Red Zone Top 10 Countdown #1 Longview Lobos

EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE) - The Red Zone Top 10 is back for another season.

The list is a way to see who is hot and performing as “can’t miss” in the region. All classifications are mixed into one list. Starting August 14, we will be counting down the list with the No.1 team revealed on August 23.

1. Longview Lobos (5A DI State Ranking: 1 | Record: 0-0 | Next game at McKinney North)

Lots of hype with Longview entering the season. The team is loaded with talent at every position. Look out for Jalen Hale, one of the best wide receivers in the state.

2. Carthage Bulldogs (4A DII State Ranking: 1 | Record 0-0 | Next game vs Kilgore)

The Carthage Bulldogs come in with an older offense after going through growing pains last season. The Dogs will look for their ninth state title in 2022.

3. Chapel Hill Bulldogs (4A DI State Ranking: 3 | Record 0-0 | Next game vs Gilmer)

Chapel Hill was just plays away from going to a state championship game last year. The Bulldogs bring back a lot of their talent and look to be favored to win a tough District of Doom.

4. Timpson Bears (2A DI State Ranking: 2 | Record 0-0 | Next game at Beckville)

Timpson is the odds-on favorite to win 2A DI Region III. The Bears have two dynamic playmakers on offense in all-around athlete Terry Bussey and wide receiver Vosky Howard. The Bears will look to run through the region and then get another shot at Shiner in the state semifinals.

5. Gilmer Buckeyes (4A DII State Ranking: 2 | Record 0-0 | Next game at Chapel Hill )

Gilmer will have to replace an all-state quarterback that led the Buckeyes to back-to-back state title games. Can the Buckeyes get back? We will learn quickly where they stand when they open at Chapel Hill.

6. Newton Eagles (3A DII State Ranking: 3 | Record: 0-0| Next game at Anahuac)

The Eagles have 14 starters back and a tradition that the team feels they have fallen short of the past few seasons. There are plenty of athletes on the team to get the Eagles back to glory.

7. Mount Vernon Tigers (3A DI State Ranking: 4 | Record 0-0| Next game at Quinlan Ford)

Reigning 3A player of the year Braden Bennett is returning to a Mount Vernon team that has gone to the semifinals two years in a row. The Tigers will have plenty of skill position kids for Bennett to work with.

8. Kilgore Bulldogs ( 4A DI State Rank: 8 | Record: 0-0| Next Game: at Carthage)

Coach Clint Fuller had success in his first year in the District of Doom. His Bulldogs went 11-2, making it to the regional finals. They have a tough district race with Chapel Hill and Lindale also being state ranked. Jacksonville dropped from 5A DII to 4A DI and could also cause some problems.

9. Daingerfield Tigers ( 3A DII State Rank: 4 | Record: 0-0| Next Game: at Gladewater)

Daingerfield made it to the fourth round of the playoffs last season and are poised for another deep run. This season, 21 players are back who have varsity experience. The Tigers lack experience in the interior but make up for it with explosive playmakers.

10. West Rusk Raiders ( 3A DII State Rank: 5 | Record: 0-0| Next Game: vs Malakoff)

West Rusk finished the 2021 season with a Thanksgiving night loss to Daingerfield. The Raiders will be competitive in a very stacked 3A DII region. The team returns 14 starters including Andon Mata who threw for 35 touchdowns and rushed for seven more. Ty Harper will be a force on the defensive side after hitting triple digits in tackles last year. The Raiders will be tested early with a game against state ranked No. 7 Malakoff out of 3A DI.

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