Gridiron matches between Texas High Schools have reached the home stretch, with the few remaining games determining post-season tournament brackets and pairings. Below is a look at how five ranked squads negotiated Week 7 challenges:
Southlake Carroll Dragons
The Southlake Carroll Dragons (7-0) undoubtedly retained the Number 1 slot on the ranking ladder as they, once again, cruised to a lopsided victory against an overmatched opponent. The October 8 victim was unranked Ft. Worth Keller Central Chargers (2-5). They were never really a factor in the 63-7 final.
The game was played at Carroll’s now twenty-year-old and once renovated 11,000 seating capacity Dragon Stadium. Carroll steamrolled to a 49-0 halftime lead, amassed 573 total yards from scrimmage, and in general continued to pile it on without 5-Star recruit QB Quinn Ewers.
Considered the #1 star in the 2022 recruiting class and eagerly sought after by all familiar collegiate programs, he opted to forgo his senior year of High School eligibility. Ewers is the object of conflicting reports as to his final commitment.
An August 3 posting on FanBuzz points him to Ohio State, while an August 14 column by Brian Gosset of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram assured local faithful that he had “flipped” his commitment to the Texas Longhorns. The most current version of its website lists Ewers on the Buckeyes roster. He is nowhere mentioned on any comparable Longhorn platform, leading to the belief that the Gosset column was erroneous.
Following a bye this coming weekend, next up for the Dragons is an October 22 road trip to V.R. Eaton. They are sure to provide a more significant challenge with their 6-1 on the year and a 43-21 victory over Keller High in their recent outing.
Duncanville’s Panthers
Duncanville’s Panthers (5-1) did not seem phased by some recent off weekends as they paid a visit to Mansfield’s thus far winless Lake Ridge Eagles (0-6) and emerged with a 59-0 whitewash. A 21-point Panther third quarter essentially settled matters in their favor.
Opponent weakness in their schedule seems to have influenced a drop to #3 in Lone Star rankings.
An upcoming Panther matchup promises to be more challenging. On Friday, October 15, the Panthers will host the now 4-2 Indians from Waxahachie.
Denton Guyer Wildcats
Another perennial Division 6 power, the Denton Guyer Wildcats, improved to 7-0 on the season and climbed a notch from 5th to 4th in the State with a skillful home field and conference 35-14 victory over Little Elm’s Braswell Bengals. The losers were checkmated by three pass interceptions and a meager 100 yards rushing.
Although one was boomed downfield for 53 yards, Braswell’s punter could average only 34-yards in four kicks, as the team’s season numbers dipped to 4-3, 1-2 in the conference. Guyer has yet to furnish individual and team statistics and will do so on October 15 when they host the upstate Allen Eagles.
Aledo Bearcats
The Joshua Owls (3-4) fell victim to another juggernaut, as the unbeaten Aledo Bearcats (7-0) dropped in on Owl Field and defeated their hosts, administering a 55-0 thrashing.
Overall, the Bearcat’s superiority is underscored in two-game measures. Joshua’s freshman signal-caller completed only 36% of his attempts, while the Owl running game was stymied for 41 yards in 39 carries.
On October 15, Aledo will host a conference game against the Mansfield Timberview, who is 3-4 on the year but 76-0 winners in its recent outing.
Leopards of Lovejoy High School
A newcomer to the elite corps is the Leopards of Lovejoy High School (6-0) up in Lucas, a 30-mile drive north from Dallas along US-75. A half dozen convincing 2021 victories have earned their 9th place in the Texas rankings, most recently a 53-0 October 8 home field stampede over conference rivals, the Memorial Warriors out of Frisco.
Neither school has published statistics, but readers can be confident that Leopard Head Coach Chris Ross went to his bench early and often on the strength of a 31-point halftime lead. The Division 5A-2 Leopards now prepare for an October 15th road game at Lake Dallas, whose Falcons are 3-4 on the season but 2-1 on their home turf.