Northwest Eaton baseball poses at the VYPE DFW 2021 baseball/softball photoshoot presented by Whataburger
Week 4 is in the books, and district play is officially underway across Texas.
From Highland Park’s historic defensive struggles to Duncanville finding itself in unfamiliar territory, Aledo trying to keep an unbelievable streak alive and The Colony sitting at 4-0, there’s plenty to unpack.
Here’s what we learned in Week 4.
It’s not often that Highland Park has three losses through the first four weeks of a season. Heck, the last time the Scots lost three games in an entire season was 1998.
Last week, Highland Park fell to Argyle, 70-37, after surrendering 662 yards of total offense in what was one of the most lopsided losses in program history.
Denton Guyer scored 63 points against the Scots in the 2022 playoffs.
But 70?
According to the Lone Star Football Network, which tracks year-to-year records dating back to 1923, Highland Park has never allowed 70 points in a game.
In fairness, the Scots are breaking in virtually an entirely new defense from last season.
Still, Highland Park is now 1-3 with six games remaining to get back over .500 and avoid the program’s first losing season since 1987.
That’s a storyline worth watching.
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Piggybacking off Highland Park’s struggles is just how tough District 6-5A Division I is shaping up to be.
Birdville and North Richland Hills Richland are both 4-0 and have been rolling through their non-district schedules. Now, district play begins, and the race to finish in the top four is officially underway.
Highland Park is one of three teams sitting at 1-3, with Carrollton Creekview the lone team below them at 0-4.
Birdville is 4-0 after going 5-5 last season, while Richland has been a steady force in recent years, making its hot start less surprising.
Garland Naaman Forest is also 3-1 after knocking off previously unbeaten Denton last week.
There’s a lot of firepower in this district, and it may be flying a little under the radar.
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District play has barely started, but Duncanville finds itself in an unfamiliar spot.
The Panthers were one of four teams to lose their District 11-6A opener, joining Dallas Skyline, Mansfield and Mansfield Lake Ridge.
For years, District 11-6A has been known as the district of doom, with Duncanville and DeSoto leading the way. But this year, the Panthers are sitting at 1-3, tied for the fewest wins among the district’s eight teams.
Of course, there’s plenty of context.
Duncanville has already played Allen, Cedar Hill, DeSoto and North Crowley. That’s a brutal stretch. And the Panthers could easily be sitting at 2-2. A missed PAT proved costly in their one-point loss to DeSoto.
Duncanville also looked dominant for much of the first half against North Crowley last week. But after falling behind at halftime, the Panthers’ offense was shut down in the second half. Their only points after halftime came on the return of a blocked PAT in the 47-30 loss.
And the schedule doesn’t exactly get easier.
Duncanville still has Waxahachie — the No. 1 team in Class 6A — and a Red Oak team that is currently 3-1.
The Panthers haven’t lost more than three games in a season since 2015, when they finished 2-8.
In fact, Duncanville had lost just three games total since 2022 before this season began. That makes the Panthers’ current 1-3 mark one of the more intriguing storylines in Texas high school football.
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Aledo opened District 3-6A play in style, blasting Granbury, 69-0.
The win was the Bearcats’ second straight, moving them to 2-2 heading into a massive district showdown Friday.
Aledo travels to Arlington to take on James Martin, which enters the game at 4-0.
The Warriors are the only undefeated team in the district and are part of a four-way tie for first place at 1-0. Martin made a statement in its district opener, hammering Weatherford, 60-17.
And, of course, there’s the streak.
Aledo has built one of the most remarkable district-winning streaks in Texas high school football history. The Bearcats have won 136 consecutive district games, dating back to October 2007.
According to High School on SI, it is the longest district winning streak in the country.
High School on SI: Aledo vs. Denton Ryan
Last season, Aledo had to rally to beat Denton Ryan, 15-14, to keep the streak alive.
Now, James Martin gets its shot.
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The Colony may have one of the more unique names among Texas high school football programs, but the Cougars are making some noise of their own.
The Colony is 4-0 heading into its District 3-5A Division II opener against Colleyville Heritage (2-2).
And the Cougars enter as the underdog, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, by a sizable 17-point margin.
We’ll know a lot more about The Colony over the next few weeks.
Nevada Community and Argyle — both 3-1 — are waiting on the other side of this week’s matchup.
The Cougars have won just four games in each of the past two seasons, so this start is already a major change.
The Colony also hasn’t opened a season 4-0 since 2019.
And that team had a pretty notable player on its roster.
Christian Gonzalez was a member of that 2019 team before eventually becoming an NFL star with the New England Patriots. Gonzalez recently signed a four-year, $135 million contract with New England.
For The Colony, the question now is simple:
Is 4-0 the start of something special, or just a hot September?
District play is about to give us the answer.
Despite a valiant effort from Prosper Thursday night at Prosper ISD’s Children’s Health Stadium, the Eagles exploded for 28 unanswered points in the second half to cruise to a 51-21 victory.
Allen has now scored 50-plus points in three consecutive games and has won every game this season by at least 19 points. More importantly, the Eagles are now 1-0 in District 6-6A and already have a statement win over a team widely considered one of the district’s top contenders.
“It feels great. Definitely a team win — all four of them have been,” Allen sophomore quarterback Ty Snell told VYPE DFW. “We came to practice this week and executed, and that all showed tonight.”
Snell certainly did his part. The sophomore sensation finished with 267 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 80 percent of his passes.
Fellow sophomore standout Zack “Black” Williams continued his impressive season, hauling in his seventh touchdown of the year on a beautifully executed scramble play between him and Snell. And Allen isn’t slowing down.
The Eagles return home next Friday to host Princeton at Eagle Stadium for their second District 6-6A game of the season.
After rolling through four high-profile opponents by an average margin of 28.5 points per game, Allen has quickly established itself as one of the teams to watch as the district race heats up.
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BATTLE OF THE PANTHERS
North Crowley and Duncanville delivered another high-scoring battle in District 11-6A, but it was the Panthers who pulled away in the second half for a 47-30 victory.
The first half was an offensive showcase, with the two teams combining for 553 yards before North Crowley’s defense made the necessary adjustments after halftime.
The Panthers’ ground game was the difference.
G’yrell Smith powered his way to 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Kiante Ingram added 109 yards and two scores. Quarterback Jacob Torres also came up with several big throws, including two touchdown connections with Damarion Mays.
Duncanville quarterback Maximus “The Great” Denson kept the Panthers within striking distance early, throwing three touchdown passes in the first half. Four-star Purdue commit Trenton Yancey added four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
But North Crowley flipped the script after halftime.
The Panthers’ defense held Duncanville to just 73 yards in the second half, allowing the offense to create separation and secure another statement victory.
With the win, North Crowley improved to 4-0 and remained undefeated, while Duncanville dropped to 1-3.
Another chapter in this growing rivalry — and another big win for North Crowley.
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THE DRAGONS ARE BACK
Southlake Carroll, coming off losses to North Crowley and Allen, was in a rare spot heading into Week 4.
At 1-2, the Dragons dropped out of the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football/Associated Press state rankings. They had not been 1-2 since 2000 and had not lost three games in a row since the 1996 season, losing to McKinney, Coppell and Dallas Highland Park to close out a 4-6-1 season.
The 1996 season was also the last time Southlake Carroll didn’t have a winning record.
Facing a 3-0 Keller Central squad, the Dragons raced out to an early lead and picked up a 35-17 win on Thursday at Keller ISD Athletic Complex.
Dez Bryant Jr. scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and quarterback Hudson Tomcheck had a part in the final three scores to help the Dragons open District 4-6A with a win.
Southlake is now 15-0 all-time vs. the Keller ISD school in Fort Worth.
The Dragons jumped ahead 14-0 behind a 14-yard and 15-yard touchdown run by Bryant Jr., who has moved over from wide receiver to running back. Two years ago, when the Dragons made the run to the Class 6A Division II finals, they made a similar move.
That season, injuries forced Christian Glenn to move from wide receiver to running back. Like Bryant Jr., his dad was also an NFL wide receiver — Terry Glenn.
Bryant Jr. finished with 77 yards after rushing for 69 yards against Allen in his debut at the position.
“He does stuff that you never expect, which I think is what makes him so good,” Tomcheck said. “He'll go up and he'll bounce outside and cut back and go backfield and gain 20 yards. It's just unreal …. like it's stuff you never expect, which I think is one of his big strengths.”
Southlake led 14-0 after the first quarter and led 21-3 at halftime.
Tomcheck had a touchdown run late in the second quarter.
Keller Central (3-1) pulled within 21-10 in the third.
The teams traded turnovers in the third quarter — the Keller Central turnover was an interception by Carroll’s Ty Moody near midfield.
Southlake Carroll had to punt and Tyler Cooper couldn’t get a punt off and tried to run. The Chargers swarmed him and he fumbled. Farodd Meling picked it up and ran it back 35 yards for a touchdown.
Suddenly, the Chargers had pulled within 21-10.
Six plays later, a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tomcheck to Illinois pledge Brody Knowles extended the Southlake Carroll lead to 27-10.
In the fourth quarter, Keller Central’s Jerry Dillard and Tomcheck had touchdown runs.
Southlake Carroll returns home to play Haslet V.R. Eaton on Sept. 25. Keller Central stays at home and will host Trophy Club Byron Nelson on Sept. 24.
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BIG WIN FOR RANGERS OVER DENTON
Garland Naaman Forest is 3-1 for the second year in a row.
The Rangers went on the road Friday night and escaped with a 21-17 win over Denton at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex.
Quarterback Braylon Deal, a TCU pledge, ran for three touchdowns in the final non-district game.
Last year, Naaman Forest also started 3-1, but finished with a 5-6 record after a loss in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Rangers were in 6A the past two years and made the playoffs both times with 5-5 regular-season records.
This year the Rangers are in District 6-5A Division I and will start district play at Dallas Highland Park next Friday.
Heading into the district opener, only 4-0 North Richland Hills Richland and Birdville have better records in the district.
“We got 24 hours to celebrate,” Deal said. “Then we get treatment tomorrow (Saturday), and then we game plan for next week and Highland Park.”
The Rangers were down 10-0 early and eventually took a 14-10 lead at halftime after a pair of 6-yard touchdown runs in the second quarter by Deal. The first was set up by a fumbled punt by Denton at the 17-yard line.
Denton took the lead back in the third quarter with 2:58 left in the third quarter.
A trio of punts opened the second half and after pinning the Rangers deep, the Broncos (3-1) got the ball at Naaman Forest’s 41.
Two plays later, the Broncos regained the lead. Quarterback Terrance Lopez hit Sylvester Sims for an 8-yard gain and a facemask call added 15. The next play, Kaiden Credit ran for a 13-yard touchdown.
Naaman Forest answered on the next possession and scored the game's final points on a 6-yard run by Deal with 25 seconds left in the third.
The 68-yard drive featured a 14-yard run and a 17-yard run by Deal. Trevion Dizer added a 12-yard run, and perhaps the biggest play was a holding call on Denton on 4th-and-1.
Two plays after that drive-saving penalty, Deal scored the game-winning touchdown.
Denton, off to its best start since 2016, failed to muster a comeback on the next two drives — one coming off a fumble recovery by Markell Jennings.
Naaman Forest got the ball back with 5:11 and ran out the rest of the clock.
Deal finished with 118 yards rushing and his three touchdowns on the ground were one more than he had in the first three weeks of the season.
Denton struggled with 216 yards of total offense. The Broncos ran for 126 and passed for 90 and finished with 87 yards of penalties.
Terrance Lopez had a touchdown pass to Sylvester Sims in the first quarter for the first-half touchdown. Cris Puga hit one of two field goal attempts in the first half for Denton.
“It's always going to be about us, and we have to learn to understand that and be better,” Denton coach David Beaty said. “It hadn't reared its head at this point, so you don't want to learn that way. But it might be a good thing for us. And I mean, we just gave up 21 points at night. When you give up 21 points to a good team like this, you should win the game. And we weren't able to put the ball in the end zone. We've been scoring 45, 50 points a game, so 17 isn’t enough.”
On Friday, McKinney ISD hosted a cross country meet to get warmed up for the postseason.
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