A look at the notable games around the Dallas area in Week 9 of the Texas high school football season.
Hot ticket
Prosper at Allen
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Eagle Stadium
This matchup of state-ranked 6A teams — Allen is No. 9 and Prosper is No. 15 — will likely determine the District 6-6A champion. Allen (7-0, 5-0) has 3,497 more students than Prosper and leads the all-time series 8-4. But Prosper (6-1, 5-0) has won three in a row against the largest school in the state, including 37-36 last year even though it was outgained 446-294. Prosper has the No. 2 run defense among area 6A schools, allowing 64.7 yards per game, while Allen averages 52 points thanks in part to a running game that averages 226.1 yards. Prosper has arguably the best offensive line in the state with Texas A&M pledge Connor Carty, Sam Houston State pledge Logan Cahill and four-star juniors Zaden Krempin (43 college offers), Bryce Gilmore (23 offers) and Sean Stover (offers from Oregon and Penn State, among others).
Riddle’s pick: Prosper 28, Allen 24
Spotlight on
DeSoto at Cedar Hill
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Longhorn Stadium
DeSoto has won four in a row in the Battle of Belt Line series, and the closest game in that span was a 22-point win in the regular season last year. Cedar Hill’s last win in the series was 49-42 in 2020, when quarterback Kaidon Salter accounted for six touchdowns and 389 yards of total offense. DeSoto four-star wide receiver Daylon Singleton, committed to SMU, didn’t play last week after being injured in a 42-20 loss to state No. 1-ranked Duncanville a week earlier. In his absence, Kristoff Fantroy and five-star sophomore Ethan Feaster combined for 11 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns in a 65-24 rout of Mesquite Horn. DeSoto four-star running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden Jr., committed to Texas A&M, ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns in that win and has rushed for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns in seven games for DeSoto (5-2, 3-1 District 11-6A), ranked No. 25 in the nation by MaxPreps.
Riddle’s pick: DeSoto 42, Cedar Hill 14
Carrollton Creekview at West Mesquite
Where: 7 p.m. Thursday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium
First place in District 6-5A Division I will be on the line when Carrollton Creekview (8-0, 6-0) faces off with West Mesquite (7-0, 5-0). That’s a big change from last season, when the teams were a combined 3-17 overall and 1-12 in district play. Creekview had five touchdown passes all of last season while finishing 0-10, but Cason Garcia has already thrown 17 touchdown passes and DeAndre Richardson has accounted for 15 touchdowns (12 rushing, three passing). West Mesquite has outscored the opposition 343-65 — an average margin of victory of 39.7 points — as Kamari Carter and Damarian Robinson have combined to run for 1,066 yards and 20 touchdowns and Demetrius Ballard and Jaylen Dotson have combined for 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Riddle’s pick: West Mesquite 35, Carrollton Creekview 20
Lovejoy at Prosper Walnut Grove
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Children’s Health Stadium
Two of the area’s top 5A quarterbacks go head-to-head, as Walnut Grove freshman Hayes Hackney has thrown for 1,839 yards and 23 touchdowns and Lovejoy’s Jacob Janecek has accounted for 31 touchdowns (23 passing) and 2,021 yards of total offense in seven games. Four-star Texas pledge Daylan McCutcheon could make the difference, as he has 29 touchdown catches in his last 21 games, including 10 this season for the state’s ninth-ranked 5A Division II team. A win would give Lovejoy (5-2, 5-0) victories against the four teams right behind it in the District 4-5A Division II standings. Lovejoy has scored more than 40 in six of its seven games, including more than 60 three times, while Walnut Grove (6-1, 4-1) has surpassed 60 points four times.
Riddle’s pick: Lovejoy 49, Prosper Walnut Grove 41
Richland at Aledo
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Tim Buchanan Stadium
Twelve-time state champion Aledo will try to extend its 124-game district winning streak — which is a state record by nearly 50 games — against a Richland team that is ranked No. 10 in the state in 5A Division I. No. 1 Aledo (6-1, 5-0) can take a huge step toward its 17th consecutive district title with a win over Richland (7-1, 5-1), which is a half-game out of first. Aledo four-star running back Raycine Guillory Jr. has run for 722 yards and 13 touchdowns and averages 103 yards, and Richland allows 163.4 yards per game on the ground and gave up 251 rushing yards in its one loss — 44-19 to Denton Ryan. Aledo beat Denton Ryan 42-27 as Guillory ran for 165 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Riddle’s pick: Aledo 42, Richland 17
Duncanville at Mesquite Horn
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium
State No. 1-ranked Duncanville is 35-1 since the start of the 2022 season, and the back-to-back Class 6A Division I state champion has outscored the opposition 1,643-451 in that span. That’s an average of 45.6 points per game and an average margin of victory of 33.1 points. The nation’s fourth-ranked team has seen five-star Alabama pledge Keelon Russell average 352.7 passing yards and five touchdown passes per game while throwing for 2,116 yards and 30 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. Five-star Oregon pledge Dakorien Moore and three-star junior Zach Turner are both averaging more than 100 receiving yards per game, and they have combined for 81 catches for 1,302 yards and 20 touchdowns in six games.
Riddle’s pick: Duncanville 56, Mesquite Horn 14
Plano East vs. Plano
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Clark Stadium
Plano East (6-1, 4-1) is one game behind District 6-6A co-leaders Allen and Prosper, and a win Friday would give Plano East its most victories in a season since finishing 8-3 in 2018. Seven-time state champion Plano (4-4, 3-3) is a half-game out of fourth place and is looking for its first winning season since a 7-4 finish in 2017. Plano East running back Travis Agee ranks second among area 6A players in rushing yards (1,137) and will be going against a Plano defense that has allowed more than 200 rushing yards three times. Plano East beat Plano 31-28 last year to end Plano’s five-game winning streak in the series.
Riddle’s pick: Plano East 28, Plano 21
Arlington Bowie at Haltom
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at the Birdville Fine Arts Complex
Arlington Bowie (4-3, 4-0) leads District 8-6A and is trying to make the playoffs for the 17th time in the last 19 years. Haltom (4-3, 3-1) is just one game out of first and in a three-way tie for second after it was 2-7 last year and 5-24 over the past three seasons. Darrion Bowers has run for 888 yards and 13 touchdowns for Bowie and is on pace for his third straight 1,000-yard season. Bowie three-star wide receiver Dilon Tallie, committed to Bowling Green, has 47 catches for 804 yards and nine touchdowns. Haltom averages just 53.6 passing yards per game, but Vudrico Roberson and Keenan Jackson have combined to rush for 2,089 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Riddle’s pick: Arlington Bowie 45, Haltom 21
Lewisville at Hebron
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Brian Brazil Stadium
This is a critical game in District 5-6A, as Lewisville (4-3, 3-1) is tied for second and Hebron (4-3, 2-2) is a game back in a tie for fourth. Lewisville’s Tenel Hill ranks ninth among area 6A players in rushing yards (841) and will face a Hebron defense that allows just 113 yards per game on the ground. Lewisville beat Hebron 32-10 last year, running for 229 yards. Lewisville was even more dominant on the ground in its 31-17 victory against Hebron in 2022, running for 275 yards and averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Riddle’s pick: Lewisville 28, Hebron 27
Justin Northwest vs. Trophy Club Byron Nelson
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Northwest ISD Stadium
Justin Northwest (6-1, 4-1 District 4-6A) moved up from 5A to 6A in realignment and is trying to make the playoffs for the seventh straight season. It still has to play Byron Nelson (5-2, 3-2), Euless Trinity (6-1, 4-1) and Keller Timber Creek (4-3, 2-3). Byron Nelson has played without star running back Tucker James since he was injured in the third game of the season, but Grant Bizjack has thrown for 1,926 yards and 21 touchdowns and Parker Almanza and Baylor pledge Leo Almanza have combined for 69 catches for 966 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Riddle’s pick: Trophy Club Byron Nelson 31, Justin Northwest 21
Flower Mound Marcus at Flower Mound
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Neal E. Wilson/Jaguar Stadium
Flower Mound Marcus has won four of the last five meetings with its rival, and it has averaged 248 rushing yards in wins the last two years. Marcus ran for 282 yards in last year’s 35-26 win, with Isaiah Keliikipi rushing for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Keliikipi has run for 619 yards and five touchdowns this year.
Riddle’s pick: Flower Mound Marcus 27, Flower Mound 24
Jesuit at Richardson
Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Eagle-Mustang Stadium
Richardson (5-2, 3-1) is just a game behind District 7-6A leader Lake Highlands and is seeking its first winning season since finishing 7-4 in 2010. After posting an 8-22 record over the last three years, Richardson has gotten a big boost from Dameon Crowe, who has 37 catches for 769 yards and nine touchdowns. The transfer from Richardson Berkner is averaging 20.8 yards per catch and 109.9 yards per game. Charlie Peters has thrown 19 touchdown passes for Jesuit (3-4, 2-2) after throwing 32 a year ago. Peters had four touchdown passes and accounted for 300 yards of total offense in last year’s 42-21 win over Richardson.
Riddle’s pick: Jesuit 38, Richardson 28
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