ALTO — Respect and Alto football seem to go hand in hand, year after year.

And according to Texas Football magazine, that trend has continued for yet another season.

The famed publication has listed the Yellowjackets at No. 10 in its preseason Class 1A-I poll.

The 'Jackets return 12 starters and 15 lettermen off of an 8-4 club of a year ago.

Head coach Keith Gardner’s' Black and Gold are penciled into the No. 2 spot in the District 10-1A-I rankings, trailing  only the Wolves of San Augustine, who are ranked at a lofty No. 3 in the state poll.

Looking at the Mean Sting offense, quarterback Jacolby Whitaker stands out.

Whitaker, a junior quarterback, rushed for just under 1,400 yards in 2011 and plowed into the end zone 14 times by land.

By air, Whitaker passed for 1,100 yards and tossed a dozen scoring strikes.

Another player to watch on the offensive side is Jacksonville transfer, Anfernee Black.

Black, just a sophomore, carried the leather 15 times for 340 yards (22.67 yards per touch) and proved to be the latest in a long line of speedsters the school is famous for producing.

The Mean Sting offensive line is expected to be built around senior Tanner Jones (6-foot-1, 260-pounds).

Jones had a breakout season a year ago while amassing 58 knockdowns.

Linebackers Michael Taylor (6-foot-1, 220-pounds) and Logan Smith (5-foot-10, 160-pounds) are the chief headhunters on the defensive side.

Taylor made 114 tackles last year and had seven quarterback sacks and 24 tackles for loss, in his first season at Alto, after transferring in from Cushing.

Smith's figures were also eye popping — 93 take downs, three sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

Alto is slated to open the season by visiting Elkhart on Aug. 31.

Two weeks later the 'Jackets will play at home for the first time in 2012, with Tenaha providing the opposition.

The league opener is booked for Oct. 19. On that evening the Mean Sting will journey to Pineland for a dust up with West Sabine's Tigers.

West Sabine is predicted to finish third in the loop standings, according to Texas Football, with Grapeland coming in fourth, ahead of Shelbyville and Cushing.