Allen fans, rejoice. Despite my long-held distaste for the football program (not really, but some Allen fans get slighted at the lightest prevarications), I’ve put Allen at the top of my Associated Press Class 6A ballot.
The Eagles continue to trounce their opponents, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon. Plano West — Allen’s closest thing to a challenger in 6-6A — comes calling this week, an interesting measuring stick. Bad news for West: star RB Soso Jamabo limped off the field near the end of the second quarter and didn’t return in West’s blowout win over Hebron. Jamabo had already rushed for 153 yards and four scores on 11 carries at that point, so he didn’t need to push it. But this is the week that Jamabo needs to be at 100 percent physically. He’s going to have to match Allen QB Kyler Murray, ridiculous play for ridiculous play.
Southlake Carroll — which was No. 3 in last week’s AP poll — moves onto my ballot, as does Pilot Point (in 3A). Carroll makes five Dallas/Fort Worth-area teams on my 6A ballot, the most all season: Allen, Skyline, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, SLC.
Here’s my AP ballot:
Class 6A: 1. Allen, 2. Manvel, 3. Skyline, 4. Cedar Hill, 5. DeSoto, 6. Cibolo Steele, 7. San Antonio Brennan, 8. Pearland, 9. The Woodlands, 10. Southlake Carroll
Class 5A: 1. Mansfield Timberview, 2. Ennis, 3. Temple, 4. Aledo, 5. Fort Bend Ridge Point, 6. Richmond George Ranch, 7. Fort Bend Elkins, 8. Lancaster, 9. Flour Bluff, 10. Houston King
Class 4A: 1. Navasota, 2. Gilmer, 3. Argyle, 4. Kennedale, 5. Gladewater, 6. La Grange, 7. La Vernia, 8. Coldspring-Oakhurst, 9. Big Spring, 10. Van
Class 3A: 1. Cisco, 2. Franklin, 3. Teague, 4. Wall, 5. Eastland, 6. Waskom, 7. Pilot Point, 8. East Chambers 9. Blanco, 10. New Boston
Class 2A: 1. Mart, 2. Refugio, 3. Bremond, 4. Canadian, 5. Albany, 6. Shiner, 7. Mason, 8. Alto, 9. Abernathy, 10. Booker