In 2024, one area team was crowned a state champion. Could that number go up this season? The road to AT&T Stadium for the UIL title games starts later this month. 

The poll is derived from rankings by three local preps reporters and an editor.

Our No. 10 team this season is Round Rock and No. 9 are the Dripping Springs Tigers. At No. 8 is Weiss, and at No. 7 is Georgetown, which came into last season ranked No. 10 before a 10-win campaign.

Here’s more on the Eagles:

No. 7 Georgetown

2024: 10-2, won District 8-5A DI. Lost to Frisco Reedy 49-45 in the area round of the playoffs.

Starters back: 7 offense, 2 defense

Key game: Cedar Park (Nov. 7). Though Lake Belton will be a tough out, this will probably be for the District 8-5A DI title. And after Westlake-Lake Travis, it may be the Austin area’s game of the year with the Timberwolves also being loaded. 

Georgetown Eagles season preview

A few notes about the Eagles, who will open the season Aug. 29 against San Marcos:

• This could be one of the Austin area’s top three offenses. RB Jett Walker (committed to West Virginia), WR Xavier Warren (UCLA) and OL Kaden Scherer (Stanford) are all Power 4 commits while junior QB Kaleb McDougle enters his second year as a starter after throwing for 2,442 yards and 30 TDs. With two other starters back on the offensive line in Sam Lopez and Ryan Castilleja, it’s not out of line to say this offense could consistently score more than 50 points. Walker averaged more than 10 yards a carry last season on the way to 2,348 yards rushing and 38 total TDs.

• Georgetown’s defense will be young, though. Only two starters return from 2024, though outstanding DE Tennison Dean and stout LB Kole Mitchell are a good base to build on. With the offense being so explosive, the defense doesn’t need to be anything special. But it may determine how deep the Eagles go in the playoffs. Georgetown’s nondistrict schedule — Victoria East, Belton, Copperas Cove — isn’t easy. However, it does allow time for the defense to gel. Junior LB Gavin Smith is a player that the Georgetown coaching staff thinks is poised for a big season.  

• Finally, some coaching consistency. Unlike last summer when Georgetown coach Chuck Griffin lost both of his coordinators and some other assistants, the Eagles coaching staff returns virtually intact this season. That should only pay dividends for a team that, if it stays healthy, has a floor of nine wins. 

Etc.

Keep an eye on RB Westin Steward. Griffin wants to keep Walker as fresh as possible for the playoffs, so Steward will be getting plenty of carries. … Being in Region II with schools mainly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there are no easy playoff games for Georgetown. Winning the district gives the Eagles the best shot to still be playing after Thanksgiving. … Walker was a Class 5A all-state pick and first-team all-Central Texas selection last fall. … Though Georgetown is a city that’s constantly growing, Griffin doesn’t expect the school to move up to Class 6A when UIL does its biennial realignment in February. The Eagles’ were more than 150 students below the 6A cutoff last realignment. … Georgetown over the last three years: 26-10, 17-4 in district (10-3/6-1, 6-5/5-2 and 10-2/6-1). … Georgetown hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2014. It went 7-3 that season with a 4-3 district mark but four teams finished district 5-2.