The Cooldown - Week 10
DFW - Week Ten
Welcome to the last week of the regular season! That’s right, the playoffs are right around the corner. We have one more week to decide a few playoff races before we start the process of crowning a new state champion again. Let’s dive in to a few thoughts before week eleven.
1. Undefeated Teams
I want to give a quick shout out to the few undefeated teams we have remaining in the DFW area.
Southlake Carroll Dragons
The Dragons are 9-0 and survived a great game with Denton Guyer to get to this point. Guyer was Southlake’s best shot at losing a game this season and, after a slow start, the Dragons impressed and won comfortably. Southlake Carroll has a road game against a 3-6 Keller Timber Creek squad on Thursday where the Dragons should secure a perfect 10-0 regular season record.
Duncanville Panthers
Duncanville is one of the top five ranked teams in the nation and it’s shown this season. The Panthers are 9-0 and none of their nine games have been all that close. Lake Highlands lost 28-6 and St. Johns (D.C.) lost 35-14, but those games have been the closest Duncanville has come to losing. Molina won’t be able to change that, and Duncanville will head in to the playoffs at 10-0.
Allen Eagles
Allen survived an early scare from Coppell in its third game of the season, eventually prevailing 28-21 without starting quarterback Raylen Sharpe. Allen hasn’t had a close game since Sharpe returned and the Eagles will finish out their schedule with a Plano West team that just won its first game since 2016 last weekend. Allen is a dark horse candidate to make a run to the state championship game, but they’ll have to beat Duncanville to get there.
Longview Lobos
Longview demolished a banged-up Rockwall squad at home earlier in the season. Rockwall was one of the most talented teams the Lobos faced in the regular season. Though they are geographically not part of the metroplex, they play in a district with metroplex teams and are one of the best teams in the state. We’ll see if Longview can make another run to the state championship game and go back-to-back as state champions.
Denton Ryan Raiders
The closest game Denton Ryan has played in was a 35-9 win over Colleyville Heritage a few weeks ago. The Raiders will wrap up the regular season with a game against Birdville and will be one of a few favorites to play in the state championship game in 5A. Can Denton Ryan finally get over the hump and make the state championship game? We’re about to find out.
Frisco Lone Star Rangers
Lone Star has been one of the most electric teams in the state behind sophomore quarterback Garret Rangel and star receiver Marvin Mims. The Rangers really put themselves on the map with an early season win over Highland Park and then survived a scare from Mikey Harrington and The Colony later in the season. Lone Star wraps up its season with Frisco Heritage and will enter the playoffs at 10-0 and with a massive target on its back.
Argyle Eagles
Argyle defeated Waco La Vega 49-35 early in the season and hasn’t looked back since. This offense can score with the best of them and the Eagles will be a threat to make it to the state championship game. Argyle closes out its season with a good Celina team this weekend. Keep an eye on Argyle throughout the playoffs.
Sunnyvale Raiders
Sunnyvale hasn’t exactly been challenged during the regular season and should finish its season at 10-0 with Farmersville standing between the Raiders and a perfect regular season record. Sunnyvale will be another team to keep an eye on this postseason.
2. District 7-6A Championship Game
That’s right. Championship game. DeSoto and Cedar Hill will be playing for a district championship. Everyone knows about the rivalry and the schools being just five miles apart. Everyone knows these are typically two of the most talented teams in the metroplex. But it isn’t often that we get a de-facto district championship game on the last day of the regular season.
Samuri Collier and Kaidon Salter will lead their teams into one of the fiercest rivalries in the state with major implications and we’ll have the highlights for you this weekend.
3. Richland Rebels
The Richland Rebels season looked all but over just a handful of weeks ago. Richland found itself on the wrong end of a 35-34 loss against L.D. Bell after beating Abilene 35-34 the week before. The Rebels were 1-5 and still had some of the best teams in its district left on the schedule. They would go on to beat San Angelo Central 30-27, Haltom 28-17 and then Weatherford 65-62 in a thriller.
Richland is now 4-5 with a chance to finish at 5-5 and win a district championship. The Rebs are tied at the top of the district standings at 4-1 with Euless Trinity. Just like district 7-6A, we’ll get a de-facto district championship game on the last day of the regular season between Trinity and Richland at Pennington Field on Friday. Regardless of what happens on Friday, the Richland Rebels are a playoff team after a 1-5 start and Richland deserves a huge congratulations for pulling off that feat.