Dallas, TX
Weather adds to Dallas-area drama in final week, with 26 playoff berths up for grabs
The final week of the regular season is always crazy in Texas high school football, with points tiebreakers and sometimes even coin flips determining playoff spots. It can get complicated because every district has its own tiebreaker rules, instead of the UIL having one universal format for the entire state.
But one of the wildest endings to determine a playoff spot unfolded outside of Houston on Thursday night. A Hail Mary put Pasadena Dobie in the playoffs — in a game it led by 14 before the quarterback threw a 38-yard touchdown pass on the game’s final play to win 54-34.
Dobie couldn’t take a knee because the team had to beat Manvel by at least 17 points to make the postseason, so it needed a miraculous finish when it got the ball at its 26-yard line with 18 seconds left to play. Pearland Dawson, which beat Dobie by 15 earlier in the season, missed the playoffs as a result of the shocking finish that produced a three-way tie for third in District 22-6A.
The playoff picture wasn’t quite that crazy in Dallas-area districts, but there was still plenty of drama with 26 playoff berths up for grabs in Week 11.
Friday’s inclement weather created havoc, too, leading many schools to move their games to Thursday or start early or late Friday. Garland Naaman Forest moved its start time to 4 p.m. Friday, and DeAngelo Perales threw four touchdown passes to beat South Garland 39-14, setting up a first-round playoff game against Longview a year after going 1-9.
A tornado watch was issued for Mansfield until 9 p.m. Friday, but Mansfield High started its home game against Weatherford only 15 minutes late, while knowing it would make the playoffs with a win or a loss by one or two points. The score was tied at 14 in the second quarter before Mansfield pulled away for a 49-34 win behind three touchdown passes from Braxton Van Cleave. A first-round matchup with Euless Trinity awaits.
For some, the path to earning a playoff berth was simple. Arlington and Haltom simply had to win Thursday to get in, and both District 8-6A teams took care of business and avoided complicated multi-team tiebreakers.
Arlington ended Arlington Martin’s 18-year playoff run with a 49-31 win and will face Richardson Pearce in the first round next week. Haltom opens the playoffs against Richardson after routing Arlington Sam Houston 42-8 to make the playoffs just two years after finishing 0-10.
South Grand Prairie lost is district finale 48-28 to Arlington Bowie on Thursday, but both 8-6A teams were celebrating on the field after the game. Bowie won its first district title since 2012 and will face Jesuit in the bi-district round, while SGP reached the postseason for the 11th straight season because Martin lost.
“I told them I know it’s kind of weird. It’s not a great feeling, because we just lost a game where we could have played better,” said South Grand Prairie coach Laban DeLay, whose team plays Lake Highlands next week. “But we get to advance, where a lot of other teams are putting their stuff up Monday morning. We’re happy to be in the tournament. I reminded them that everybody is 0-0 now. We get to hit reset and start a new season.”
DeLay was so focused on his game that he didn’t realize updates from Martin vs. Arlington were being posted on the scoreboard at SGP’s game. With SGP losing, a Martin win by eight or more would have kept South Grand Prairie out of the playoffs.
Richardson had made the playoffs just once in the past 11 seasons, after a fourth-place district finish in 2020. All it had to do to get in this year was win its district finale against Irving MacArthur on Friday or have Richardson Berkner lose to Richardson Pearce on Thursday, and Pearce made the outcome of Richardson’s game moot by beating Berkner 34-21.
Instead of attending Berkner’s game, Richardson coach Kendrick Holloway went to scout Haltom. Several of his players were following the Berkner game online and excitedly texted him once they knew they were playoff-bound. Berkner’s loss gave Richardson a chance Friday to relax and just focus on clinching the program’s first winning season since 2010, which it did with a 37-7 victory.
“My seniors were in the eighth grade the last time Richardson went to the playoffs,” Holloway said. “I talked to them [Friday morning] about the history of Richardson football over the last 21, 22 years. I wanted them to understand the magnitude of being able to get to the playoffs.”
Prosper Rock Hill made the playoffs for the first time and clinched its first winning record in school history, beating McKinney 21-14 to improve to 6-4 in its fifth season of varsity football. Rock Hill was 12-26 before this year and lost students to Walnut Grove when Prosper ISD’s third high school opened last year. All three of Prosper ISD’s teams made the playoffs this season.
“It’s really special for this campus,” Rock Hill coach Mark Wilkinson said. “The campus opened during COVID, then we undergo a coaching change when I take over, then we get bumped up to 6A. And when they open up Walnut Grove High School, we lose some numbers to them. We had to kind of rebuild, and just the adversity this campus has gone through and bringing them this experience, it’s huge.”
Rock Hill’s win kept seven-time state champion Plano from making the playoffs for the third time in 10 years. Rock Hill had to wait until late Friday night to find out who it would play in the first round, but it will be Hebron, which got in with a 59-21 win over Flower Mound in a game that started an hour late because of the weather.
Terrell faced the pressure of a win-or-go-home game against Mesquite Poteet and won 35-14 to punch its playoff ticket and end the season for Poteet and five-time state champion Ennis. Terrell opens the playoffs against South Oak Cliff, which has reached the Class 5A Division II state championship game the last three years.
Notable bi-district playoff games
- TC Byron Nelson at North Crowley, 1:00 Saturday at Crowley ISD
- Prosper at Coppell, 7 p.m. Friday
- Lewisville at Allen, 7 p.m. Friday
- Arlington Seguin at Prosper Walnut Grove, 7 p.m. Friday at Children’s Health Stadium
- Frisco Emerson at Argyle, 7 p.m. Friday
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The Dallas Cowboys were initially in the mix for Las Vegas Raiders superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby ahead of NFL free agency, and were believed to be one of the finalists in trade talks. However, he was ultimately traded to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks.
Now, the NFL world has been turned on its head with the Ravens deciding to pull out of the trade agreement with Las Vegas.
On Tuesday night, NFL insider Adam Schefter was among the experts discussing what went wrong between the Raiders and Ravens, revealing that Cowboys team physician Dr. Daniel Cooper, one of the premier knee specialists, played a role in the Ravens’ evaluation of Crosby.
Schefter discussed how Dr. Cooper was among the doctors who reviewed scans on Crosby’s knee, which ultimately spooked the Ravens and triggered the end of the deal.
“The Baltimore Ravens essentially failed him on their physical, and my understanding is there were multiple doctors that reviewed his MRI scans,” Schefter said. “There were doctors that examined him, including Dr. Daniel Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys doctor that performed surgery on Patrick Mahomes and Malik Nabers.
“Many teams and players rely on Dr. Cooper’s expertise, and Dr. Cooper was one of the doctors who reviewed the images where the Ravens then felt compelled to back out of this trade.”
It’s hard not to connect the dots that Dr. Cooper’s involvement in the medical review of Crosby led to the team deciding against re-engaging in trade discussions. Though that could change, currently, the Cowboys are expected to move forward with Pro Bowl EDGE Rashan Gary, who the team agreed to acquire from the Green Bay Packers for a 2027 fourth-round pick on the first day of legal tampering.
It will be interesting to continue monitoring the situation and its fallout, which has left the Raiders in a terrible position.
But, with the Raiders now forced to re-examine the money they committed to free agents on Wednesday evening, they may have to pull out of one of their own agreements, which could open the door for the Cowboys to reopen their pursuit of a linebacker like Nakobe Dean or Quay Walker.
The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET, so get your popcorn ready, because it’s going to be a wild ride.
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Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.
On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.
At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.
Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.
Dallas’ Original Trade Offer
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.
“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.
Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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DALLAS – Severe thunderstorms are forecast to return to North Texas late Tuesday, bringing threats of damaging hail, high winds and localized flooding. While the primary concerns are wind and hail, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
Tuesday Forecast
Dallas weather: Mar. 10 morning forecast
We have another chance of severe storms starting Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologist Ali Turiano has your forecast and everything you need to know ahead of the storms.
Scattered showers and storms are expected to develop as a dryline to the west moves into the region. Storm conditions are expected to intensify as the day progresses.
The greatest concerns remain damaging winds and large hail. The leading edge of the storm front will likely be the most intense, with the potential for straight-line winds and brief spin-up tornadoes.
LIVE Radar: Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas Storms: Timing and Impact
The highest potential for severe weather in the Metroplex is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., though lingering activity could continue until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Residents are advised to seek shelter immediately if a warning is issued for their area.
7-Day Forecast
A final round of storms is expected Wednesday, primarily between noon and 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. These storms carry a threat of half-dollar-sized hail and damaging winds.
Behind this system, North Texas will dry out and briefly cool off. Sunny skies return Thursday with a high in the mid-60s. Temperatures will then warm into the upper 70s on Friday before a sunny weekend with highs in the low 80s.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.
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