Area well-represented in preseason softball poll

By Jim Barnes

This should be a banner year for Central Texas softball teams, and the first Texas Girls Coaches Association state preseason poll agrees.

Nine local teams are in the top 20 of their respective classifications, including five in the top 10.

Midway, which lost in the state semifinals last season, is No. 5 in Class 4A.

Two-time defending 3A runner-up West is No. 3, followed by Robinson at No. 7. Crawford is No. 11 in 2A. (Surprisingly, a loaded Bruceville-Eddy team that reached the regional semifinals last season is unranked.)

Central Texas dominates the 1A rankings with four teams: No. 6 Itasca, No. 7 Mart, No. 11 Moody and No. 20 Hubbard.

Belton rounds out the area teams at No. 13 in 5A.

Softball teams have already begun practicing. Games start Feb. 13.

The full rankings:

CLASS 1A

1.   Shiner

2.   Grapeland

3.   Albany

4.   Lindsay

5.   Petrolia

6.   Itasca

7.   Mart

8.   Sam Rayburn

9.   Charlotte

10. Beckville

11. Moody

12. McLeod

13. Center Point

14. Malakoff Cross Roads

15. Falls City

16. Dodd City

17. McLean

18. Saltillo

19. Tahoka

20. Hubbard

CLASS 2A

1.   Danbury

2.   Nacogdoches Central Heights

3.   Wall

4.   East Bernard

5.   Refugio

6.   Santa Gertrudis Academy

7.   Wichita Falls City View

8.   Alpine

9.   Mineola

10. Poth

11. Crawford

12. Tom Bean

13. Edna

14. Brock

15. Colorado City

16. Bishop

17. Coahoma

18. George West

19. Early

20. Grand Saline

CLASS 3A

1.   Celina

2.   Huntington

3.   West

4.   Sweeny

5.   Lucas Lovejoy

6.   Lubbock Cooper

7.   Robinson

8.   Henderson

9.   Rusk

10. Pilot Point

11. Midland Greenwood

12. Burkburnett

13. Paris North Lamar

14. North Forney

15. Lufkin Hudson

16. Van

17. Yoakum

18. Lindale

19. Canton

20. Columbia

CLASS 4A

1.   Frisco Wakeland

2.   Santa Fe

3.   Forney

4.   Dripping Springs

5.   Midway

6.   Birdville

7.   Burleson

8.   Royse City

9.   Barbers Hill

10. New Braunfels Canyon

11. Montgomery

12. Red Oak

13. Corpus Christi Moody

14. Elgin

15. Little Cypress Mauriceville

16. Fort Bend Ridge Point

17. Bay City

18. Manvel

19. Brenham

20. Sherman

CLASS 5A

1.   The Woodlands

2.   Plano East

3.   San Antonio O'Connor

4.   Tomball

5.   Keller

6.   Alvin

7.   San Benito

8.   Dobie

9.   Houston Bellaire

10. El Paso Americas

11. Deer Park

12. Plano

13. Belton

14. Round Rock Stony Point

15. Southlake Carroll

16. El Paso Hanks

17. San Antonio Southwest

18. Lubbock Coronado

19. Flower Mound Marcus

20. Los Fresnos

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