Week 1 of the Texas high school football season is in the books. Here are high school sports editor Charles Baggarly’s main takeaways:
Fort Worth All Saints continues dominance
Fresh off an undefeated season and a TAPPS Division II state championship, Fort Worth All Saints picked up right where it left off, defeating Dallas Parish Episcopal 24-21 in a classic season opener.
“It was a fun game,” All Saints coach Aaron Beck said. “… Two really good teams. Two good programs. If we play them 10 times, maybe its five and five. It was really, really close.”
It was pandemonium from the start, with All Saints conceding a 14-point lead and bouncing back with two touchdowns from running back Bourke Toler. The game’s final minutes were complete madness. First, quarterback Gavin Beard found Hattan French with a deep ball to tie the game with 1:46 remaining.
A strip sack from Ryan Powers gave the Saints the ball back, and they won it with a field goal from freshman kicker Carver Johnston. The Saints were auditioning kickers last night and played a couple.
“The freshman came up big when we needed him,” Beck said. “The extra point and the field goal. I’m very, very proud of that kid.”
It was a hard-fought, gritty win against a Division I powerhouse. The challenges don’t get easier with state No. 1 Plano Prestonwood Christian on deck next week, but if Week 1 showcased anything, it’s that the dominance of the Saints is here to stay.
“Defense played great,” Beck said. “Got a couple of big-time stops that allowed us to have a chance. The stops came timely. If we wouldn’t have had those stops, Parish could’ve swung the score on us.”
Haslet Eaton looks strong against Denton Ryan
Haslet Eaton wasn’t expected to hang with Denton Ryan, the No. 3-ranked Class 5A Division I squad in the state and a state semifinalist last season.
Those expectations were defied Friday, and the Eagles gave Ryan a war. Eaton led the Raiders in the fourth quarter, but Ryan pulled out a 26-20 victory after outscoring the Eagles 14-6 in the final frame.
Despite the loss, the close game is a promising sign for Eaton’s season.
Big wins for Legacy, Brewer
Week 1 is an opportunity to start fresh, and to showcase what teams have been working on all summer. Two of the most impressive wins Friday came from Mansfield Legacy and White Settlement Brewer.
Legacy won three games last season and was able to take down Justin Northwest 43-42 in a high-scoring duel. The Texans entered the season ranked No. 10 in the Star-Telegram’s Class 6A rankings.
Brewer’s win came against Saginaw, a program that won an undefeated district title last season. The Bears delivered a strong performance in a sizable 33-9 victory.
Birdville with a stunner
Crowley entered the season No. 4 in the Star-Telegram’s 6A rankings. There were high expectations for the Eagles, who have improved every season under head coach Carlos Lynn.
But in Week 1, a different bird soared to victory: the Birdville Hawks.
Birdville struggled in 2024, going 3-7 and finishing seventh in District 3-5A Division I. That included a 50-14 loss to Crowley.
The 2025 season provided a fresh start, and the Hawks seized it, taking down Crowley 34-27.
Diamond Hill-Jarvis snaps 47 game losing streak
The start of the Texas high school football season reminds us that, under the lights, anything is possible with the right game plan and a bit of grit.
Fans may not have expected Diamond Hill-Jarvis to defeat Fort Worth South Hills 26-14 on Thursday to snap Texas’ longest losing streak (47 games), but that’s just what the program did. It was an incredible turnaround, given that the Eagles lost 59-7 to the Scorpions last season.
New head coach Irwin Garcia inherited one of the toughest situations and wasted no time turning things around.
Ahead of the season, Garcia said there was only one way to go: up. He said the Eagles would embrace the history of losing as they worked toward improvements.
The Eagles didn’t have to for long. With an undefeated record and time to grow, Diamond Hill-Jarvis football has a fresh start and is embracing a mantra: eyes up, keep climbing.