TYLER, Texas — Carthage and Malakoff will start the 2024 season as the No. 1 teams in the #bEASTTexas Fabulous 15 polls.
Carthage received 10 first-place votes and 203 points to take the top spot in the Class 6A/5A/4A poll. Malakoff received 12 first-place votes and 208 points to sit atop the Class 3A/2A/TAPPS rankings.
Carthage, a nine-time state champion, went 13-1 last season and fell to eventual Class 4A Division II state champion Gilmer in the 47-44 in overtime in the state quarterfinals.
Longview (11-2) received one first-place vote and 173 points to come in at No. 2 in 6A/5A/4A. The Lobos are making the jump up to Class 6A this season.
Chapel Hill (13-3) received one first-place vote and 171 points to check in at No. 3. The Bulldogs advanced to the Class 4A Division I championship game last season.
Gilmer (13-3), which won its fourth state title, received two first-place votes and 170 points to start the season at No. 4.
Texas High (11-2) rounds out the top five with 147 points. The rest of the top 15 for 6A/5A/4A are Pleasant Grove, Kilgore, Lindale, Lufkin, Van, Tyler, Whitehouse, Tyler Legacy, Pine Tree and Center. Sulphur Springs, Jasper, Brownsboro, Caddo Mills, Marshall, Canton, Spring Hill and Palestine all received votes.
Malakoff went 16-0 and won its first state title in program history in 2023, defeating Franklin in the Class 3A Division I championship game.
Winnsboro (12-1) received 170 points and checked in at No. 2 in Class 3A/2A/TAPPS. The Red Raiders’ only loss was to state Malakoff in the playoffs.
Timpson received the other two first-place votes and comes in at No. 3 with 162 points. The Bears went 16-0 and defeated Tolar in the Class 2A Division I championship game for their first state title.
Daingerfield (120 points) and West Rusk (117 points) round out the top five. The rest of the top 15 for 3A/2A/TAPPS are Garrison, Beckville, Lovelady, Hooks, Troup, Jefferson, New Diana, Harmony, Diboll and Cooper. Atlanta, Grace Community, Palestine Westwood, Liberty-Eylau, Overton, Tenaha, Tatum, Waskom, Frankston, Honey Grove, Brook Hill, DeKalb, Mount Vernon and Mount Enterprise all received votes.
Voters in the poll were Phil Hicks and Brandon Ogden of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Jack Stallard and Thomas Bingham of the Longview News-Journal, Ryan Silapan of the Panola Watchman, Nathan Hague and John Krueger of the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, Edwin Quarles of the Lufkin Daily News, Jay Neal of the Jacksonville Progress, Serenity Douglas and Reagan Roy-Young of CBS19, Taylor Honea of the Palestine Herald-Press, Harlen the Sports Guy of the Friday Night Scoreboard Show and Bret Swinney of the Northeast Texas Sports Network/NETSN.
#bEASTTexas Fabulous 15
6A/5A/4A
1. Carthage
2. Longview
3. Chapel Hill
4. Gilmer
5. Texas High
6. Pleasant Grove
7. Kilgore
8. Lindale
9. Lufkin
10. Van
11. Tyler
12. Whitehouse
13. Tyler Legacy
14. Pine Tree
15. Center
Others receiving votes: Sulphur Springs 25; Jasper 13; Brownsboro 10; Caddo Mills 9; Marshall 8; Canton 3; Spring Hill 3; Palestine 1.
3A/2A/TAPPS
1. Malakoff
2. Winnsboro
3. Timpson
4. Daingerfield
5. West Rusk
6. Garrison
7. Beckville
8. Lovelady
9. Hooks
10. Troup
11. Jefferson
12. New Diana
13. Harmony
14. Diboll
15. Cooper
Others receiving votes: Atlanta 30; Grace Community 26; Palestine Westwood 26; Liberty-Eylau 22; Overton 18; Tenaha 12; Tatum 8; Waskom 8; Frankston 7; Honey Grove 6; Brook Hill 5; DeKalb 2; Mount Vernon 2; Mount Enterprise 1.