Newton-Tatum highlights huge Week 1 in small school ranks

[caption id="attachment_18053" align="alignleft" width="300"]Photo by Will Leverett Photo by Will Leverett[/caption] As the state prepares for high school football season to kickoff Thursday most of the focus will be on the Class 6A and Class 5A matchups across the state. The amount of stellar games around the state is plentiful, but the small schools deserve as much attention. Sure, defending Class 6A state champion Allen takes on Denton Guyer. Cedar Park faces Aledo. DeSoto takes on Arlington Martin and Southlake Carroll plays against Westlake. The list goes on and on. Texas high school football is king for a reason, and that reason is depth. Nowhere else in the world is there more high-level prep football to whet the appetite of football fans. And while showdowns of top teams happen across the state, the best games of the opening week may be taking place in the small divisions. Tatum travels to Newton this week for a showdown between two of the best lower-classification programs in the entire state. Newton lost 39-7 in last year’s opener, but rebounded to reach the Class 3A Division II championship game. Tatum’s 2014 season ended to eventual Class 4A Division II champion, Gilmer. In another matchup between small-classification title contenders, Liberty Hill travels to La Grange. The two teams are ranked in the top 10 of most Class 4A preseason rankings. Liberty Hill’s 2014 season ended at the hands of eventual state champion, Navasota. La Grange returns running back J.K. Dobbins, who may be the best running back in the entire classification. The big dogs always get the press clippings, and maybe those big schools should. But we’re lucky enough to live in a state that values small-school football. Texas puts that on display in the opening week. Are you ready for the ride?