Red Zone Top 10: Carthage Bulldogs take number 1

EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE) - It’s that time of the year for us to reveal our top 10 teams heading into the football season.

Number 1:

Rounding out the top 10, Carthage comes in first as the defending state champs of four D2, with a perfect 16-0 record in the 2022 season.

The Carthage Bulldogs host a tough Kilgore team Friday night in their first game of 2023.

Number 2:

The Longview Lobos made it through their regular season schedule undefeated for a perfect 10-0 mark in 2022, and were a favorite to win the state title. They made it all the way to the state semi-finals where they faced powerhouse Aledo. With a trip to Jerry’s World and a shot to play for a championship, the Lobos ended up losing their first game of 2022 17-14. But they return this year with 13 starters from last year’s team and look to remain a force in 5A Division I. So watch out for the Lobos to be taking care of some unfinished business from last season.

Number 3:

Chapel Hill Bulldogs are our pick for the number three spot on the list. They finished the season 12-3 making it all the way to the state-semis in Division One 4A. They’ve got plenty of experienced players making their return for 2023. Nine offensive starters and six defensive starters are looking to lead their team to the promised land of AT&T Stadium to compete for a state championship for the first time since 2011.

Number 4:

The Timpson Bears come in at number 4. Terry Bussey is expected to make his announcement of where he’ll play after high school soon. For now, his attention is on leading the Bears to a state championship.

Number 5:

Harmony comes in at number 5, despite going 9-6. They were a 3A division two state semi-finalist. Five more to go before the completion of Red Zone Top 10.

Number 6:

Coming in at number 6, the Kilgore Bulldogs. Kilgore has a marquee opening night next week, the defending state champs Carthage. What a way to open your season. This game will be a hard-hitting one with speed all across the field.

Number 7:

Gilmer Buckeyes are on the list at number 7. Gilmer’s QB Cadon Tennyson, a junior, tells us what he and his teammates talk about as they begin the new season.

“Talk about making more plays, learning how to make more plays and coming together as a team, like encouraging each other. I know like how to tell what defense the other team is in. And I know our plays now I will develop.”

Number 8:

We continue our reveal of the first Red Zone Top 10 list of the season. Tonight, number 8 is Daingerfield, who finished at 10-3 last year, 6-0 in district. Knowing how competitive these programs are and seeing where they’ve ranked, just imagine the rest of the top 7.

Number 9:

Tuesday night at number 9 we have Price Carlisle. A team that had huge success last season in District 11-2A Division 2, going 11 and two overall and making it into the third round of the playoffs.

Carlisle will have seven key returners on offense and two on defense. The Indians also have a new coach this year with Connor Sharp, and Sharp will be looking to pick up where the team left off last year leading the Carlisle Indians deep into the playoffs and hopefully ending at AT&T Stadium.

Be sure to stay tuned to East Texas Sports as we will continue our Red Zone Top 10 countdown tomorrow with number eight.

Number 10:

Starting off the list we have the Beckville Bearcats. Last year the Bearcats were district champs for district 10 2-A D-1.

The Bearcats were area round finalists and finished with a 10 and two record. The team comes into the 2023 season returning nine offensive and nine defensive starters.

We’ll continue our Red Zone Top 10 on Tuesday with our number nine team.

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