Every year, when August rolls around, area high school teams begin the long grind of something we all know and love — Texas high school football.
Just like any sport kicking off a new season, team expectations are high and energy can be felt in every room of the building. As rosters become more clear with individuals vying for coveted varsity roles, one thing remains up in the air, and that is, who will ultimately come out on top?
As sports writers and enthusiasts, we all have our grand thoughts and opinions of who will be standing come playoff time. The usual suspects across the state stand out.
In Division 6A, everyone looks at Allen, Duncanville, Southlake Carroll, Katy, Houston North Shore, and Denton Guyer to name a few. In Division 5A we have Aledo, Highland Park, Frisco Lone Star, Denton Ryan, Manvel and Corpus Christi Calallen.
The only thing left to do now is play the games and see what shakes out. Who will be the perennial powerhouse teams come November? Who will fall? Who will shock the storylines and be in the mix to play spoilers?
Just like everyone, I love seeing those unnoticed or forgotten programs rise to the top. With just three weeks remaining across all state classifications, we have some incredible storylines unfolding. I’ve given my thoughts from the top two divisions with a surprise team primed to make a playoff push and go from underdog to playoff contenders.
DIVISION 6A
Coming out of summer camps and headed into Week 1, Lewisville was coming off its best season in well over a decade and its first playoff appearance since 2007. The biggest question surrounding head coach Michael Odle’s squad was if it could repeat the success and build upon the previous year or was this a flash in the pan in a stout District 6-6A that includes consistent contenders in Coppell and Marcus?
The answer to this question is a resounding statement that Lewisville is back to the winning ways of their 90’s state championship teams.
After getting off to a blazing 6-1 start, the Farmers are beating their opponents by an average of 36 points. With a potent offense, a stingy defense and a coach that brings a fire and passion to the sidelines, Lewisville is ready to fight.
DIVISION 5A
This classification is strong in every area of the state. For this surprising team, however, I stay in the DFW area as the state’s highest ranked teams come from the metroplex.
Any given Friday night, schools like Denton Ryan, Highland Park, Frisco Lone Star can all go toe to toe with the best, including area 6A schools.
My surprise pick is not a storied program from past years but a fourth year program from Denton Braswell.
Head coach Cody Moore and his squad boast an offense that is averaging over 550 yards a game, making them one of the area’s top producing offensive units. With a defense that forced five turnovers against a Frisco Reedy team that went deep into the playoffs a year ago, the Bengals are hitting on all cylinders at just the right time.
Braswell is led by senior quarterback Greyson Thompson and his 2,015 yards and 20 TDs, and he likes to spread it around to a very deep and talented group of receivers.
Over the past two weeks, Braswell has shown a balanced approach, averaging 325 yards on the ground, though.
By air or by ground, the Bengals are dangerous. With a win Friday against a Princeton team that has already knocked off two district opponents in Lake Dallas and Frisco Memorial, the Bengals are poised to make history.
