Prognosticators peg county teams as non-playoff contenders

It is not even July, yet high school football fans have already begun discussion of the upcoming fall football season here in Texas.

The catalyst? Dave Campbell’s annual summer release of their Texas Football magazine hit the stands this week with their playoff predictions.

According to the prognosticators, the Gonzales Apaches are pegged to finish fifth in their respective five-team district, one spot shot of making the playoffs. This will be the second year in a row the Apaches have been picked to miss out on postseason play.

The recent realignment moved Gonzales up to Class 4A Division I. DCTF has Gonzales behind new district mates Boerne, La Vernia, Pleasanton and Beeville Jones, in that order. Pleasanton quarterback John Zamora is their preseason offensive MVP. La Vernia’s defensive lineman Tristan Neatherlin was picked for defensive MVP.

Nixon-Smiley, a team that missed the playoffs last year, has been picked to miss the playoffs this upcoming season. The Mustangs remain in Class 3A Division II, realigning with Poth, Dilley, Natalia, Skidmore-Tynan and Stockdale in District 15-3ADII. According to DCTF, the Mustangs “will have to rely on a number of underclassmen,” in order to succeed, though prognosticators have the team finishing last in the district.

In TAPPS, DCTF picked Shiner St. Paul to win the state title over Dallas First Baptist this upcoming season. The Cardinals are also pegged for first place in TAPPS Div. 3 over Hallettsville Sacred Heart, Temple Central Texas Christian and San Antonio St. Gerard.