What we learned: Crowley bounces back, Lake Ridge is on spectacular turnaround

Week 3 of the Texas high school football season showcased many standout performances.

Here are high school sports editor Charles Baggarly’s main takeaways from the action:

Crowley bounces back

Crowley had a tough start to the season with losses to Birdville and Houston North Shore.

But in Week 3, the Eagles were able to respond and overcome Dallas Skyline 33-32 in a hard-fought, close win. In 2024, Skyline shut out Crowley 31-0. This victory on Friday, though, was a promising sign for Crowley ahead of District 3-6A play.

“We were showing some grit,” Crowley head coach Carlos Lynn said. “And some toughness. Some resilience. I think we dominated the game in the stats, but the game kinda fell differently. We had to show some fight, and I was happy to see that.”

Lynn said that the program, obviously, wants to win every week. He emphasized that non-district is the time for programs to grow and prepare for the future while facing tough competition.

“[The non-district teams] are well-coached,” Lynn said. “They always expose some things that you don’t see. So, that’s an opportunity to get better and make sure that no matter who we’re playing, we know what our weaknesses are and we understand those things. It helps us to make better adjustments, make better calls.”

Lynn said, through Week 3, the program’s strength is a defensive line packed with talent and depth. The Eagles rotate seven or eight players who have been “lights out,” according to Lynn. He said offensive consistency is the main area that needs improvement.

Arlington Heights impresses

There is only one way you can describe Arlington Heights’ start to the season: completely dominant.

The Yellow Jackets have blanked their first three opponents and have totaled 189 points in the process. On Friday, Heights trounced North Side 70-0.

Before the season, Heights was the favorite to win District 4-5A Division I. The expectations were already very high, and so far, the Yellow Jackets have showcased they are the undisputed team to beat.

There is a long way to go in the regular season, but the way this Heights team looks is a very promising sign.

North Crowley finds a way

At every point North Crowley seems down for the count, the Panthers have showcased the heart of a champion.

On Friday, they erased a second-half deficit for the third time this season to defeat Denton Guyer. What does this mean for head coach Ray Gates and his squad?

Well, so far it’s been an opposite story compared to 2024, when the Panthers got off to ridiculously fast starts. The hard-fought wins aren’t ideal for a championship contender, but they do show North Crowley’s grit and ability to come out on top in crunch time.

Gates schedules a tough non-district slate for a reason. Now is the time to test the team, and the Panthers still have the rest of the season to do what Gates calls “sharpening the sword.”

That means fixing the penalties, fine-tuning the offense and coming together as a team. The Panthers, although talented, have a lot of new faces in key positions, and championship teams don’t come together overnight.

Mansfield Lake Ridge’s turnaround

Mansfield Lake Ridge went 1-19 the past two seasons, but the 2025 season has been a much different story.

The Eagles defeated Richardson 34-27 to start the season 3-0 and continue one of Texas high school football’s greatest season-to-season turnarounds. Quarterback Deshawn Edwards has impressed, and he accounted for four touchdowns in the win.

Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, a Texas Tech pledge, is anchoring the Eagles. With the spectacular early-season performances, all signs point toward Lake Ridge competing for a District 3-6A playoff spot.

Some big wins for Arlington ISD

Arlington Seguin and Arlington Martin started Week 3 on a good note, picking up strong victories on Thursday. Seguin shut out Burleson 21-0, and Martin’s offense exploded for 74 points in a victory over Mansfield.

Seguin looks like a District 3-5A Division II championship contender, while Martin’s bounce-back performance is a tremendous sign for the Warriors in what should be a competitive race for the District 8-6A title.

Arlington and Arlington Lamar also took steps in the right direction, picking up wins over Weatherford and Mesquite Horn, respectively. Although Bowie fell to Coppell, a consistent powerhouse, the Volunteers are still arguably the team to beat in 8-6A.

Week 3 scores

Thursday’s games

DISTRICT 4-6A

Hurst L.D. Bell 35, Keller Timber Creek 28

DISTRICT 3-5A D1

Denton Ryan 43, Keller Fossil Ridge 14

DISTRICT 4-5A D1

FW Wyatt 30, FW Chisholm Trail 27

DISTRICT 3-5A D2

Arlington Seguin 21, Burleson 0

NON-DISTRICT

Arlington Martin 74, Mansfield 47

Grand Prairie 41, Irving Nimitz 27

Frisco Panther Creek 63, FW Southwest 6

Dallas Hillcrest 28, FW Western Hills 21

Mineral Wells 36, FW Eastern Hills 33

Friday’s games

DISTRICT 4-6A

Euless Trinity 45, Keller Central 7

Keller 34, Justin Northwest 28 (OT)

Southlake Carroll 52, Trophy Club Nelson 3

DISTRICT 3-5A D1

Aledo 54, FW Brewer 7

NRH Richland 49, Denton 38

NRH Birdville 35, Granbury 7

DISTRICT 4-5A D1

FW Arlington Heights 70, FW North Side 0

Saginaw 62, FW Polytechnic 0

FW South Hills 17, FW Trimble Tech 14

DISTRICT 3-5A D2

Argyle 35, Mansfield Timberview 28

Colleyville Heritage 73, The Colony 7

Everman 12, Grapevine 7

NON-DISTRICT

Crowley 33, Dallas Skyline 32

FW Boswell 28, Haltom 24

Mansfield Lake Ridge 34, Richardson 27

South Grand Prairie 61, Mansfield Legacy 14

North Crowley 28, Denton Guyer 27

Arlington 38, Weatherford 27

Coppell 47, Arlington Bowie 26

Arlington Lamar 35, Mesquite Horn 24

Irving MacArthur 40, Arlington Sam Houston 28

Ennis 41, Burleson Centennial 13

Cleburne 37, Waco 27

Argyle Liberty Christian 35, Decatur 24

FW Carter-Riverside 34, Dallas Inspired Vision 12

Springtown 55, Kennedale 0

Alvarado 63, Robinson 28

Krum 47, Lake Worth 10

Wichita Falls Memorial 38, FW Dunbar 20

Stephenville 45, Godley 6

Arlington Oakridge 28, El Paso Coronado 14

FW Country Day 46, Colleyville Covenant Christian 26

FW All Saints Episcopal 48, Prosper Richland 10

Fort Worth Christian 61, FW Trinity Valley 52

Grapevine Faith Christian 55, Irving Cistercian 7

Pantego Christian 32, FW Mercy Culture 7

Ladonia Fannindel 60, FW Temple Christian 0

FW Covenant Classical 62, Plano Coram Deo 44

Carrollton Prince of Peace 46, Decatur Victory Christian 42

Kennedale Fellowship 75, Arlington St. Paul Prep 25

Dallas Conrad 46, FW Diamond Hill-Jarvis 27

River Oaks Castleberry 58, Bridgeport 44

Brock 56, Aubrey 7

FW Eagle Mountain 34, Paradise 27

Holliday 51, Benbrook 33

FW Southwest Christian 67, Venus 23

Crowley Nazarene Christian 86, Cedar Hill Newman International 0

Ovilla Christian 50, Keller Harvest Christian 0

Weatherford Grace Christian 24, Weatherford Christian 12

Azle Christian 61, Garland Christian 25

Saturday’s games

NON-DISTRICT

Arlington Grace Prep 76, McKinney Christian 63

Plano John Paul II 38, FW Nolan Catholic 21

This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM.

Charles Baggarly

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

(909)758-6249

Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.