Photo by Das Mitchell
Dallas South Oak Cliff continued its remarkable postseason run Friday night, defeating Melissa 35-17 in the Class 5A Division II state semifinals to secure a fifth straight trip to the state championship game. The Golden Bears built a commanding first-half lead and held off a late push to advance to another title matchup.
South Oak Cliff took control early behind running back Mikail Trotter, who scored four touchdowns in the opening half. A Jyrion Hampton pick-six and steady offensive execution helped SOC carry a 35-10 advantage into halftime. Neither team scored in the third quarter, as the Golden Bears’ defense limited Melissa’s opportunities despite the Cardinals moving the ball.
Melissa quarterback Brett Holloway accounted for both Cardinal touchdowns, including a 12-yard run early in the fourth quarter that briefly cut the margin to two scores. South Oak Cliff answered with defensive stops, highlighted by Isaiah Udom’s second interception with 21 seconds remaining to seal the win.
South Oak Cliff improves to 13-1 and will face Richmond Randle in a championship rematch at AT&T Stadium. Melissa’s season ends at 11-3 after its deepest playoff run since its 2021 title season.
