Denton RC High School

1. Wichita Falls Rider - A top five team in just about every poll known to man, the Raiders will be a strong state championship contender with quarterback Shavodrick Beaver, who's committed to Michigan and is a Vince Young type dual threat. The Raiders are loaded with Division I talent and return a lot of players that rolled through the district last year. This year will be no different.

2. Ryan - The other Raiders in the district return a lot from last season's squad that went one-and-done in the playoffs, which has become a bad trend as of late for Joey Florence & Co. Last year's record wasn't pretty, but the Raiders played one of the tougher nondistrict schedules around. This year's will be easier and Ryan should shine early on. By all accounts, Scotty Young is the real deal, and he has an arsenal of weapons to use, most notably D.J. Beshears, who will be the area's top home run threat.

3. Lake Dallas - There's a pretty significant drop off from No. 2 to No. 3, as you can see by my clever spacing. I'm going to admit something here, I think I've underestimated the Falcons so far this preseason. They lost so much on what was a great defense last year -- their entire secondary and standout tackle Isaac Tauaefa. But the Falcons return a lot too, especially on the offensive side of the ball. I'd forgotten that Jared Beggs had done so well before blowing out his knee in midseason last year. He's back. I called in the Falcons scrimmage last year against Denton -- James Franklin would be a star quarterback before his days in Lake Dallas were over. That time is now, and my prediction (and many others') will come true. So, I think I owe the Falcons an apology. They will be legit this year and have surpassed Wichita Falls in my book.

4. The Colony - The Cougars return the majority of their big offensive line and a Division I talent in the backfield with their running back, who's committed to Tulsa. The Colony is a well-coached team that has had its fair share of struggles, but with the new rule allowing four postseason teams in Class 4A, the Cougars will have a good shot of playing in the playoffs.

4. Wichita Falls - I really think the Coyotes and Cougars will be neck and neck this year and might even have a tie in the standings, which would require some tiebreakers that I don't want to try to map out right now. But one of these two teams will likely be the fourth 5-4A representative. The Coyotes are kind of the consensus third team in the district, but from what I've heard from some trusted sources, they are struggling big time. They lost quite a bit, and their cupboard might be bare as their JV and sophomore teams struggled mightily last year.

5. Guyer - The Wildcats will win 4 (worst case) to 6 (best case) games this season, which for this program will be a huge leap in the right direction. I think there's an outside chance the Wildcats will contend for a postseason spot this year, but I see their year coming in 2009. The Wildcats' rushing attack will be top-notch this year, and the defense will be greatly improved. Luke Russell will make a name for himself and J.W. Walsh will come into his own. But I think this team's a year away from making a serious case.

6. Little Elm - The Lobos lost a ton last year, including their bell cow, quarterback Cole Beasley, who was a wonderful dual-threat quarterback. They will likely have just one win in district play this season. And guess who I'm thinking that will be against?...

7. Denton - Look, I really feel bad saying this. I was just telling someone today that I'd like to see the Broncos win a few games this year. I just don't see it happening. In fact, aside from their matchup with Fort Worth Western Hills, I don't really see them having a fair shake at a win -- maybe against Little Elm? Hunter Dozier will be a marked improvement behind center for Coach Patzkowski, but he simply won't have the weapons around him to do much with his talents. Numbers continue to plague the Broncos, and unfortunately, I don't see that changing any time soon.

So there it is folks. Yeah, I'm a sports writer, and I made my predictions. What do you guys think? Leave me your order of finish, and get it in before the season starts tomorrow if you want to come back later on and tell me how wrong I was.

Happy football season!