THE 411: WHAT WE LEARNED IN WEEK 4 OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
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.
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HIGHLAND PARK?
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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6-5A DIVISION I IS LOOKING TOUGH
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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BOTTOM OF THE STANDINGS: DUNCANVILLE
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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WILL Aledo’s STREAK SURVIVE?
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: UNCHARTED TERRITORY
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.