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Arlington Martin quarterback Chase Devoll has led his team to a 7-0 start.
5 Things We Learned From Week 8 of Football Around the Metroplex
The Texas high school football season gets closer and closer to the postseason. Week 8 of UIL football and Week 9 for the private schools helped bring some district playoff photos into clearer view.
Here’s a look at five storylines that stood out during the week of games played Oct. 15-17.
District 3-6A
Arlington James Martin High School is sitting in first place in District 3-6A play.
At 7-0 overall and 4-0 in district games, the Warriors are closely followed by Weatherford and Aledo, both at 3-1. However, the Warriors have already beaten both of those teams.
Chase Devoll threw three touchdowns, and Javian Jones-Priest accounted for five touchdowns in a 45-20 win over Bowie.
Six of the eight teams in the district are still in the playoff hunt for one of the four berths — with a logjam of 2-2 teams in Arlington, Arlington Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Arlington James Bowie with 2-2 marks. Martin will face Lamar this week in a rivalry showdown that Lamar won last year.
The Warriors will close out facing Arlington and Granbury.
Anna standing alone
Looking ahead a little bit, the Anna vs. Celina showdown on Oct. 30 looked as though it could be a battle of unbeatens.
The winner would claim the District 4-5A Division II title.
Frisco knocked off No. 10-ranked Celina, 33-20, on Friday to force a tie with the Bobcats at 3-1 in district play.
The Raccoons, at one point, held a 19-point lead over Celina. However, Frisco lost to Anna earlier this season, so the Raccoons would need help to share the district title.
The No. 6-ranked Coyotes will face Denison, Celina and Prosper Richland.
Another upset
Perhaps the most shocking result in 6A football this past week was Lake Highland beating No. 9-ranked Coppell, 27-19.
The Wildcats were down 10-0 and later trailed 16-7, but rallied behind two touchdowns from John Cothern. The first was a touchdown run by the quarterback to give his team a 20-19 lead. Then, he had a touchdown pass to Conrad Ince.
Ince had three catches for 14 yards, but scored twice.
Lake Highland, part of Richardson ISD, is now in first place in District 7-6A with a 4-0 mark. Coppell and Plano East are now tied for second at 3-1.
Plano West, Richardson Berkner and Plano are all part of a tie for 4th with 2-2 district marks.
Backup coaches at Cedar Hill
Cedar Hill head coach Nichols Ward was placed on leave on Oct. 9 and news came out before the Longhorns’ game against Mansfield Legacy on Friday.
According to WFAA, Ward is under investigation for something, but what exactly was not reported by the television station.
Coaches Brice Musgrove and Chason Virgil shared co-head coaching duties in a 39-23 win over Mansfield Legacy.
The win moves Cedar Hill to 2-2 in District 8-5A Division I play. They are part of a tie for third place with three other teams for the final playoff berth with Burleson Centennial, Midlothian, Mansfield Summit and the Longhorns.
Defending state champion DeSoto is atop the district standings with a 4-0 mark.
Rose Strong
This weekend also came the news that Fort Worth Chisholm Trail quarterback Keaton Rose is battling leukemia.
The senior threw for 905 yards and 7 touchdowns and ran for another school record in 4 games this year. Gabriel Webster has been the starting quarterback since Rose’s exit.
A GoFundMe has been created to help his family and a T-shirt sale is also underway.
Chisholm Trail, part of Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, is 4-3 overall and 2-1 in District 3-5A Division I. Denton Ryan is leading with a 4-0 mark, with Denton, Azle and Chisholm Trail with two wins and right now sitting in one of the four playoff spots.
Private School QB of the Year: Legacy Christian's Ian Pulte
The fans have spoken for the 2023-24 football season and Frisco Legacy Christian Academy quarterback Ian Pulte won the VYPE DFW Private School QB of the Year Fan Poll. After winning the fan poll, VYPE DFW caught up with Pulte regarding his time with Legacy Christian so far:
Focusing on football for the remainder of his high school career, Pulte has not yet committed to play for a college program. With plenty of time to decide before he graduates in 2025, Pulte has been putting in hard work to ensure his ability to be a great student-athlete and teammate. VYPE DFW discussed Pulte's goals, future, and memories with Legacy Christian in an exclusive interview:
You had quite the season-- what would you say was your biggest motivation on the field?
"My biggest motivation was the support from certain people and the ability to use what God gave me to do my best."
What would you say was your biggest challenge this season?
"My biggest challenge this season was overcoming adversity from the challenges from past seasons and making the best at what I had as my first time as a starting quarterback."
What are some of your goals during the offseason?
"My goals this offseason are to get better physically, mentally, and spiritually through the game of football and being a quarterback. I plan to be even better and more committed so my team has a better chance next season."
What do you do to stay focused on those goals and get ahead of the competition?
"I stay ahead of everybody else and work harder to achieve these goals. I have a very special group of people that keep me straight as I focus on football and do whatever I need to to get better."
What would you say has been the secret to your success?
"There isn't a secret to how I play. I just practice to make every throw possible."
What about your team's success?
"We haven't had much success in the past as last year we went 2-8. Coming in as a starter this season, not many people had high expectations for our team and I believe we were underestimated which was a factor in our wins. Because of our hard work in the offseason and our determination to be successful, it helped us have a winning season with a 10-2 record."
What are you looking for in a college program?
"I am looking for a program that would be 100% committed to me as I will be for them."
What's one thing about your time playing at Legacy Christian so far that has made you the most proud?
"Out of the time that I have played for my school, what has made me the most proud is my teammates. They are the closest people that can relate to what I have experienced in football and that helps us grow closer as a brotherhood."
What has the community's support meant to you?
"As I said, not many people thought we were going far through the season. The parents, though, were our biggest supporters as they had to watch us lose many games every season until we changed that. Throughout those challenges, they kept supporting our team until the end of this season and will continue to do so."
Who do you look up to and why?
"I look up to God because I know none of this would be possible without him and he doesn't give us anything that we can't handle. Knowing this, I am confident in what I do."
With plenty of time to continue sharpening his skill and focusing on growth, Pulte can be expected to put in the effort necessary to head into his senior season poised for success.