Best Texas High School Football Programs

There's nothing like high school football in the Lone Star State. These are the biggest powerhouses.

Best Texas High School Football Programs

People in Texas take pride in a lot of things. Work ethic and barbecue come to mind. But nothing makes a native Texan prouder than when they get to tell someone how great high school football is in the Lone Star State.

And they’re not wrong.

There’s nothing like it.

We've ranked the most dominant high school football programs in Texas and added some takes on the teams from Chris Jirgens, a longtime college assistant coach with two decades of experience, including many years spent traversing Texas looking for recruits.

25. La Vega

Location: Waco (pop. 134,436)

Division: Class 4A

State titles: 2 (2015, 2018)

All-time greats: TE Kedrick James (Alabama), DB Parrish Cobb (Oklahoma)

Coach’s take: "The rivalry between La Vega and China Spring in (Central Texas) isn’t one a lot of people know much about, but it’s as heated as any in the state of Texas. It’s a throwback-type of program."

Bottom line: La Vega has just started winning state titles in the last few years.

But the tradition was built during decades under retired head coach Willie Williams and defensive coordinator and current head coach Don Hyde.

24. Stephenville

Location: Stephenville (pop. 20,797)

Division: Class 4A

State titles: 4 (1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2012)

All-time greats: QB Kevin Kolb (Houston/NFL), S Cody Davis (Texas Tech/NFL), QB Branndon Stewart (Texas A&M), QB Jarrett Stidham (Auburn), QB Jevan Snead (Ole Miss)

Coach’s take: "This is the school where Art Briles first made his name as a high school coach and everyone started to see he was kind of this offensive wizard. Always adapted to what they had on the field, which sounds simple but it’s not."

Bottom line: It’s been a long time since Art Briles' heyday, but Stephenville did manage to win another state title in 2012.

In 1998, the team also set a national record for total offense with 8,664 yards to break a 73-year-old record.

23. Canadian

Location: Canadian (pop. 2,649)

Division: Class 3A

State titles: 4 (2007, 2008, 2014, 2015)

All-time greats: DE Auston English (Oklahoma/NFL), QB Tanner Schafer (Oklahoma), RB Bill Cross (West Texas State/NFL),

Coach’s take: "If you’re wondering why all of Canadian’s best players seem like they go to Oklahoma, it’s because Canadian is so far north, it’s almost in Oklahoma. The history of this team and this town would be a pretty good movie."

Bottom line: Canadian also has state runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2018.

In 2009, the eam was the subject of a New York Times feature, titled "In Texas, New Life Where Towns and Teams are Dying."

That should give you some idea of the landscape in the Texas panhandle.

22. Lufkin

Location: Lufkin (pop. 35,510)

Division: Class 5A

State titles: 1 (2001)

All-time greats: DL Joe Robb (1957), OL Rex Hadnot (1999), S Terrence Kiel (2001), RB Jovorskie Lane (2005), WR Dez Bryant (2007)

Coach’s take: "From a coach’s perspective, Lufkin is one of those schools that you just know their players are going to be ready to play in college. Or at least have that college mindset when they step on campus because of the level they play at."

Bottom line: Lufkin only has one state title in the books, but that doesn’t count the titles won by Dunbar High in 1964, 1966 and 1967. The two schools consolidated in 1970.

Despite a lack of state titles, Lufkin has found itself ranked in the USA Today Top 25 in multiple years and routinely produces NFL talent.

Look at recent stars Dez Bryant and Reggie McNeal.

21. Byron P. Steele

Location: Cibolo (pop. 29,249)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 1 (2016)

All-time greats: QB Tommy Armstrong, Jr. (Nebraska), RB Malcolm Brown (Texas/NFL)

Coach’s take: "I really think they’re going to win another state championship sooner than later. The talent they produce on a year-to-year basis is pretty consistent, and they are putting a lot of kids at BCS schools."

Bottom Line: If you’re ever talking football with someone from Texas, just mention Cibolo Steele, and they’ll give you a knowing nod.

This is a school that opened in 2006 and already has won a state title and played for it two more times.

20. John H. Guyer

Location: Denton (pop. 113,383)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 2 (2012, 2013)

All-time greats: OL John Lanz (TCU/NFL), WR Jerrod Heard (Texas), QB J.W. Walsh (Oklahoma State), QB Shawn Robinson (TCU)

Coach’s take: "The thing to realize about Guyer is that the school didn’t open until 2005. And they’ve had the same coach since the school opened with John Walsh, which has been a great benefit for the community and for the program."

Bottom line: John Walsh’s son, quarterback J.W. Walsh (who went on to play at Oklahoma State), led the school into the state finals in 2010, their first season making playoffs.

What's even more impressive is two state titles in the first nine years of existence.

That. Is. Amazing.

19. DeSoto

Location: DeSoto (49,047)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 1 (2016)

All-time greats: DE Von Miller (Texas A&M/NFL), RB Tatum Bell (Oklahoma State/NFL), RB Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M/NFL), CB Ellis Hobbs (Iowa State/NFL), RB Byron Hanspard (Texas Tech/NFL)

Coach’s take: "This school has been unbelievable at producing college football talent over the years. At every level. Recently, the coaching stability has been an issue. Hopefully, that gets back on solid ground."

Bottom Line: DeSoto’s school district (infamously) considered firing head coach Todd Peterman after he went 16-0 and won a state title in 2016.

Peterman resigned after the 2017 season, and the program is now on its third coach in three seasons.

18. Duncanville

Location: Duncanville (pop. 38,524)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 2 (1998, 2022)

All-time greats: RB Barry Foster (Arkansas/NFL), DB Ray Crockett (Baylor/NFL), DL Adam Butler (Vanderbilt/NFL)

Coach’s take: "That state championship loss [41-36 to Galena Park North Shore in 2018] has to be tough to swallow. To get that close to winning the whole thing and lose like that [on a last-second 45-yard Hail Mary] … you’ll think about that one play, probably, for the rest of your life."

Bottom line: Coach Reginald Samples has re-established a winning culture at Duncansville since taking over the program in 2015 and came close to wining everything in 2018, the school's first 15-win season.

Over the years, the school has produced some top-level talent, including defensive back Ray Crockett, who was one of the more underrated defensive players in the NFL in the 1990s and won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos.

A couple of generations later, Adam Butler added a Super Bowl ring with the 2018 New England Patriots.

17. Longview

Location: Longview (pop. 82,287)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 2 (1937, 2018)

All-time greats: CB Bobby Taylor (Notre Dame/NFL), OL Trent Williams (Oklahoma/NFL), WR Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma/NFL), RB Chris Ivory (Tiffin/NFL), QB James Street (Texas)

Coach’s take: "If you know football at all, Bobby Taylor and Trent Williams are both Longview guys who were some of the best in the NFL at their positions. Recruited and coached a lot of Longview kids. Very disciplined, very focused."

Bottom line: Longview ended an 81-year state title drought in 2018, with quarterback Haynes King, son of head coach John King, earning Offensive MVP in the championship.

As Longview’s most famous alum, Matthey McConaughey, once said, "Alright, alright, alright."

16. Gilmer

Location: Gilmer (pop. 4,905)

Division: Class 4A

State titles: 3 (2004, 2009, 2014)

All-time greats: QB G.J. Kinnie (Tulsa/NFL), CB Curtis Brown (Texas/NFL), DE Kenny Pettway (Grambling State/NFL), WR Manuel Johnson (Oklahoma/NFL)

Coach’s take: "You’re getting way out there in East Texas once you hit Gilmer. Consider how small of a community that is and that head coach Jeff Traylor had them in five state championship games in a 10-year span and won three."

Bottom line: Gilmer’s Jeff Traylor Stadium (see what they did there?) ends up on a lot of Texas high school football stadium bucket lists, and for good reason.

Quarterback G.J. Kinnie’s one year at Gilmer was a 10-0 regular season, but a first-round playoff loss.

15. Trinity

Location: Euless (pop. 53,224)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 3 (2005, 2007, 2009)

All-time greats: OL Robert Griffin (Baylor/NFL), OL Sam Tevi (Utah/NFL), DE Ryan McBean (Oklahoma State/NFL), OL Mike Baab (Texas/NFL)

Coach’s take: "Some of the most welcoming people you will ever meet in your entire life, and I’ve coached several kids from here. You just have to get them on your roster, point them in the right direction, and they’ll just about figure the rest out on their own."

Bottom line: The Tongan community found roots in the Euless community decades ago, and the town has reaped the benefits.

An amazing line of football players have come into the program and added a vibrant, diverse segment to the city's population.

14. West Orange-Stark

Location: West Orange (pop. 3,443)

Division: Class 4A

State titles: 4 (1986, 1987, 2015, 2016)

All-time greats: S Earl Thomas (Texas/NFL), CB Kevin Smith (Texas A&M/NFL), WR Chris Cole (Texas A&M/NFL)

Coach’s take: "Talk about a school that breeds winners on the college and pro levels. And they’ve had a run in the last few years where they’re starting to churn out Division I players on a regular basis."

Bottom line: This program has a long traditon of success.

Kevin Smith led West Orange-Stark to back-to-back state championships in the 1980s, then won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys' dynasty in the 1990s as an All-Pro cornerback.

The school played in four straight state title games from 2014 to 2017.

13. St. Pius X

Location: Houston (pop. 2.3 million)

Division: TAPPS Division I (private)

State titles: 12 (1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1999, 2006, 2007)

All-time greats: QB Gary Kubiak (Texas A&M/NFL), DE Chris Harrington (Texas A&M/NFL), QB Grant Gunnell (Arizona)

Coach’s take: "St. Pius X had one of the best quarterback prospects in the country in the Class of 2019 with Grant Gunnel. He’s 6-foot-6, 220 pounds and all the major colleges in Texas wanted him, but he’s headed to the Pac-12 to play for Arizona."

Bottom line: You read that state title number right. That's 12, including titles in four decades. Not too shabby.

St. Pius X, like Dallas Bishop Dunne, doesn’t compete against public schools for state championships.

The school's football stadium is named after the program’s greatest player, former NFL quarterback Gary Kubiak, who led the team to a pair of state titles in the 1970s.

12. Carthage

Location: Carthage (pop. 6,779)

Division: Class 4A

State titles: 6 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017)

All-time greats: RB Keaontay Ingram (Texas), DB John Booty (TCU/NFL), RB Bobby Jackson (New Mexico State/NFL)

Coach’s take: "The talent they’ve had coming out in last few years has been some of the best the school has ever produced. The stadium they play in is something out of a dream … it’s cut out of the woods. What an atmosphere."

Bottom line: Even small town in Texas do big things. Carthage has a population under 7,000, but this program knows how to close.

Carthage’s 2017 state title was the sixth for head coach Scott Surratt in 11 seasons.

One other fun stat? Surratt has more state titles than playoff losses in his career.

11. Bishop Dunne

Location: Dallas (1.3 million)

Division: TAPPS Division I (private)

State titles: 5 (1984, 1988, 1990, 2014, 2018)

All-time greats: LB Brian Williams (USC/NFL), CB Bobby Watkins (Texas State/NFL), TE Roderick Lewis (Arizona/NFL), S Brian Williams (Texas A&M)

Coach’s take: "The private schools in Texas don’t get near as much attention as (public schools), but they also have premium talent. [Class of 2019 safety] Brian Williams is probably the best high school safety in the country this year."

Bottom line: In Texas, public and private schools do not compete against each other for state titles.

Public schools play in the UIL, while private schools play in TAPPS, where Bishop Dunne has been dominant for decades.

10. Cedar Hill

Location: Cedar Hill (pop. 45,028)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 3 (2006, 2013, 2014)

All-time greats: CB Josh Thomas (U. of Buffalo/NFL), WR Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas/NFL), OL Josh Allen (Louisiana-Monroe/NFL), WR Quincy Adeboyejo (Ole Miss/NFL)

Coach’s take: "If you had to deal with Cedar Hill in the last 10 years, you dealt with [former head coach] Joey McGuire, and you understand why the program did what it did. Major college recruiters flock to this place."

Bottom line: Before Joey McGuire became Cedar Hill’s head coach in 2003, the program had never won a playoff game.

He led the team to three state titles and one state runner-up in 14 seasons before making the leap to college.

He now is a Baylor assistant

9. Aledo

Location: Aledo (pop. 2,716)

Division: Class 5A

State titles: 8 (1998, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018)

All-time greats: RB Johnathan Gray (Texas), OL Kyle Hix (Texas/NFL), CB Jefferey Carter (Alabama)

Coach’s take: "If you want to know who the next big star is going to be, in college and probably in the NFL, it’s [Aledo] junior running back Jase McLellan. He’s committed to Oklahoma. This is a terrific small-town program."

Bottom line: This football program has been dominant over the last decade, racking up seven state titles and one state runner-up loss.

One parent from an opposing team filed bullying charges with the school district following a 91-0 loss to Aledo in 2013.

Yeah, that's dominant.

8. Westlake

Location: Austin (pop. 950,715)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 3 (1996, 2019, 2020)

All-time greats: QB Drew Brees (Purdue/NFL), QB Nick Foles (Arizona/NFL), OL Seth McKinney (Texas A&M/NFL), K Justin Tucker (Texas/NFL)

Coach’s take: "The fact that there’s two Super Bowl MVPs out of this one high school, both of whom are still in the league, tells you everything you need to know. Just a Division I football factory."

Bottom line: The story with Westlake isn’t its one state title. It’s seven state runner-up finishes.

The last two of those have come in overtime, in 2009 against Euless Trinity and 2015 against North Shore.

7. Celina

Location: Celina (pop. 6,028)

Division: Class 4A

State titles: 8 (1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007)

All-time greats: LB Anthony Lynn (Texas Tech/NFL), CB D’Anton Lynn (Penn State/NFL), OL Jordan Roos (Purdue/NFL), LB Jamie Blatnick (Oklahoma State/NFL)

Coach’s take: "One of the greatest programs in Texas high school football history, no doubt, even though they’ve come up short the last few times they’ve played in the state championship game."

Bottom line: This team is so iconic in Texas that it was featured in country musician Kenny Chesney’s 2010 music video "Boys of Fall."

Current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn in an alum, as is his son, former NFL cornerback D’Anton Lynn.

6. North Shore

Location: Cloverleaf (pop. 24,492)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 5 (2003, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021)

National titles: 1 (2018)

All-time greats: OL Andre Gurode (Colorado/NFL), DL Earl Mitchell (Arizona/NFL), DB Chykie Brown (Texas/NFL), DE Dorrance Armstrong (Kansas/NFL), DL Cory Redding (Texas/NFL)

Coach’s take: "The first place I ever went to recruit on one job. I couldn’t believe when I showed up to spring practice and there were, I counted, something like 31 Division I assistant coaches standing on the sideline."

Bottom line: "North Shore vs. All Y'All" was team’s rallying cry in the 2019 season, which is as good as it gets.

A Hail Mary to win the 2018 Class 6A-I state championship over Duncanville is one of best endings you’ll ever see to a high school game.

Ever.

5. Katy

Location: Katy (pop. 16,043)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 8 (1959, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015)

National titles: 2 (2015, 2020)

All-time greats: QB Andy Dalton (TCU/NFL), QB Bo Levi Mitchell (E. Washington/CFL), DB Terrence Frederick (Texas A&M/NFL),

Coach’s take: "Katy has one of the best programs, historically, in Texas high school football history. Consider that they’ve won at least one state title in each of the last three decades, and you kind of see where I’m coming from."

Bottom line: They are as consistent as the sunrise.

A little bit of praise for former Katy quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who led his team to an undefeated 16-0 season and state title in 2007. Then, he led Eastern Washington to the FCS national title in 2010 and has led the Calgary Stampeders to CFL Grey Cup titles in 2014 and 2018.

He's popular when he comes home.

4. Highland Park

Location: University Park (pop. 23,068)

Division: Class 5A

State titles: 6 (1945, 1957, 2005, 2016, 2017, 2018)

All-time greats: RB Doak Walker (SMU/NFL), QB Bobby Layne (Texas/NFL), QB Matthew Stafford (Georgia/NFL), P Daniel Sepulveda (Baylor/NFL)

Coach’s take: "The history of this school, going all the way back to the 1940s, is what makes it special. The current run they’re on shows what kind of coach Randy Allen has always been. I believe they’ve got 28 losses over the last 20 years, which is unheard of."

Bottom line: Raise your hand if you knew Doak Walker and Bobby Layne played on the same high school team.

Matthew Stafford led the team to an undefeated state title in 2005. And Highland Park’s 49-0 win in that state title game set a record for largest margin of victory.

That's a strong legacy.

3. Lake Travis

Location: Austin (pop. 950,715)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 6 (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016)

All-time greats: QB Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma/NFL), QB Todd Reesing (Kansas), QB Charlie Brewer (Baylor), QB Garrett Gilbert (SMU/NFL)

Coach’s take: "What’s amazing, from a recruiting perspective, is how underrated [Baker] Mayfield and [Todd] Reesing were coming out of high school and how dynamic they were on the college level. How many more Division I quarterbacks can you produce?"

Bottom line: How about this stat for Lake Travis?

It is the team in Texas history to win five consecutive state championships in football with 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Mayfield winning the final one in 2011.

The program finished as the state runner-up in 2015 and 2017.

2. Southlake Carroll

Location: Southlake (pop. 26,575)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 8 (1988, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011)

National titles: 3 (2004, 2005, 2006)

All-time greats: QB Chase Daniel (Missouri/NFL), QB Greg McElroy (Alabama/NFL), K Kris Brown (Nebraska/NFL). TE Max Boydston (Oklahoma/NFL), QB Kenny Hill (TCU)

Coach’s take: "Such a great tradition that spans across generations and coaches. The kids you recruit out of Carroll always seem a little more prepared, and they send them to schools all over the country."

Bottom line: Friday nights at Southlake’s 11,000-seat Dragon Stadium are pretty special.

Todd Dodge, the former University of Texas quarterback who led Southlake Carroll to three straight national titles as head coach, made the leap straight to Division I as a head coach at University of North Texas.

That's pretty remarkable.

1. Allen

Location: Allen (pop. 84,246)

Division: Class 6A

State titles: 5 (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017)

National titles: 3 (2012, 2013, 2014)

All-time greats: QB Kyler Murray (Oklahoma), OL Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M/NFL), QB Casey Dick (Arkansas), RB Jonathan Williams (Arkansas/NFL), OL J.D. Walton (Baylor/NFL)

Coach’s take: "Kyler Murray is the best high school football player I’ve ever seen. You hear his name thrown around a lot as the best high school football player in Texas history, which is as good as it gets. Division I atmosphere."

Bottom line: Allen plays home games in a $70 million, 18,000-seat stadium.

Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray went 42-0 as Allen’s starting quarterback, winning three consecutive state titles.

He was a first-round MLB draft pick in 2015 and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

Can you say stacked?