TXHSFB Tuesday: 5 things we learned from Week 1; 5 things to watch in Week 2
WEEK 1
1. What we noticed: Southlake Carroll, Colleyville Heritage will be OK
Week 1 games featured four of the top teams in DFW with Carroll vs. South Grand Prairie and Heritage vs. North Forney. All four programs went to the second round last season while three made it three rounds deep. Carroll reached the state quarterfinals. But it was evident that there were some jitters, some nerves and some kinks to work out. Carroll and SGP went to halftime scoreless; CHHS led North Forney 2-0 at the break. It wasn’t the ideal Week 1 headliners we had hoped, but don’t worry Dragon and Panther fans, your teams will be OK.
What we did see was that Carroll defense, which will be the talk of the team. The Dragons picked off SGP three times, including one from top 2020 corner RJ Mickens. Linebackers Michael Parrish and Graham Faloona, and DT Quentin Bunten will be tackling machines and as long as SLC has SMU RB TJ McDaniel in the backfield, the Dragons will put up some points.
For Heritage, the biggest concern was quarterback. Who was going to get the ball to Texas A&M WR Kam Brown? They may have found the answer in senior Trey Flint, who was the starting QB on JV as a sophomore. Flint and Brown hooked up once for an 18-yard TD, but Heritage may use two or three QBs to throw the defense off. They also have a bonafide playmaker in Jacob Fex, who can line up behind center and is a standout DB.
Defense is also the key for CHHS. Alongside Fex, Brown can play on defense as well as Flint, Bruce Cobb, Brayden Gerlich and hard-hitting Michael Young.
2. Biggest Upset: Diamond Hill-Jarvis 40, Dallas Conrad 12
DHJ and Conrad may have been pretty even on paper before their meeting on Thursday, but when you’re riding a 77-game losing streak, odds are you’re the underdog in each game you play. That didn’t matter to DHJ, though, as the Eagles are above .500 for the first time since 1999. Senior Eddrick Hampton carried the ball 14 times for 150 yards with two scores. He also caught two passes for 92 yards and returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown. Adrian Gutierrez threw for 148 yards and one touchdown. DHJ out-gained Conrad 382-260 and forced four turnovers. The Eagles led 34-0 before the the Chargers hit the scoreboard.
3. Best Win: Three-way tie Duncanville 34, Lancaster 0; Euless Trinity 37, Waco Midway 7; Aledo 40, Denton Guyer 0
Hard to pick just one, but these three wins stuck out the most. Duncanville, No. 8 in the latest AP Class 6A poll, looked every bit a title contender, holding the Tigers to only 171 yards on offense and nine first downs. The Panthers led 27-0 at halftime.
Midway graduated Oklahoma QB Tanner Mordecai, but the Panthers still entered the season as 6A Division II state runner-up. They looked far from the same team in December after Trinity’s dominance on the road. The Trojans scored 28 points in the third quarter and forced five turnovers.
Guyer was without its top RB and DT, but it was still a nice win for 5A Division II Aledo over the 6A Wildcats. The Bearcats held them to 210 yards as the Wildcats were shutout for the first time since their inaugural varsity game in 2006. Oklahoma RB Jase McClellan rushed for 99 yards with two touchdowns.
4. Best Offensive Performance:
QB Jahari Rogers (Arlington): In his first game as varsity QB, Rogers didn’t disappoint in the Colts’ 55-25 win over Dallas Jesuit. The 2020 ATH threw 16 of 22 for 404 yards and 7 TDs. He added 53 yards rushing as Arlington erased a 15-3 deficit in the first quarter.
RB Dajuan Wheatfall-Hunter (Polytechnic): The Parrots defeated Dallas Hillcrest 62-20 to win their first season opener since going 4-0 in 2009. A big reason why was senior Wheatfall-Hunter, who rushed for 310 yards on 22 carries with 6 TDs. Poly gained 627 yards of total offense and rushed for 605 yards.
WR Gabriel Woodard (Trimble Tech): The senior wideout accounted for 58 percent of the Bulldogs’ yards in a 40-7 win over RL Turner. Woodard made seven catches for 224 yards and 3 TDs with an average of 32 yards per catch.
K Caden Davis (Coppell): Texas A&M commit made a school-record 57-yard field goal as time expired over Sachse (30-28).
5. Best Defensive Performance: Sebastian Tauaalo, DB, Euless Trinity
The Trojans went from leading 9-7 at half to 37-7 before the fourth quarter started. They forced Midway into four-straight turnovers, and five overall on the night. Tauaalo forced two turnovers with a forced fumble, interception and added six tackles.
WEEK 2
1. Looking ahead to the best of the best including two doubleheaders at The Cotton Bowl. Mansfield Lake Ridge, who nearly knocked off Oklahoma power Tulsa Union, takes on Midway on Friday. Euless Trinity and Sachse meet up Saturday.
2. Playoff rematch between Kennedale and Midlothian Heritage. The two have met up the past two postseasons with Kennedale coming out on top both times by two points. Who will come out this time? Kennedale’s run game and defense or Heritage’s loaded offensive attack.
3. Chandler Morris’ coming out party last week as the two-time defending state champ Highland Park beat out Rockwall 49-42. Morris, who was backup to John Stephen Jones, is the son of Arkansas coach Chad Morris, formerly of SMU. The 6-foot junior QB put on a show with 22 of 30 passing for 338 yards and 2 TDs. He also rushed 10 times for 105 yards and 4 TDs. What will Morris have for an encore when the Scots host Mesquite Horn.
4. Can Mansfield ISD bounce back after returning from Oklahoma. Only one of five schools won in the Border Brawl, the Summit Jaguars. Lake Ridge and Timberview lost by single digits while Legacy and Mansfield lost by three possessions.
5. Six Fort Worth ISD schools won in Week 1: DHJ, Benbrook, Western Hills, Paschal, Polytechnic and Trimble Tech. Can the 817 keep it going in Week 2?