The second week of Texas high school football has turned the preseason expectations on their head, as several of the state's top‑ranked programs have stumbled out of the gate.
Early Upsets
Galena Park North Shore, once the fourth‑seeded team in the preseason poll, opened with a 35‑0 shutout of Lancaster and made the short trip to a college stadium to showcase its depth. Southlake Carroll, the former fifth‑seed, edged a thriller at the Cotton Bowl, surviving a 34‑33 contest before turning its attention to North Crowley. Meanwhile, Richmond Dr. Thomas E. Randle, previously sixth, posted a 20‑14 victory over South Oak Cliff, highlighted by Landen Williams‑Callis’s 227‑yard, two‑touchdown effort.
The early losses have not been limited to the traditional powerhouses; Duncanville, the defending No. 1, managed only a single touchdown in its first two games, while DeSoto, once second, fell on national television and later issued an apology for a Florida travel mishap.
Rising Stars
Amid the turbulence, several newcomers have begun to carve out their own narratives. Allen, which entered the week unranked, rebounded from a rematch with Duncanville to set up a showdown with DeSoto, while Frisco Lone Star’s quarterback Trey Wright exploded for 140 yards and three scores. Carthage, under new head coach Lawrence Williams, rolled past Henderson 49‑0, and Celina edged a narrow 21‑19 win over Houston Legacy School of Sports Sciences.
Other storylines include a dominant 72‑14 triumph by Waxahachie over Ennis, a 63‑21 rout by Melissa against Arkansas’ Pulaski Academy, and a 38‑10 victory for The Woodlands College Park over Iowa Colony. Coppell, previously unranked, surged to a 40‑10 win over Carrollton Hebron, and Denton Guyer made a statement with a 45‑20 triumph over Rockwall‑Heath.
Lewisville posted a 56‑point explosion in the Jerry Jones Classic, while Alvin Shadow Creek upset Humble Summer Creek 24‑14. Fort Bend Ridge Point’s Brody Bartee threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns in a 29‑26 escape against Dickinson, underscoring the depth of talent across the state.
Looking ahead, the schedule promises more twists as teams like Southlake Carroll prepare for a clash with North Crowley, and Aledo, once ranked 16th, will seek redemption after a shutout loss that ended a 20‑year streak. The early volatility suggests that the remainder of the season could be defined by resilience as much as by raw talent.