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Football

The Golden Bears Head to Arlington Tonight to Attempt a Repeat

South Oak Cliff will try to be the first Dallas ISD school to win a second consecutive state championship. Tomorrow, both DeSoto and Duncanville will try for titles, too.
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South Oak Cliff High celebrated a state semifinal win against Argyle Saturday. Tonight they play for a state title. Courtesy South Oak Cliff High School/Dallas ISD

Forget the Cowboys for a minute. Pretend that there are no college bowl games coming up. Because here is my hot sports opinion: high school football is better than both of those things.

This weekend, teams all over the state converge on AT&T Stadium for state title matchups. And in North Texas, there’s an embarrassment of riches: South Oak Cliff High School, DeSoto, and Duncanville will play tonight and Saturday night.

South Oak Cliff is up first tonight at 7, facing Port Neches-Groves in the Class 5A Division II state championship. Last year, the Golden Bears became the first Dallas ISD squad to win a recognized state football championship in 63 years. If they win this one, they became the first Dallas ISD team to win consecutive titles.

That latter point is something the coaches and players are well aware of. They’re also aware that their status as the reigning state champion puts a bit of a target on their backs.

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Courtesy South Oak Cliff High School/Dallas ISD

“What we’re doing at SOC is way bigger than a school or hood,” SOC defensive coordinator Kyle Ward said. “We’re doing what we’ve always been told we can’t do … what ain’t possible in our own neighborhoods. Destroying their narrative. It’s already written.” 

The school is also trying to fill the stadium with fans. “The goal is 60,000 People in AT&T,” Golden Bears coach Jason Todd said just hours after his team notched their semi-final win against Argyle. They also have a discount code for tickets (5ADIIS), so consider your Friday night planned. You’re welcome.

Saturday, DeSoto will play Austin Vandegrift for the Class 6A Division II state championship at 3 p.m. Duncanville faces Galena Park North Shore for the Class 6A Division I title at 7 p.m.

There are still tickets for plenty of high school football over on SeatGeek. If you don’t feel like heading out, you can catch the games on TV if you are a Bally Sports Southwest subscriber. You can also stream them at BallySports.com or the Bally Sports app.

Author

Bethany Erickson

Bethany Erickson

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Bethany Erickson is the senior digital editor for D Magazine. She's written about real estate, education policy, the stock market, and crime throughout her career, and sometimes all at the same time. She hates lima beans and 5 a.m. and takes SAT practice tests for fun.

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