Central Texas high school football coaches answer who are the area's best teams and players

The American-Statesman recently asked Central Texas high school football coaches to select the area's best teams and players. The coaches, who answered anonymously, provided insights on their opinions and consensus. The Lake Travis team received the most votes as the most likely to win the state championship with five votes, followed by Weiss and Vandegrift with four each, and Westlake with one.

For the best quarterback in the area, Jaxon Schad from Weiss received the most votes with six, followed by Weston Nielsen from Bastrop with four, Chase Ames from Dripping Springs with two, and David Cooper from Cedar Park with one. As for the best local player (excluding quarterbacks) coaches anticipated seeing on their schedules, Weiss' Tre Moore led the way with four votes, followed by Hutto's Jaiden Fields with two, and other players with one or two votes each.

When asked which local player (excluding quarterbacks) was not on their schedule, Moore and Fields again led with three votes each. The coaches also speculated on which Austin-area team would surprise them this year, with Cedar Ridge, East View, and Cedar Park receiving two votes each, and other teams receiving one vote each. Lastly, the coaches predicted DeSoto as the best team in the state with five votes, followed by Galena Park North Shore with three votes, Waxahachie with two, and Allen, Smithson Valley, and Lake Travis each with one vote.