Josh Pratt’s Final 3A DI Rankings

Submitted by Cameron1 on

The 2017 football season has come to an end, and now it’s time for me to release the final 3A DI rankings of the season. First, let’s take a look back at how I had things in the preseason:

 

Preseason Poll

1. Yoakum, 2. Cameron Yoe, 3. Hallettsville, 4. Teague, 5. Rockdale, 6. Malakoff, 7. Wall, 8. Brock, 9. Grandview, 10. Mineola, 11. Jefferson, 12. Franklin, 13. Edna, 14. Whitesboro, 15. Goliad, 16. Pottsboro, 17. Woodville, 18. Farmersville, 19. Coldspring, T20. Howe, T20. Sunnyvale, T20. Sunnyvale, T20. Littlefield, T20. Muleshoe.

 

Final Poll

1. Rockdale (state champions); 2. Yoakum (state semifinalist), 3. Brock (state finalist), 4. Teague (state quarterfinalist), 5. West (regional semifinalist), 6. Wall (regional semifinalist), 7. Goliad (state quarterfinalist), 8. Franklin (regional semifinalist), 9. Kemp (state semifinalist), 10. Malakoff (bi-district finalist), 11. Hallettsville (area finalist), 12. Woodville (area finalist), 13. Shallowater (area finalist); 14. Grandview (state quarterfinalist), 15. Comanche (state quarterfinalist), 16. Edna (regional semifinalist), 17. Whitesboro (regional semifinalist), 18. Mt. Vernon (regional semifinalist), 19. Van Vleck (regional semifinalist), 20. Groesbeck (bi-district finalist).

 

Tigers on top

I did not have Rockdale as my preseason number one, but they were in my top 5. I am always pleased when I have a team in my top 5-10 that ends up winning the state championship. Throughout the playoffs, this Rockdale team reminded me of Cameron from 2014. The styles were a bit different, but both teams were simply not going to be denied despite how their seasons may have played out in non-district and district play. As much credit as I give to Rick Rhoades for Cameron’s success in 2014, you have to give just as much credit to Jeff Miller. Miller simply had his team playing exceptional football when it mattered the most.

 

Yoe not in rankings

It really does not seem right to see a poll without Cameron in it, but that is the reality after this season. I had Cameron as my preseason number two team, while all other major polls had the Yoemen number one. This year’s Yoemen simply never showed the capability of competing for all the marbles. Had Cameron played Teague competitively it would have been feasible to make appearance in the rankings, but all the frustrations of 2017 seemed to culminate in a game that got away early. There is always next year.

 

Region III well-represented

Before the playoffs started, I thought it might have been tough for region III to win a state championship. Rockdale not only won state, but did it in convincing fashion. The Tigers did have some battles in their run through the region, and that is why Malakoff (10), Woodville (12), West (5) and Teague (4) are all included in my final rankings. I also pegged Groesbeck for the

number 20 slot, as 9-3A had all four playoffs teams ranked. Region II had four teams ranked, but Kemp, the regional champs, were the highest at number nine. Kemp was dominated by Brock in the semifinals. That was truly the “down” region as the proof is in the pudding.

 

Preseason top 20 upcoming

In the coming weeks, I will be releasing my preseason top 20 football rankings for 2018. Traditionally, these rankings are similar to what you will see from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and TheOldCoach when they release their preseason magazines in the summer months of June and July.