Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine is out this week.
Along with high school recruiting, Texas college previews, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans previews, the magazine, affectionately referred to as the “Bible” of Texas High school football, also has previews for every high school football program in the state with district predictions for the last 60 years.
Not all information is accurate. With every football team in Montague County featuring new coaches for this upcoming season, Saint Jo and Gold-Burg both have last year’s coaches listed as head coach.
According to Fieldlevel.com, there are 770 high school football programs in Texas alone, so for each team to get a little written about them, even if the big established powerhouses in 5A and 6A get more written about them, is an accomplishment unto itself.
Some coaches at smaller schools are still figuring out all the talent they have to work with heading into the start of practice in August let alone when they were providing information to the makers of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football months ago. Still, it is the magazine everyone looks at each year and the only one that will mention the likes of Highland Park’s football program in the same magazine as Gold-Burg’s.
So the early predictions are usually the first type of press these programs working out during the summer can use to either reinforce high expectations or use as bulletin board material to prove the doubters wrong.
Bowie is predicted to finish sixth in the district 4-3A division I. Coming off a 2-8 record, returning seven starters on both sides of the ball and featuring new coach Corey Mandrell, the Jackrabbits are picked to finish outside the playoffs from outsiders looking in.
Nocona is not predicted to finish much better. With district opponents Gunter and Holliday both ranked in the top six in the state according to magazine, the Indians are picked to finish fifth in district 5-3A division II and miss the playoffs.
Nocona returns five players on offense and four on defense with Rick Weaver taking over the program after a decade under Brad Keck. The magazine picked City View to jump the Indians in the standings from last year.
The Panthers are again picked to finish last in district 9-1A division I just like last year. They defied expectations by coming within a last second hook lateral touchdown away from finishing second in the district and making the playoffs.
Gone is Coach Derek Schlieve as well as reliable offensive playmakers Preston Lyons and Blake Anderson from last year. New coach Mark Stevens is coming from Muenster and will be transitioning to six-man football.
Many players are itching to replace that offensive production as the Panthers’ program numbers increase, but outsiders again will be doubting Saint Jo.
Forestburg and Gold-Burg are picked to finish second and third in district 9-1A Division II. The Bears beat the Longhorns last year to earn the final playoff spot in the district behind district champion Fannindel, which is favored to repeat this year. Both teams graduated some important players and both teams have new coaches.
Forestburg upgraded Trey Cumby to the head coach position. He split head coaching responsibilities in the Longhorns final two games last year, but he is returning big time athlete Zach Bradley to be his workhorse on both sides of the ball to help him transition.
Gold-Burg lost most of its offensive playmakers and hired Leonel Murgia as its new head coach earlier this month. New players will have to step up as everyone gets used to each other.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.