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VYPE DFW Football: Week 6
There is quite the bevy of games this week across the DFW high school football landscape. We're not going to make predictions, but more talk about what makes the matchup intriguing.
#9 Humble Atascocita vs. #6 Allen
This should be a barn-burner as both teams like to score. Allen put up 49 last week in a season-opening win over rival Plano East while this is the first game for Humble Atascocita. Despite winning by 23, it took Allen a bit to get going and that could be a problem against a high-powered Atascocita team. Allen doesn't lose at home and it fended off a couple of tough early-season challengers a year ago in Cedar Hill and Dickinson.
#12 Converse Judson vs. #10 Desoto
Another 6A-state ranked matchup is a battle of long-time juggernauts. This is the opener for both teams, so it'll be interesting to see how the delayed start will impact each team. This game looks to be the definition of a slugfest as both like to hit their opponents hard and hit them often.
No. 15 Cedar Hill vs. No. 22 Arlington
The third, 6A-ranked matchup of the night pits two teams with dynamic quarterbacks - Kaidon Salter for Cedar Hill; Kris Sim for Alrington. Arlington dominated Mansfield last week in a 30-point win but will face quite the test in against Cedar Hill. For Cedar Hill, it will need the Salter that electrified the team in the first half against Arlington Martin in the playoffs last year, not the one that folded when the momentum shifted drastically in the second half.
#1 Denton Ryan vs. #5 Denton Guyer
The amount of talent in the Denton area is phenomenal, and the majority of that will be on display as No. 1-ranked 5A DI team, Denton Ryan, meets its cross-town rival Denton Guyer, which is ranked No. 5 in 6A. Both Ryan and Guyer systematically dominated their respective opponents last week and the expectations for how these teams finish this year are incredibly high. Collins Athletic Complex in Denton will be loud - even at limited capacity - and should not disappoint with Power 5 D1 talent on both rosters.
#7 Frisco Lone Star vs. #2 Aledo
Polar opposite debuts for these teams as No. 7 Lone Star (5A DI) fell in its opener to North Forney while No. 2 Aledo (5A DII) completely annihilated Weatherford. Had this game taken place last year, it would definitely have a lot more attention, but it should still be interesting. How does Lone Star bounce back after a stunning loss? Does Aledo play complacent after dominating its cross-county rival?
#7 Melissa vs. #1 Argyle
The marquee matchup in 4A Division I pits two teams that have played four times, though Melissa owns a 5-0 record because of last week's forfeit from Paris. Argyle is dominating on both sides of the ball and are a clear-cut favorite for the state title, especially after its big win over Waco La Vega two weeks ago. Melissa is a surprise team right now, so it'll be interesting how much it can hang with Argyle.
#2 Duncanville vs. Dallas South Oak Cliff
It's the season-opener for both teams as 6A No. 2 Duncanville begins its quest for third straight appearance in the state championship. The defense is not the question for Duncanville. That would be at quarterback as it lost its two-year starter to graduation and his heir apparent transferred to Red Oak. South Oak Cliff is a bit down this year but always has a bunch of skill athletes all over the field, so a big test against a state powerhouse will show where the Golden Bears are early on.
Rockwall-Heath vs. #7 Southlake Carroll
We didn't quite know what Rockwall-Heath was entering the 2020 season, and in last week's game against Lewisville we found out they are a high-flying team. Rockwall-Heath put up 72 points on Lewisville but gave up more than 600 yards, defensively. Southlake Carroll has a 5-star QB and is opening the game at home. Can Rockwall-Heath keep up with Carroll or will it force Carroll to have to play at that similar pace. It could easily be another game where 124 yards are put on the board.
I-35 Area TXHSFB Alums Hear Name At NFL Draft In Sports' Short Return
Interstate 35 is one of the most important roads in the United States because it connects six American states (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas) and gives the country another entrance into North American neighbor Mexico. Significant metropolitan areas have also developed along it, so there's enough talent and competition to prepareathletes for the highest levels of sport. That was evident in the 2020 NFL Draft because15 of Texas' 33 high school alums-turned draft picks came from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex or the Austin and San Antonio areas of the state.
COVID-19 has cancelled and postponed many events, but the NFL found a safe way to host its annual draft on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The highly anticipated three-day event featured a new virtual format that allowed it to go on as scheduled. It also provided sports fans with an important sense of hope and gave them the opportunity to cheer for their favorite teams and college players.
For Texas, there was a lot of celebration for the draft picks that previously competed near the highway. The first large in-state area you come across when you travel north to south on it is the Metroplex, which produced a dozen draft picks from its boatload of high school alums.DeSoto recorded two draft pick graduates over the weekend in Laviska Shenault (2nd Round, Pick 42 forJacksonville Jaguars) and James Proche (6th Round, Pick 201 forBaltimore Ravens), while South Grand Prairie'sJeffrey Okudah (Pick 3) and Waxahachie's Jalen Reagor (Pick 21) were first round selections for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles.
On the second day, the Baltimore Ravens drafted a pair of North Texas athletes in the third round.McKinney North's Justin Madubuike heard his name called with the 71st pick andSachse's Devin Duvernay was later announced at pick 92.
The third day began with the fourth round of the draft, which saw Cleburne's Reggie Robinson II go 123rd to the Dallas Cowboys. Then, Cedar Hill's Trevis Gipson (Pick 155 for Chicago Bears) and Arlington Martin's Jason Huntley (Pick 172 for Detroit Lions) followed in the fifth round, the Cincinnati Bengals grabbedGarland's Hakeem Adeniji with the 180th pick in the sixth round, and Wylie East's Eno Benjamin (Pick 222 for Arizona Cardinals)and Mansfield Summit's Vernon Scott (Pick 236 for Green Bay Packers) were included in the seventh round.
The next notable area along I-35 is Central Texas. Before you arrive in Austin, you'll reach two important stops on future Minnesota VikingJames Lynch's journey to the 130th pick in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft. They include the towns of Waco and Round Rock, where he played for Baylor University and Round Rock High School. The region was also put on the map when the Baltimore Ravens made La Grange's J. K. Dobbins a second round draft pick at 55th overall.
Then, the road extends to the South Texas cities of San Antonio and Laredo before reaching the United States/Mexico international border. The Alamo City area producedConverse Judson's Alton Robinson, who was picked up by the Seattle Seahawkswith the 148th pick in the fifth round.
For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEDFW/@VYPEATX/@VYPESATX) on Twitter.
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