Class 5A Division II state semifinal
Who: South Oak Cliff (13-1) vs. Lubbock Cooper (13-1)
When: Friday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium
1. A historic run for South Oak Cliff
A win over Lovejoy in the 5A-II Region II final put South Oak Cliff – ranked fourth in the statewide 5A-II poll - into a position it hadn’t been in since 1970: the state semifinals. A win over Lubbock-Cooper, ranked fourth, would send South Oak Cliff into its first-ever state championship game, and it could become the first Dallas ISD school to win a state title since Booker T. Washington did in 1958.
2. South Oak Cliff’s defense
South Oak Cliff’s defense has allowed the third-fewest yards per game (179.7) and the second fewest points per game (13.88) of any Dallas-area 5A team. With a unit that includes four-star junior cornerbacks Jayvon Thomas and Malik Muhhamad, three-star senior cornerback Kyron Chambers and a host of other defenders with Division I offers, South Oak Cliff shut out a potent Lovejoy offense in the first half of the 5A-II Region II final.
3. Lubbock Cooper’s star defenders
Like South Oak Cliff, Lubbock-Cooper knows a thing or two about defense. With a front seven led by linebacker Kobie McKinzie (Texas pledge) and defensive lineman Kyler Jordan (Baylor pledge), Lubbock-Cooper has allowed just 14.3 points per game on average, and shut out Wichita Falls Rider 22-0 in the regional final.
4. A potential first for Lubbock Cooper
Friday’s game will be Lubbock Cooper’s second trip to the state semifinals in the last three seasons, though it’s never played in a state championship game. It lost to 10-time state champion Aledo in the fifth round of the 2019 state tournament, and went 11-2 in 2020 and lost to Wichita Falls Rider in the regional final.
5. Two-man backfield for South Oak Cliff
The backfield duo of Qualon Farrar and Ke’Undrae Hollywood has been effective for South Oak Cliff. Farrar, a senior three-star running back committed to North Texas, has 90 carries for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hollywood, also a senior, leads the team with 99 carries, 1,048 yards and 16 touchdowns. Both scored against Lovejoy in the regional final.
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