Texas’ 12 state title games have loads of storylines
Houston-area teams Paetow and North Shore will take center stage at the UIL football state championships Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Twelve programs will be named state champions by the end of the week, and there are plenty of other intriguing storylines to follow as games begin Wednesday morning at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Here are five:
South Oak Cliff chases history
South Oak Cliff has arrived and is determined to end a drought.
The Golden Bears are looking to become the first Dallas ISD team to capture a state championship since Booker T. Washington took home the Prairie View Interscholastic League title in 1958 against Houston Washington.
South Oak Cliff (14-1) will take on Liberty Hill (13-2) in the Class 5A Division II championship at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The Golden Bears are also looking to end a 71year drought for Dallas ISD schools when it comes to UIL state championships. The last team to accomplish that was Sunset in 1950.
Dallas Lincoln came close to ending the drought in 2004, but the Tigers lost in double overtime against Kilgore in the title game. Dallas Carter had its 1988 title stripped by the UIL after beating Converse Judson in the championship. South Oak Cliff has been strong in recent years, with seven district championships in eight seasons. Playoff success has been tougher to come by, however, and this year’s historic run was its deepest since making the quarterfinals in 2014.
Shiner’s brothers aiming for title
Brothers Doug and Dalton Brooks are on a quest for glory in their final high school game together.
Doug, a senior, and Dalton, a junior, have Shiner (15-0) on the brink of winning its second consecutive Class 2A Division I state championship and fourth overall for the program since 1986.
The Comanches will take on Hawley (15-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Doug, who plays defensive line and running back, holds an offer from the University of Houston, as well as UTSA, Army and Colorado State. He has rushed for 1,646 yards and 26 touchdowns this season and has 93 tackles on defense.
Dalton, a running back and defensive back, holds offers from Texas A&M, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, among several others. He has rushed for 2,416 yards and 36 touchdowns this season and has 144 tackles on defense.
Shiner won last year’s state championship game 42-20 against Post. They are one of just two reigning champions still alive.
Dodge seeking victorious finale
Todd Dodge is one of the greatest coaches in Texas high school football history. Saturday will mark his final game on the sidelines.
The Austin Westlake coach announced in July that he will be retiring at the end of the season. Dodge has won six state championships, including four with Southlake Carroll and two with Westlake. He has a 232-72 career record.
The Chapparals (15-0) will take on Denton Guyer (14-1) for the Class 6A Division II title at 7 p.m. Saturday. The program is seeking its second consecutive title and fourth overall after taking the Division I crown last season. Westlake beat Southlake Carroll — coached by Dodge’s son, Riley — in that much-hyped matchup 52-34.
No. 2 nationally ranked Westlake is led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, who will sign with Clemson on Wednesday. The Chaps have been dominant this season, outscoring their opponents 868-121. The team advanced to the title game after beating a previously undefeated Katy team 45-14. It was the worst playoff loss for the Tigers in program history.
Family affair at China Spring
China Spring has not won a state championship since 1978.
Head coach Brian Bell and his team will try to change that at 3 p.m. Friday against Gilmer (14-1) in the Class 4A Division II title game. China Spring (15-0) is seeking the first undefeated season in program history.
Bell took over the reins of the program when his father, Mark, stepped down from the post in 2018 after 21 seasons. Mark collected a 171-79 overall record with the Cougars and made the playoffs 18 times.
Brian — who finished his college career as Sam Houston’s all-time leader in quarterback wins, passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense — led China Spring to seasons of 6-6, 5-7 and 10-3 before a breakthrough 2021.
Brian’s brother, Shawn, is currently an assistant coach at Baylor and previously served as the head coach at Magnolia West.
China Spring is led by dual-threat quarterback Major Bowden, who is one of 10 finalists for the Mr. Texas Football award handed out annually by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
Ex-Magnolia coach leads Stephenville
Sterling Doty loved his time at Magnolia High School.
The former University of Houston offensive lineman took his first head coaching job with the Bulldogs in 2014 and had plenty of success during his five-year tenure. Magnolia won its first outright district title since 1972 during the 2016 season and went 33-21 overall with three playoff appearances under his leadership.
But when his dream job opened up following the 2018 campaign, he made the decision to go for it. Doty left Magnolia to become the head coach at his alma matter, Stephenville.
“It’s a special place, and I jumped at the opportunity,” Doty said earlier this week. “I loved being down there in the Magnolia school district. Just great people, and it was really hard to leave. This was really one of the only jobs I would have left for. Coming back here, I knew what a special place this is.”
Stephenville went 6-5 and 5-7 in his first two seasons at the helm. But now the Yellowjackets (15-0) are playing for all the marbles.
They will take on Austin Johnson (15-0) at 11 a.m. Friday in the Class 4A Division I title game with hopes of securing the sixth championship for the program since 1993.