Finding it hard to schedule games, Dallas-area champions open season against each other

Defending Class 6A Division I state champion Duncanville had to prepare for its much-hyped season opener by holding an intrasquad scrimmage.

That’s because nobody was willing to scrimmage a team ranked No. 8 in the nation in the MaxPreps preseason ratings. That’s understandable given that Duncanville has the No. 1 recruits in the state in the Class of 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Duncanville coach Reginald Samples said his school contacted everyone in the area about a scrimmage but found no takers.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Samples, whose team is coming off a 15-0 season in which it outscored its opponents 625-156. “It leaves me apprehensive. You don’t get an opportunity to get the film work and the evaluation that you need.”

Duncanville will kick off its title defense by playing defending 5A Division II state champion South Oak Cliff at 7:30 p.m. Friday at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. SOC has lost to Duncanville each of the last four years — by a combined score of 165-43 — but South Oak Cliff coach Jason Todd isn’t afraid to play anyone, and last year Duncanville needed a touchdown on a fourth-and-13 play with 1:12 remaining to wrap up a 23-10 win over SOC.

“It’s great competition,” Samples said. “Coach Todd and I always look forward to playing each other. We have a hard time scheduling games, and Coach Todd is the one guy that I know who really thrives on good competition.”

It is one of two Week 1 matchups that have defending state champions facing off, with the other being Parish Episcopal playing at Aledo at 8 p.m. Friday. Parish Episcopal has won four consecutive TAPPS Division I state championships, while Aledo won the 5A Division I championship last season, its UIL-record 11th state title and its fourth state championship in five years.

“Our mentality is we’ll play anybody, anytime, anywhere,” Parish Episcopal coach Daniel Novakov said. “I think that’s what makes us different. What makes it unique is we’re one of the only private schools I know doing that.”

Overall this season, there are six matchups of defending state champions involving Dallas-area teams. After winning back-to-back state titles, SOC will play three 2022 state champions — Duncanville, DeSoto and Parish Episcopal.

In addition to Aledo, Parish Episcopal will play at defending 4A Division I state champion China Spring on Sept. 22. Duncanville will play at DeSoto in a District 11-6A game on Oct. 27 in what might be the Game of the Year in 6A statewide.

“There is no better team than Duncanville. You’re going against the best in Texas,” Todd said. “We’re not going out here for an honorary second-place trophy. No moral victory. We’re going out there because we think we can compete, and if we execute and do our job, then we should have a chance to win this game.”

Todd’s team will have to contend with five-star senior defensive lineman Colin Simmons, a Texas pledge who is the state’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024. Duncanville also features four-star senior running back Caden Durham (committed to LSU), five-star junior wide receiver Dakorien Moore (an LSU pledge who is the state’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025) and four-star sophomore defensive lineman Kevin “KJ” Ford Jr. (the state’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026).

SOC counters with one of the best receiving corps in the state, with four-star SMU pledge Jamyri Cauley, three-star Texas Tech pledge Trey Jackson and three-star Arizona State pledge Elijah Baesa (a transfer from Mesquite). The game will feature 10 area top-100 recruits, and Samples said the matchup was moved from Duncanville to SMU because “there is a big chance with it being two state champions that our stadium won’t hold it.”

The Parish Episcopal vs. Aledo game will be the debut of new Aledo head coach Robby Jones, who was promoted when eight-time state champion Tim Buchanan retired. Jones, whose teams averaged 49.4 points during his 14 years as Aledo’s offensive coordinator, said there are always risks that come with playing powerhouse programs during the non-district schedule, but like Duncanville, Aledo often has to fill the schedule with whichever teams are willing to play them.

“When you go play two, maybe three guys in preseason that are big, strong physical teams, you know, it could lead to some injuries going into district play as well,” Jones said. “But with the situation that you’re in sometimes where you’ve got to play whoever it is that you can get on your schedule, that’s the chance you gotta take.”

Parish Episcopal beat Aledo 24-17 last year as Sawyer Anderson threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns. This will be a matchup between two of the state’s top quarterbacks, with Anderson committed to Purdue and Aledo’s Hauss Hejny committed to TCU.

Parish Episcopal is 46-4 over the last four years, but it wanted a challenge, so it added Aledo and South Oak Cliff to the schedule last year.

“We’d won three state championships in a row, but in Texas, I don’t necessarily think private schools get the same amount of respect public schools do,” Novakov said. “Our kids got kind of tired of hearing the underlying, ‘Yeah, but they don’t play anybody.’ Basically, like, ‘Ok, fine. We’ll take on all comers.’ “

On Twitter: @DMNGregRiddle

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