A look at the notable games around the Dallas area in Week 8 of the Texas high school football season.
Hot ticket
Parish Episcopal at Argyle Liberty Christian
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Argyle Liberty Christian
This will be a battle between two teams that won TAPPS state titles last season. As Parish Episcopal secured its fifth-straight TAPPS Division I state championship, Argyle Liberty Christian won the TAPPS Division II title under former Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten. This year, Liberty Christian moved up to Division I and was picked by some to win TAPPS 1-I. Entering the game that could decide the district championship, both teams are undefeated in 1-I play.
Parish senior quarterback Sawyer Anderson, a three-star Purdue pledge, has passed for 2,342 yards and 24 touchdowns and has thrown just three interceptions. Three-star junior wide receiver Jaylen Pile has 35 catches for 804 yards and 12 touchdowns. Liberty Christian running back Chase Garnett, a three-star South Florida commit, has rushed for 436 yards and eight touchdowns.
Taylor’s pick: Parish Episcopal 45, Argyle Liberty Christian 40
Spotlight on
Coppell at Lewisville
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Lewisville
State-ranked Coppell, 6–0 after a 59-14 rout of Little Elm on Friday, faces area-ranked Lewisville this week. Both teams are 3–0 in District 5-6A play, meaning this game has high stakes for the district race. With Denton Guyer taken care of in Week 6, Lewisville is arguably Coppell’s biggest hurdle to winning a district title for a consecutive year. Last season, Coppell finished first ahead of Lewisville in the District 6-6A race before both programs moved districts in UIL realignment. Coppell senior quarterback Edward Griffin, a three-star Baylor pledge, has passed for 1,319 yards and 20 touchdowns with two interceptions.
Taylor’s pick: Coppell 36, Lewisville 27
Frisco Emerson at Lovejoy
Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lovejoy
Lovejoy, along with undefeated Prosper Walnut Grove, sits atop the leaderboard in a deep District 4-5AII. Frisco Emerson, a 5A Division II state semifinalist last year, enters the contest with state ranked Lovejoy after a 44-31 loss to Anna. This will be a pivotal district matchup, especially for Emerson, which sits in fourth place behind Melissa in the district race. Lovejoy boasts one of the Dallas area’s top 10 Class 5A offenses (441.2 yards per game) with junior quarterback Jacob Janecek leading the way. Janecek has accounted for 1,774 all-purpose yards (1,421 passing) and all-purpose 28 touchdowns (23 passing). Texas commit Daylan McCutcheon, a four-star recruit, has been Janecek’s top target with 37 catches for 518 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Taylor’s pick: Lovejoy 52, Frisco Emerson 37
Prosper Walnut Grove at Anna
Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Anna
Class 5A newcomer Anna played a challenging front half of its district schedule, dropping close games to frontrunners Melissa and Lovejoy. After those contests, Anna rolled to a 70-29 win over Frisco Independence and beat Frisco Emerson 44-31 last week. The win helped Anna move up the leaderboard, putting it in contention for one of 4-5AII’s four playoff spots. Walnut Grove enters the matchup with Anna undefeated and will begin a challenging back half of its schedule on Friday, with contests against Lovejoy and Melissa also looming. Both Walnut Grove and Anna have top 5 offenses among Dallas-area 5A teams. Anna senior running back Edward Chumley has rushed for 622 yards and 13 touchdowns. Walnut Grove freshman quarterback Hayes Hackney has passed for 1,614 yards and 21 touchdowns to three interceptions, while running back Cam Newton has rushed for 788 yards and 14 touchdowns for the team in its first UIL season.
Taylor’s pick: Anna 59, Prosper Walnut Grove 51
Lancaster at Duncanville
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Duncanville
Five-star Alabama pledge Keelon Russell threw six touchdowns for a third straight game in Duncanville’s 42-20 win over rival DeSoto last week. Senior wide receiver Dakorien Moore, a five-star Oregon pledge, had an incredible game too with nine catches for 231 yards and four touchdowns. Duncanville rides that big win into a District 11-6A matchup with 6A newcomer Lancaster. Both teams are undefeated in district play. Lancaster is coming off a 30-19 win over Skyline. Junior Izayah Lee rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns in Lancaster’s victory. Lee has accounted for 706 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on the season.
Taylor’s pick: Duncanville 44, Lancaster 16
Carter at Kimball
Where: 2 p.m. Saturday at Kincaide Stadium
Despite playing in different classifications the last several years, rivals Carter and Kimball have made sure to schedule each other in pre-district play. The two Dallas ISD programs will meet again this year too in the “Oak Cliff Super Bowl,” though the stakes will be a bit higher. Kimball moved down to Class 4A in realignment and now competes in District 8-4AI with Carter. Entering their matchup on Saturday, area-ranked Kimball and Carter are 3–0 in district play. The game very well could decide the district title. Carter beat Kimball 20-8 last season in pre-district play
Taylor’s pick: Kimball 20, Carter 12
Argyle at Mansfield Summit
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Mansfield’s R.L. Anderson Stadium
Both 4–0 in District 3-5A Division II, a win for either Argyle or Mansfield Summit would increase their chances of securing a district title. Summit made a statement last week with a 21-20 win over Mansfield Timberview, while Argyle routed Arlington Seguin 36-7. Quarterback Demarus Bird passed for 126 yards and two touchdowns in Summit’s victory. Argyle’s defense forced three turnovers in the win over Seguin.
Taylor’s pick: Argyle 30, Mansfield Summit 17
Colleyville Heritage at Arlington Seguin
Where: 7 p.m. Thursday at Arlington’s Wilemon Seguin
Thursday’s battle between Colleyville Heritage and Arlington Seguin will be a contest between District 3-5AII’s third and fourth place teams. Colleyville Heritage blew out Everman 41-7 in Week 7, while Seguin lost 36-7 to Argyle. Earlier this season, Argyle beat Colleyville Heritage 42-35. Seguin started the season 5-0 before dropping its first game of the season to Mansfield Timberview. Wide receiver Carterrious Brown has 33 catches for 630 yards and 10 touchdowns for Seguin.
Taylor’s pick: Colleyville Heritage 33, Arlington Seguin 24
Richardson Berkner at Lake Highlands
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Lake Highlands
Last year, Richardson Berkner got the best of its longtime rival Lake Highlands in a 55-35 win. This season, Lake Highlands enters the contest with a 3–0 record in District 7-6A and Berkner, at 2–1 in district play, sits in third place in the race. Running back Christian Rhodes has powered the Lake Highlands offense with 804 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Berkner quarterback Cornell McGee IV has passed for 1,118 and nine touchdowns and has rushed for four scores.
Taylor’s pick: Lake Highlands 33, Richardson Berkner 21
Frisco Panther Creek at Lake Dallas
Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lake Dallas
Panther Creek and Lake Dallas rank second and third, respectively, in the Dallas-area’s 4A rankings. Lake Dallas sits in third place behind first place Celina and runner-up Panther Creek in the District 7-4A Division I race. Junior quarterback Graylyn Fry has played incredible for Panther Creek, completing 71% of his passes for 1,807 yards and 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions. His top target has been four-star junior Jalen Lott, who has 42 catches for 598 yards and nine touchdowns. Lake Dallas also has a solid quarterback-wide receiver combo. Thomas Adams has passed for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns with six of them to Gavin Young, who’s made 20 catches for 452 yards.
Taylor’s pick: Frisco Panther Creek 42, Lake Dallas 35
Forney at Rockwall
Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Rockwall’s Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium
Rockwall won District 10-6A last year, but finds itself in fourth place with a 1–1 record in district play. Forney, a 5A Division I state semifinalist in 2023 that moved up to Class 6A this season, is currently on the outside looking in with a 1–2 record in 10-6A play. This will be a pivotal matchup for both teams, which have been area powers in recent years. Rockwall junior quarterback Brent Rickert, who became the starter in relief of an injured Landyn Locke, has passed for 1,250 yards and 17 touchdowns. Four-star junior running back Javian Osborne has rushed for 753 yards and 14 touchdowns for Forney.
Taylor’s pick: Rockwall 37, Forney 30
Cedar Hill at Waxahachie
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Waxahachie
Waxahachie, which finished behind either DeSoto or Duncanville in district play the last two years, started district play with back-to-back games against each of the two defending state champions. It will likely be in a fight with Lancaster and Cedar Hill for the last two playoff spots. Both Cedar Hill and Waxahachie could use a win against the other this week. Waxahachie edged Mesquite Horn 37-33 last week and Cedar Hill beat Mesquite 28-14.
Taylor’s pick: Waxahachie 28, Cedar Hill 20
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