Welcoming an old friend back to the newsstands

An annual rite of summer is about to take place.

Any day now, Dave Campbell’s "Texas Football" magazine will begin to show up in local stores. For many football fans around the state, the magazine’s annual appearance serves as a welcomed reminder that the start of football season is not too far away.

Although it costs a little bit more than other preseason football magazines ($9.95 this year), there’s not a more comprehensive source of information available about the Lone Star State’s favorite sport. It offers previews on every team in Texas from approximately 1,300 high schools to the state’s college and pro teams, too.

As usual, there’s a lot for football fans to read about in the 48th edition of "Texas Football."

This year’s focus is on players who starred in high school at small towns in Texas and went on to prominence at the NCAA Division I level and in the NFL. Pictured on the magazine’s 2007 cover are Texas quarterback Colt McCoy from Tuscola (population 714), Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee from Burnet (5,562) and Texas Christian defensive end Tommy Blake from Aransas Pass (8,877).

Also, it should be no surprise to Rio Grande Valley football fans that Rio Hondo’s Roberto Garza is listed as one of Texas’ small-town talents playing in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.

According to the magazine, there will be more than two dozen players who hail from Class 3A through Class A high schools in Texas on NFL rosters this year. Three of them will be on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster — lineman Leonard Davis of Wortham (Class A), free safety Keith Davis of Italy (2A) and wide receiver Jamaica Rector of Celeste (A).

In the college section, Oklahoma is projected to prevail over A&M and Texas in the Big 12 South race, while Nebraska is the favorite in the Big 12 North. Southern Cal is No. 1 in the Texas Football/FSN Top 25 Poll. OU is ranked third, Texas eighth, TCU 13th and A&M14th.

While the NFL and college articles and previews are always interesting, for me, the real attraction of "Texas Football" is its exhaustive high school coverage. When I open the magazine, I like to check out the district predictions first.

Weslaco High, Los Fresnos and San Benito are projected to finish 1-2-3 in District 32-5A this season with Pace emerging as the top Brownsville team.

Projected to win other district races in the Valley in 2007 are Harlingen South (31-5A), La Joya (30-5A), Edcouch-Elsa (32-4A), Raymondville (31-3A), Port Isabel (32-3A), Hebbronville (32-2A) and La Villa (32-A).

A year ago, McAllen Memorial running back Bradley Stephens was the most heralded Valley athlete by "Texas Football." Stephens went on to Texas A&M, and Los Fresnos’ Mario Benavides (6-4, 280 pounds) is now receiving the magazine’s attention as one of the state’s top 25 high school offensive linemen.

Also, Weslaco High’s Mishak Rivas is listed as one of the state’s top running backs and could be poised for a super season as a senior after rushing for 2,028 yards and 27 TDs as a junior in 2006.

I have to admit, seeing the previews and top-player lists in "Texas Football" just makes me more eager for the season to start.

Since there’s still another month or so before workouts begin, about the best option right now is finding a copy of the magazine and setting aside time for some heavy-duty reading.

Last week, a fellow sportswriter in the office said he’d like to have two days to just kick back and read "Texas Football."

I’d like to have two weeks because there’s plenty to read, but somehow, I don’t think it’s going to happen.