Exploring the Top 25: 1A-DI

By Dennis Hall / Texas Football

One of the first questions you ask yourself when trying to figure out who's going to win a state championship is which teams have won one before. A team with a state championship pedigree without question has an advantage over the teams that haven't.

In Class 1A Division I this year, there are a number of top-flight teams that have that championship experience. And that means that it should be a dogfight in the playoffs as these teams battle for the state championship trophy.

Our No. 1 team in Class 1A DI is Goldthwaite, and it's hard to argue against that pick. The Eagles return a whopping 16 starters from last year's 15-0 team that posted eight shutouts for the season and three in the playoffs. Goldthwaite's 2009 Division I state title was its first this decade but its fourth in the last 25 years.

Coach Gary Proffitt's team has the makings of a powerhouse. The Eagles are stacked with talent, starting with a pair of running backs who are as tough to stop as any duo in any classification. Jonathon Williams (1,945 yards) is on pace to become the school's career rushing leader, and teammate James Harden (1,497 yards) gives the Eagles a great second option. And don't overlook junior quarterback Tyler Horton -- all he did was play nearly flawless football as a sophomore.

Goldthwaite's defense also has a wealth of talent on defense, where linebacker Colton Mitchell leads the way after posting 213 tackles last season. Mitchell and defensive linemen Dylan Parrish and Cagan Smith are the backbone of a top-flight unit that prides itself on keeping opponents out of the end zone.

As we continue down the rankings, the next several teams all have won state titles in recent years.

No. 2 Mart won the fourth state championship in school history in 2006 and has appeared in three title games in the past decade. The Panthers might have the most athletic team in all of Class 1A, and like Goldthwaite, they have experience with 16 returning starters. When we talked to coach Rusty Nail during last year's regular season, he was frustrated because a flurry of injuries left his team with a 6-4 regular season. But Mart got healthy in the playoffs and won three straight playoff games. If the Panthers can stay healthy in 2010, another long playoff run is pretty much expected.

No. 3 Stratford and No. 4 Canadian seem to be attached at the hip. Both teams are in the same district (1-1A DI), and they both won state titles in 2008 and regional titles in 2009. Stratford has won three titles in the past decade, while Canadian has won two. Both have a bunch of returning starters this year and expect nothing less than another state title bid. Stratford's Bryce Cummings might be the best offensive player in Class 1A, while Canadian's Ryan Alexander might be the best defensive player in 1A.

No. 5 Albany is the highest-ranked team in 1A DI that hasn't won a state title in the past decade. But the Lions came close in 2009, reaching the championship game before falling to an awesome Cayuga squad. And you know the people around Albany have told the current team about the school's two state titles from a couple of generations ago in 1960-61. We'll count that as a championship pedigree even though few in the town were there to witness it.

No. 6 New Deal has never won a state title but should be a contender this year with 15 returning starters from a 13-1 team. Coach Ron Mayo has the blueprints of the other West Texas powers and is trying to start his own tradition. It helps when a coach has a son who's a star player, and that's exactly what you'd call linebacker/tight end Garrett Mayo. If any team can crash the party and put its first mark on the state championship list, it's New Deal.

No. 7 Alto returns us to the list of past champions. The Yellowjackets won titles in 2006 and 2007 and have one of the most exciting players in the state in dual threat QB Javante Jones. Alto is the class team of Region III and, if the rankings hold, would advance all the way to the state semifinals before facing a higher-ranked team. At that point, Alto would clearly be a title threat.

No. 8 Kerens is the highest-ranked team of all the teams dropping from 2A to 1A. That's often a recipe for success, and Kerens hopes to be a dominant team after going 6-4 last year in 2A. Experience won't be an issue, because Kerens returns 18 starters, but it must replace dynamic QB Pat Faulk, which is no easy task.

Rounding out the top 10 are No. 9 Ganado and No. 10 Sunray. Both went 9-5 last year and both have 14 returning starters.Neither of these teams have ever won a state championship, but they might not be far off. Ganado discovered a potential superstar last year when sophomore RB Josh Labay got hot late in the season and carried his team all the way to a regional championship. Now a junior, the sky's the limit for Labay,  and he could carry Ganado a long way. Sunray hails from the same powerhouse district (1-1A DI) as Canadian and Stratford, so the Bobcats will be battle tested in the regular season. If Sunray can prove that it can compete with those two monsters, it will be ready to do big things in the playoffs.

Just like we did in Class 2A, we'll give you a look at the next 15 ranked teams in Division I — available only online. Here they are:

11: 1A - 5, Collinsville
12: 1A - 15, Shiner
13: 1A - 8, Cayuga
14: 1A - 10, Garrison
15: 1A - 13, Mason
16: 1A - 14, La Pryor
17: 1A - 6, Clarksville
18: 1A - 11, Lovelady
19: 1A - 4, Stamford
20: 1A - 2, Clarendon
21: 1A - 4, Seymour
22: 1A - 4, Haskell
23: 1A - 5, Valley View
24: 1A - 6, Honey Grove
25: 1A - 5, Lindsay