A Colleyville Heritage runner runs down the levee at the 2023 Marcus Coach T Inv.
- Written by Alex Chambliss
Every year we see the state of Texas produce some of the tightest and most competitive team environments in the country. Battling for championships in Texas is no small task as any small error in a big race could see a team fall from a championship contender to a group on the outside looking in.
In an environment like this, there are often what we like to call sleeper teams. These teams don't necessarily top the preseason rankings or have longstanding legacies, however, they're teams with the potential to capitalize on mistakes and perform when it matters. So, let's take a look at five teams who possess that potential, and could spoil the party in a big way come November.
1. El Paso Eastwood
El Paso Eastwood have long been a team who have found success in the state of Texas. With strong teams throughout much of the 2010s and state championships in 2018 and 2019, the Eastwood boys consistently found success in the 5A division. However, after placing third in the 2021 UIL State Championship, this time in 6A, the Eastwood boys failed to make the 2022 state meet.
Because of this setback, the Eastwood boys found themselves left out of the preseason top ten. However, despite this, the Eastwood boys have found themselves returning to their old form as they've started the season hot. The Troopers currently hold an average time of 15:51 with a 61-second split good enough for the third-best team score amongst 6A teams. While the Eastwood boys may have had a difficult year last year, they certainly look to have returned to form and have emerged as one of the top teams with the potential to make noise in November.
2. Waxahachie
For the next entry on our list, we head just south of the DFW area where Waxahachie has jumped out to a hot start to begin the season. Waxahachie placed only thirteenth at the UIL Region 2 Championships last year, a result they surely weren't satisfied with. However, they have righted their wrongs as they've produced some impressive results to start the year.
Led by a young talented trio of Graham Scott, Brock Morales, and Cooper Grady the Waxahachie boys have quickly asserted themselves as a contender within Region 2, far from their struggles last year. The Indians currently hold an average time of 15:56 with a split of just 46 seconds, good enough for the fifth-best team score amongst 6A teams. It remains to be seen where the Waxahachie boys go from here, however, a spot on the line in November will have their name on it if they can keep up their impressive performances.
3. Flower Mound
Staying in the DFW area, we head to the next entry on our list where we meet Flower Mound. Flower Mound have a rich history in the 6A division, having produced many great individual talents including NCAA 10,000m Runner-Up Alex Maier. However, after years of consistent production, the Flower Mound boys have struggled to make it back to the state meet.
Being in a tough Region 1, the Jaguars have faced stiff competition over the last several years, however, this year they look poised to return to the top of the table within the region. They've started the season strong led by senior Avinash Patel who clocked a 15:37 at the Marcus Coach T Invitational last weekend. The Jaguars hold an average time of 16:08 with a 47-second split which currently puts them sixth among 6A teams. While Flower Mound may have struggled in recent years, this year looks to be a return to form for the Jaguars as they continue their fight in one of the country's toughest regions.
4. Colleyville Heritage
For the fourth entry on our list, we once again stay in the DFW area where we find Colleyville Heritage. The Heritage boys are another team on this list who have been very close to the state meet but have fallen victim to tough regional alignments. However, based on their early season performance, this looks to be the year where they can overcome this obstacle.
The Panthers are led by a strong duo with senior Brett Jacobs and junior Wallace Bullock who've started the season running 15:32 and 15:45 respectively. The Heritage boys also sport strong depth with an average time of 16:10 and a 1:13 split, good enough for the top spot among 5A teams so far. Despite being unranked in the preseason polls, the Colleyville Heritage boys have quickly asserted themselves as a contender in the 5A division and look poised to shock some people come November.
5. McKinney Boyd
Rounding out our list we head to McKinney where the Boyd boys have gotten off to a hot start this year. Another team plagued by the pressure cooker that is Region 1, the Boyd boys came into the season unranked. However, despite this, the Broncos started the season with a runner-up performance over several ranked teams at the Southlake #1 XC Invite.
The Broncos are led by senior Caleb Millard and junior Joaquin De La Cruz who both ran blazing fast 3 miles to start the year. With a combination of a strong duo fighting up front with strong depth, the Boyd boys possess the potential to make a run at the state meet this year. Should these impressive performances continue, McKinney Boyd could easily find themselves toeing the line in Round Rock this November.