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GAME PREVIEW: South Oak Cliff vs. Dallas Spruce
In their second week of district play, the South Oak Cliff Bears are headed into a matchup against the Dallas Spruce Timberwolves. With both teams fighting for another victory to add to their record, VYPE DFW takes a look at their seasons and what fans can expect heading into this Friday night battle!
South Oak Cliff Bears (3-2, 1-0)
Focused on their season, the Bears haven't had the start that they expected. Opening play in a 34-13 loss on the road to Duncanville, South Oak Cliff immediately bounced back for a 42-21 home opening victory against Lancaster. Week three saw a disappointing loss to DeSoto (54-14), the Bears pulled themselves back up for a final non-district victory over Parish Episcopal (49-14).
Last week, South Oak Cliff opened district play against Dallas Adamson in a 55-0 victory. Carter Kopecy tallied over 300 passing yards (340) and six passing touchdowns in the victory. Daveon Ennis led the team in receiving with 87 yards and one touchdown while Trey Jackson wasn't far behind with 73 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Others at the end of Kopecy's touchdown passes included Rickey Evans (who recorded 53 receiving yards, one touchdown), Jaylen Moore (33 receiving yards, one touchdown), and Eli Baesa (20 receiving yards, one touchdown). The team will look to showcase offensive power over Spruce on Friday night.
Dallas Spruce Timberwolves (3-2, 0-1)
A little bit different of a start to the season than the Bears, Dallas Spruce opened up their schedule with three consecutive victories. A home-opening 44-0 shut-out victory over Fort Worth Polytechnic followed by a convincing 46-6 victory on the road against Dallas Roosevelt left the Timberwolves feeling confident early in the season. Week three saw another non-district win for the Timberwolves as they outlasted North Dallas in a 21-17 battle. During their final non-district matchup, the team fell in a tough loss to Seagoville (44-7).
Last week, the team opened district play against Dallas Kimball. Fighting hard through tough moments, the Timberwolves eventually fell in a 38-15 loss. Led by Jaylon Warren, Kelvin Jones, Evan Fairley, Xzavion Beard, Vinyuan Coehn, and others, the team will look to improve against South Oak Cliff on Friday.
What To Expect
Last season, South Oak Cliff hosted Dallas Spruce in a 48-0 shut-out victory over the Timberwolves. Looking to remain dominant in their district and seeking another state title, fans can expect the Bears to enter the game ready to set the tone, take charge, and pull away. Fired up and ready to showcase their ability to hang with the big dogs, Dallas Spruce just might have a few tricks up their sleeve. Looking to post their first victory in a couple of weeks (and their first in district play), the team will fight hard against South Oak Cliff.
Kick-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 29 at Pleasant Grove High School.
PREVIEW: South Oak Cliff Football is looking for a 3-Peat
Looking for a three-peat has never looked so good! Back-to-back 5A State Champions, South Oak Cliff Golden Bears, top the charts in the VYPE DFW 5A Preseason Football Rankings this year. VYPE DFW takes a dive into exactly what fans can expect from the Golden Bears this season.
REWIND
A 23-14 victory against Liberty Hill sealed the deal in the 2021-22 season. After a rocky start last year, followed by a state-championship run and eventual 34-24 victory over Port Neches-Groves the South Oak Cliff Bears have continually improved after each play on the field.
Starting 0-3 last season against eventual 6A state champion Duncanville (23-10), Lancaster (21-3), and DeSoto (42-23), the team knew they had to get it together and do something different throughout the rest of the year. Picking up the pieces and starting fresh, the Golden Bears took on a tough TAPPS opponent in Parish Episcopal and came out with a close 31-28 victory over the then three-time state champions (now four-time). Outscoring their opponents by an impressive, combined 534-241 on the season, the Golden Bears posted 13 straight victories to close out their season and earn a repeat.
LOOKING AHEAD
Returning the likes of Brandon Jones, Rickey Evans, Khalil Ewell, Jamari Cauley, Trey Jackson, Semaj’Dre Gasaway, Hayden Shelton, Bismillah Muhammad, K’Sean Jackson, Kentra Britton, and more, the Golden Bears can be expected to be as dominant as they have been the last two seasons. A strong defense mixed with an offense that starts fast will prove to be one of the biggest strengths for the Golden Bears— high game IQ being another strength.
The team opens their schedule on the road against 6A State Champion Duncanville on September 1 at 7 p.m. where they will put their hard work from summer workouts to the test. Their preseason schedule sees a slew of strong teams such as Lancaster, DeSoto, and four-time TAPPS state champion Parish Episcopal before district play opens on September 21st against Dallas Adamson. Catch this team in action as they hunt for a three-peat!