much the same type kids most years. Now Carthage is above average on skill players this year, but we still have to execute. Honestly a loss early will help this team. I'm not saying they will not be hungry, but if there is any belief on the team that they are just gonna hand over the trophy in December a loss early will bring them back to earth. I don't think we have to worry about that, but you never know. I think Gilmer has been in this same situation many times. Have a buncha stud players who look like world beaters at time, but fail to execute. That's not a knock on Gilmer by the way. It's just my observation. Like in 2013. That was a loaded team, but just couldn't stop the mistakes. They came back the next year and pretty much ran over everybody except for GW and WOS.

[Dawgs]

If this is the best team Surratt has ever had, then, sheesh, it'll be hard to see anybody staying within double digits of the Bulldogs.

This team has a ton of potential. I mean a ton. But I think it would be getting a little carried away to call it the best team Carthage has had. I agree that on paper they have a chance to be very special. But you have to remember 08', 10', and 13'. 08' and 10' those teams just kept getting better every week, and by the end of the season they were runaway trains. 13' they were bad to the bone from the beginning. That team had 4 D1 players on offense alone. Nobody was beating them in 3a that year. Only loss was to the number 3 ranked 4a team that year who had a future top 10 draft pick playing QB. And Carthage was up 39-20 in the 3rd quarter, before Mahomes exploded scoring 43 unanswered points. Long story short it's way too early to be calling this the best team Carthage has ever had. That would be disrespectful to the teams that have proved it before them.

[ctown81]

This team has a ton of potential. I mean a ton. But I think it would be getting a little carried away to call it the best team Carthage has had. I agree that on paper they have a chance to be very special. But you have to remember 08', 10', and 13'. 08' and 10' those teams just kept getting better every week, and by the end of the season they were runaway trains. 13' they were bad to the bone from the beginning. That team had 4 D1 players on offense alone. Nobody was beating them in 3a that year. Only loss was to the number 3 ranked 4a team that year who had a future top 10 draft pick playing QB. And Carthage was up 39-20 in the 3rd quarter, before Mahomes exploded scoring 43 unanswered points. Long story short it's way too early to be calling this the best team Carthage has ever had. That would be disrespectful to the teams that have proved it before them.

On PAPER this may just be the most loaded team we've had but like another poster said, it's all about execution.

[d0tc0m]

This team has a ton of potential. I mean a ton. But I think it would be getting a little carried away to call it the best team Carthage has had. I agree that on paper they have a chance to be very special. But you have to remember 08', 10', and 13'. 08' and 10' those teams just kept getting better every week, and by the end of the season they were runaway trains. 13' they were bad to the bone from the beginning. That team had 4 D1 players on offense alone. Nobody was beating them in 3a that year. Only loss was to the number 3 ranked 4a team that year who had a future top 10 draft pick playing QB. And Carthage was up 39-20 in the 3rd quarter, before Mahomes exploded scoring 43 unanswered points. Long story short it's way too early to be calling this the best team Carthage has ever had. That would be disrespectful to the teams that have proved it before them.

Well, it was one of your own who said it was the best ever, not me. That 2013 team was something special. But the 2008 team, to me, was the best team come state championship time. I'll never forget Dwight Smith just running amok on my Bobcats at Texas Stadium. That Bulldog offensive line was the true MVP of that game, though. They managed to do what no team before them had done, which was basically nullify our stud middle linebacker, Caleb Lavey. They kept him out of the backfield and out of Smith's hair. Dwight Smith was a freaking load for our secondary to try to bring down, too. He was just so strong and NEVER went down on first contact. That was still a whale of a title game, though, and Celina had a shot at Smith in the backfield on a 4th-and-2, and that would've given us a shot at driving the field and scoring the game-tying TD (possibly winning with an XP), and as good as Carthage's offense had been, ours was just as tough. But, like I said, Smith put a move on our cornerback there in the backfield, and I think he broke free and scored on that play, or scored a couple plays later. At any rate, that 2008 team was the best Carthage team I watched.

And I'll agree with your post completely, having all that potential is fantastic. You'd much rather be coming into the season with that mindset than one of not knowing, or one of dread. But, you do have to produce week in and week out, and Carthage's schedule doesn't lend itself to letdowns. Either way, the Bulldogs ought to be fun to watch this season.

[Leopard4Life]

I wish I could say Celina would be in Div. II for a long time. But unless the economy goes way south again and spurs the growth the experts say is coming, I'm afraid the Bobcats are on a Div. II (and more realistically a 4A) farewell tour. We're not far away from playing the Lovejoy's, McKinney's, Prosper's and probably the Frisco schools on a regular basis. I can't see anyway we stay Div. II next realignment, and if what people are saying is true, we could be 5A Div. II by the 2020 - maybe 2022 - realignment.

I wish we could funnel all of our growth to Prosper schools and keep Celina in the small-school ranks. But the sad reality is the war machine that is the DFW Metroplex is powered up, moving north and swallowing up everything. Small-town football in North Texas is going the way of the dinosaur, sadly. I wish there was a way to keep Celina - and all of our old familiar north Texas friends - small forever, but I suspect that's as futile a hope as trying to stave off time itself.

Gas the buses up, because by the time you make it to 5A D2 almost all the schools you named will be 6A or 5A D1.

Lovejoy may still be 5A D2 for one cycle when Celina comes up, however if the growth continues in this economy then Celina will pass Lovejoy (unless Celina starts building more campuses).

Prosper may drop back down from 6A to join you, but there will be at least two Prosper ISD High Schools by then.

Frisco plans to keep all their schools 5A D1, but lack of state funding has thrown a monkey wrench in that plan. They may need to let a few schools go 6A and hold off on new campuses.

McKinney North should be 6A, however they could drop if McKinney finally builds the 4th high school.

Here are Celina's current numbers:

Celina HS:
https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/cgi/sa...&key=043903001

Celina JH:
https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/cgi/sa...&key=043903041

[WOS1]

This team has a ton of potential. I mean a ton. But I think it would be getting a little carried away to call it the best team Carthage has had. I agree that on paper they have a chance to be very special. But you have to remember 08', 10', and 13'. 08' and 10' those teams just kept getting better every week, and by the end of the season they were runaway trains. 13' they were bad to the bone from the beginning. That team had 4 D1 players on offense alone. Nobody was beating them in 3a that year. Only loss was to the number 3 ranked 4a team that year who had a future top 10 draft pick playing QB. And Carthage was up 39-20 in the 3rd quarter, before Mahomes exploded scoring 43 unanswered points. Long story short it's way too early to be calling this the best team Carthage has ever had. That would be disrespectful to the teams that have proved it before them.

Did I read they were in need of a QB? That's cause for concern in itself. Not a deal killer, but a reason to be focused, for sure.

[d0tc0m]

Did I read they were in need of a QB? That's cause for concern in itself. Not a deal killer, but a reason to be focused, for sure.

They seem to do a good job of developing serviceable QBs over there. And this team is talented enough on both sides of the ball to endure some growing pains under center.


On a side note, for you Carthage boys, is Clint Surratt (new HC at Princeton) related to Scott?

[Dawgs]

Did I read they were in need of a QB? That's cause for concern in itself. Not a deal killer, but a reason to be focused, for sure.

I wouldn't say in need. Have 3 young men that will compete. 1 of them who is a junior has the inside track IMO. He looked good in 7 on 7 SQT. We will see how the QB looks at the state tournament. Whoever it is will be very good by the end of the regular season. Surratt is one of the best in the business developing that position in high school. We haven't ever had a bad one during his time in Carthage. Plus whoever it is doesn't have to do a whole heck of a lot. Hand the ball off to Ingram. Get the ball to playmakers in space. And watch the defense eat from the sideline. This team is ridiculously loaded. Now they just have to prove it.

[Dawgs]

On PAPER this may just be the most loaded team we've had but like another poster said, it's all about execution.

Agree.

[buckeyebob]

Buckeyebob
I believe this could be the best Dawg team coach S has had since he has been at Carthage.
Does it mean a state championship, we sure hope so, the Dawgs will have big time senior leadership and I believe the best defense in 4A.
I believe the Dawgs give the Buckeyes a loss at their house this year. I also believe the Buckeyes win the Dll state championship if they play defense enough to make one or two key stops a game. God Bless coaches, players, and fans.
Let's Go Dawgs!!!!

It appears we are on the same page...just a different book

By our game time, we will know a lot about the Bux...we are very optimistic about the guys... lot of youngsters shown the way by the older guys. We may very well suffer a loss but, as usual, the Dawgs know they had a game

It will probably be a SRO, maybe a record attendance...Saturday night...it don't get much better

[buckeyebob]

If this is the best team Surratt has ever had, then, sheesh, it'll be hard to see anybody staying within double digits of the Bulldogs.

We enjoy embarrassing them

[buckeyebob]

Agree 100%. Potential doesn't mean anything unless you produce in Friday nights. We will see if they can live up to the hype. But I will say I don't think we can get thru the regular season undefeated. Just too many teams that match up good with us. You are just not going to out athlete Gilmer, Hendo, Kilgore, and LE. We all have pretty much the same type kids most years. Now Carthage is above average on skill players this year, but we still have to execute. Honestly a loss early will help this team. I'm not saying they will not be hungry, but if there is any belief on the team that they are just gonna hand over the trophy in December a loss early will bring them back to earth. I don't think we have to worry about that, but you never know. I think Gilmer has been in this same situation many times. Have a buncha stud players who look like world beaters at time, but fail to execute. That's not a knock on Gilmer by the way. It's just my observation. Like in 2013. That was a loaded team, but just couldn't stop the mistakes. They came back the next year and pretty much ran over everybody except for GW and WOS.

Perhaps you are right, but just to add my 2cents worth...2013...made a lot of mistakes but managed to pull 'em together...a 29-34 loss to Kilgore...then then Kilgore meets Carthage in the SC game...we were finished off by Argyle in Reg... 7 Div 1 seniors that year

As far as 2014...Gladewater was the best high school game I have ever witnessed...WOS was the best comeback I ever witnessed...16-0 season scoring 950 points, an average of 535 yds per game

They always seem to find a way.

[cowboyandchrist]

The reason I think this Dawg team could be the best because of the following.
The best RB in the state in all classifications.
Experienced offensive line returning, big, strong, and quick, add the two twin towers at 6' 5" 285 lb sophomores.
Three receivers that can take it to the house on any play.
Now add the sophomore that has received D1 offers and you have what has a chance to light up the score board.
Now about the QB, everyone knows who ever the QB will be does not have to win ball games, he just has to do what coach S ask him to do. Do not fumble and limit INT's.
Defense!!!!
I truly believe the Dawg defense will be nothing short of amazing.
Three all state caliber linebackers.
The best ball hawking secondary in 4A.
The D line will be bigger, stronger and hard to run on.
The linebackers are big, strong, and fast. In my opinion, could be the best linebacking group we have ever had.
Will this Dawg team win number 6, I don't know.
I do know the talent is there for this Dawg team to be special.
Do I believe this team can go 16 and 0, yes I do, will they, only time will tell.
I pray for no injuries, the Dawgs play for each other, and play as a team.
Go Bless coaches, players, and fans.