Parish Episcopal tops SBLive’s latest Texas Small School Top 25 football rankings (Oct. 27)
With the bulk of the 2022 Texas high school football regular season officially in the books, it’s time to review and assess how the state’s best squads have performed through Week 8.
We’re taking a closer look at the state’s top private school and Class 2A-4A teams and evaluating their season-opening performances in the newest edition of SBLive’s Texas Small School Top 25, which seeks to recognize the best sub-5A high school football teams across the state.
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The Dallas Parish Episcopal Panthers ascended to the top spot in our Texas Small School Top 25 football power rankings for the first time during the 2022 season this week.
The Panthers secured the No. 1 spot in the latest edition of SBLive's small school Texas high school football rankings following a wild game that shook up the top five, as China Spring beat Stephenville in a wild 38-36 win during Week 9.
The then No. 4 Cougars knocked off then No. 1 Stephenville — which has occupied the top spot in the Small School top 25 since the preseason — to snap the Yellow Jackets' 23-game winning streak which stretched back to the start of the 2021 season.
China Spring broke open a back-and-forth defensive battle with two touchdowns during the final 2 minutes of the second quarter.
Junior quarterback Cash McCollum threw a 69-yard touchdown pass and the Cougars' blocked a Yellow Jackets' field-goal attempt as time expired during the second quarter. China Spring scooped up the loose ball and scored on a 65-yard fumble return touchdown to take a 21-7 lead over Stephenville into halftime.
The Yellow Jackets, however, battled back and scored 15 straight fourth-quarter points to reclaim a 36-35 edge with less than a minute remaining in the game.
With one timeout left, the Cougars drove nearly the length of the field to set up senior kicker Thomas Barr, who kicked into the wind and drilled a 40-yard field goal as time expired to seal a 38-36 win for China Spring.
The victory moved China Spring up to No. 2 in the latest Texas Small School Top 25 rankings, while Stephenville dropped to No. 3 following its first loss of the year.
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Another major result that reshaped this week's top 10 was Refugio's 38-27 victory over Shiner in a battle for first place in District 15-2A DI.
Refugio and Shiner — who have met in the third or fourth round of the UIL Class 2A Division I football playoffs in each of the last three seasons — had each won seven straight games since both suffered losses in their respective season openers against 3A DI Hitchcock and Hallettsville.
The Bobcats, however, rolled to their biggest win over the Comanches during their sustained runs of dominance in 2A DI in recent years, beating Shiner 38-27 on the road.
The victory helped Refugio claw its way into our Texas Small School Top 25 power rankings for the first time this season, as the Bobcats debut this week at No. 23.
Shiner, meanwhile, fell 15 spots this week from No. 10 to No. 25 after the two-time defending 2A DI state champions lost their second game this year following back-to-back unbeaten seasons in 2020 and 2021.
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SBLive’s Texas Small School Top 25 football rankings are compiled by Andrew McCulloch and Buck Ringgold, and will be updated weekly throughout the regular season.
Where does your squad stand in the latest edition of our statewide Texas high school football rankings?
Check out the latest, updated version of SBLive’s Texas Small School Top 25 in its entirety below:
Texas Small School Top 25 rankings: WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 | WEEK 6 | WEEK 7 | WEEK 8 | WEEK 9
Texas Top 50 rankings: WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 | WEEK 6 | WEEK 7 | WEEK 8 | WEEK 9 | WEEK 10
Editor’s Note: * represents teams who also hold spots in the SBLive Texas Top 50 statewide high school football rankings.
SBLIVE’S TEXAS SMALL SCHOOL TOP 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS — WEEK 10 (OCT. 27)
1. Dallas Parish Episcopal Panthers (7-1, 2-0)*
Previously ranked: 2nd
Last week: W 42-7 vs. Fort Worth Nolan
Next game: Oct. 28 at Addison Trinity Christian (2-6, 1-1)
2. China Spring Cougars (8-1, 2-0)*
Previously ranked: 4th
Last week: W 38-36 vs. Stephenville
Next game: Oct. 28 at Life Waxahachie (2-5, 0-2)
3. Stephenville Yellow Jackets (7-1, 1-1)*
Previously ranked: 1st
Last week: L 38-36 at China Spring
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Alvarado (3-5, 0-2)
4. Carthage Bulldogs (9-0, 5-0)*
Previously ranked: 3rd
Last week: W 64-28 vs. Center
Next game: Oct. 28 at Van (5-3, 3-1)
5. Franklin Lions (8-0, 4-0)
Previously ranked: 6th
Last week: W 49-35 at Lorena
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Cameron Yoe (6-2, 4-0)
6. Gilmer Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 5th
Last week: W 42-6 at North Lamar
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Longview Spring Hill (1-7, 0-3)
7. Gunter Tigers (8-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 7th
Last week: W 84-0 at Lone Oak
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Leonard (6-2, 2-1)
8. Corpus Christi Calallen Wildcats (9-0, 5-0)
Previously ranked: 8th
Last week: W 66-0 at Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway
Next game: Nov. 4 vs. Hidalgo (5-3, 2-2)
9. Anna Coyotes (8-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 11th
Last week: W 41-7 at Nevada Community
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Paris (1-7, 0-3)
10. Timpson Bears (8-0, 4-0)
Previously ranked: 9th
Last week: W 25-22 at Joaquin
Next game: Oct. 27 vs. Shelbyville (5-3, 2-2)
11. Holliday Eagles (8-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 13th
Last week: W 61-0 at S&S Consolidated
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Wichita Falls City View (3-4, 2-1)
12. Bellville Brahmas (8-0, 4-0)
Previously ranked: 12th
Last week: BYE
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Wharton (3-5, 1-3)
13. Silsbee Tigers (8-0, 4-0)
Previously ranked: 15th
Last week: W 35-28 at Hamshire-Fannett
Next game: Oct. 27 vs. Bridge City (1-7, 0-4)
14. Boerne Greyhounds (8-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 16th
Last week: W 49-7 at San Antonio Kennedy
Next game: Oct. 28 at Somerset (7-1, 3-0)
15. Celina Bobcats (7-1, 4-0)
Previously ranked: 17th
Last week: W 55-13 vs. Dallas Carter
Next game: Oct. 28 at Dallas Pinkston (5-3, 1-3)
16. Hitchcock Bulldogs (9-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 20th
Last week: W 55-0 vs. Hempstead
Next game: Oct. 28 at Hallettsville (6-2, 1-1)
17. Newton Eagles (8-1, 5-0)
Previously ranked: 18th
Last week: W 62-0 at Kountze
Next game: Nov. 4 vs. New Waverly (6-2, 3-1)
18. Mt. Vernon Tigers (8-1, 4-1)
Previously ranked: 19th
Last week: W 44-24 at Commerce
Next game: Nov. 4 vs. Pottsboro (7-1, 4-0)
19. Cuero Gobblers (7-1, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 21st
Last week: W 77-0 at Caldwell
Next game: Oct. 28 at Smithville (3-5, 2-1)
20. Columbus Cardinals (8-1, 2-1)
Previously ranked: 23rd
Last week: W 35-12 at Yoakum
Next game: Nov. 4 vs. Hempstead (1-7, 0-2)
21. Shallowater Mustangs (7-1, 2-0)
Previously ranked: NR
Last week: W 43-28 at Bushland
Next game: Oct. 28 vs. Muleshoe (6-2, 1-1)
22. Houston St. Thomas Eagles (8-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 22nd
Last week: W (FF) vs. Houston The Village School
Next game: Oct. 28 at Houston St. Pius X (4-4, 2-1)
23. Refugio Bobcats (7-1, 4-0)
Previously ranked: NR
Last week: W 38-27 vs. Shiner
Next game: Oct. 28 at Kenedy (4-4, 2-2)
24. Wimberley Texans (8-0, 3-0)
Previously ranked: 25th
Last week: W 21-14 vs. Geronimo Navarro
Next game: Oct. 28 at Lago Vista (6-2, 2-1)
25. Shiner Comanches (7-2, 4-1)
Previously ranked: 10th
Last week: L 38-27 at Refugio
Next game: Nov. 4 vs. Kenedy (4-4, 2-2)
Dropped out: Bushland (#14), Canyon (#24).
