The 2022 high school football season starts the last week of August, and fans won’t have to wait long to see some extraordinary matchups.
That includes three nationally televised games.
The first day of the season, Aug. 25, Arlington Martin will host six-time state champion Austin Lake Travis at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington on ESPNU. Two days later, Duncanville will play South Oak Cliff on ESPN2. Both games are part of the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff.
Also in Week 1, DeSoto will play St. Augustine from New Orleans in the Nike Kickoff Classic at 6 p.m. Aug. 26. The game will be on the NFL YouTube channel that night and then will be shown on the NFL Network on Sept. 3. It will be a chance for the country to see DeSoto four-star wide receiver Johntay Cook II and four-star running back Tre Wisner, who are both committed to Texas.
One of the games of the year will take place in Week 1, with five-time state champion Allen hosting St. John Bosco (Calif.), the No. 1 team in the nation according to the MaxPreps preseason rankings. That will be the debut at Allen for new coach Lee Wiginton.
Highland Park opens the season against Flower Mound Marcus, Lewisville and Lake Highlands. If Highland Park wins the first two, then the Week 3 home game against Lake Highlands on Sept. 9 could be a historic moment.
Highland Park coach Randy Allen needs three more wins to move past G.A. Moore and into second place on the state’s all-time wins list. Allen has a career record of 424-92-6 going into the season, and his program ranks No. 1 in Texas history with 864 wins all-time.
Here is a week-by-week look at the top games for Dallas-area teams.
WEEK 1
St. John Bosco (Calif.) at Allen
7 p.m. Aug. 26
The Tom Landry Classic scheduled a great matchup between two legendary programs, and it will be played at $59.6 million Eagle Stadium. St. John Bosco five-star recruit Matayo Uiagalelei is rated the fourth-best edge rusher in the nation in the Class of 2023, and Allen four-star junior Zina Umeozulu is ranked as the fourth-best edge rusher in the United States in the Class of 2024. Umeozulu will try to help slow down a St. John Bosco offense that is led by Louisville pledges Pierce Clarkson (rated the 14th-best quarterback in the country) and DeAndre Moore Jr. (rated the nation’s 12th-best wide receiver).
Duncanville vs. South Oak Cliff
6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Kincaide Stadium
It won’t get any bigger than this in D-FW this season as defending Class 5A Division II state champion South Oak Cliff opens the season against a Duncanville team coming off a state runner-up finish in Class 6A Division I. South Oak Cliff’s only loss last season was 42-27 to Duncanville. Duncanville also beat SOC 41-3 in 2020 and 59-3 in 2019, so South Oak Cliff will be looking for revenge. South Oak Cliff has two players ranked among the top 13 recruits in the state for the Class of 2023 — cornerbacks Malik Muhammad (committed to Texas) and Jayvon Thomas (committed to Texas A&M). Duncanville has two state top-30 recruits in the Class of 2024 — five-star defensive lineman/linebacker Colin Simmons and four-star safety Ka’Davion Dotson.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Austin Lake Travis at Arlington Martin, 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at Choctaw Stadium
Prosper at Euless Trinity, 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at Pennington Field
Rockwall-Heath at Denton Guyer, 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at C.H. Collins Complex
DeSoto vs. St. Augustine (La.), 6 p.m. Aug. 26 at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
Aledo at Parish Episcopal, 7 p.m. Aug. 26
Flower Mound Marcus at Highland Park, 7 p.m. Aug. 26
Mansfield Timberview at South Grand Prairie, 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at Gopher-Warrior Bowl
Stephenville at Midlothian Heritage, 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at Midlothian ISD Stadium
Ennis at Waxahachie, 7 p.m. Aug. 26
Melissa at Argyle, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26
Cedar Hill vs. Rockwall, 1 p.m. Aug. 27 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco
College Station vs. Lovejoy, 7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Allen
Kennedale at Waco La Vega, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26
WEEK 2
Denton Guyer at Aledo
7:30 p.m. Sept. 2
A Guyer team that is ranked No. 19 in the nation by MaxPreps will hit the road to play at 10-time state champion Aledo, ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 5A Division I. Guyer, coming off a state runner-up finish in 6A Division II, returns five-star Oklahoma pledge Jackson Arnold — the state’s top-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2023. Guyer also has arguably the state’s best secondary with four-star safeties Peyton Bowen (committed to Notre Dame) and Ryan Yaites (committed to LSU) and four-star cornerback Eli Bowen (offers from Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame and others). Aledo has an exceptional defensive back in four-star junior cornerback Jaden Allen, who is committed to Texas.
Southlake Carroll at Flower Mound Marcus
7 p.m. Sept. 2
This could be the toughest regular-season test for eight-time state champion Southlake Carroll, coming off a state semifinal appearance and 14-1 season. Southlake Carroll averaged 44.4 points per game last season, and its offense should be among the best in the area again in 2022 with quarterback Kaden Anderson (committed to Wyoming) and running back Owen Allen (5,474 career rushing yards). Carroll will have to find a way to slow down Marcus four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart, who is committed to Oregon.
DeSoto vs. St. Frances (Md.)
7 p.m. Sept. 3 at Clark Stadium in Fort Worth
The second game of a doubleheader in the Interstate 20 Classic could be a classic. DeSoto is No. 8 in the state in Class 6A in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football preseason rankings, and St. Frances Academy from Baltimore is ranked No. 3 in the nation. LSU pledge Dashawn Womack of St. Frances is rated the seventh-best defensive lineman in the country, and Texas pledge Johntay Cook II of DeSoto is ranked as the nation’s fifth-best wide receiver in the Class of 2023.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Euless Trinity at Rockwall-Heath, 7 p.m. Sept. 1 at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium
Midlothian at Ennis, 7 p.m. Sept. 2
Jesuit at Rockwall, 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium
Highland Park at Lewisville, 7 p.m. Sept. 2
Arlington Martin at Cedar Hill, 7 p.m. Sept. 2
South Oak Cliff at Lancaster, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2
Argyle at Lovejoy, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2
Duncanville vs. Jones (Fla.), 3 p.m. Sept. 3 at Clark Stadium in Fort Worth
WEEK 3
Allen at Arlington Martin
7 p.m. Sept. 9 at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington
Allen four-star recruit Michael Hawkins is rated the 11th-best quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2024 and has offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Michigan, among others. He will be facing Martin four-star cornerback Javien Toviano, rated the fourth-best player in the nation at his position in the Class of 2023. Toviano lists 34 college offers, including defending national champion Georgia, national runner-up Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M.
South Oak Cliff at DeSoto
6 p.m. Sept. 10
DeSoto has six players ranked among the top 100 recruits in the Dallas area. South Oak Cliff has an area-best seven, including five on defense. Four players in this game have committed to Texas, and three are committed to SMU. A pair of future SMU teammates will go head-to-head, as DeSoto safety Jaden Milliner-Jones will be among those defending South Oak Cliff wide receiver Randy Reece.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Aledo at Justin Northwest, 7 p.m. Sept. 8
Rockwall at Prosper, 7 p.m. Sept. 9, Children’s Health Stadium at Prosper ISD
Lake Highlands at Highland Park, 7 p.m. Sept. 9
Euless Trinity at Flower Mound Marcus, 7 p.m. Sept. 9
Parish Episcopal at Austin LBJ, 7 p.m. Sept. 9
Waco La Vega at Midlothian Heritage, 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at Midlothian ISD Stadium
Lancaster at Denton Guyer, 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at C.H. Collins Complex
Cedar Hill at Southlake Carroll, 7 p.m. Sept. 9
Sunnyvale at Carter, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at Kincaide Stadium
WEEK 4
South Oak Cliff at Parish Episcopal
7:30 p.m. Sept. 16
After facing Duncanville, Lancaster and DeSoto, defending Class 5A Division II state champion South Oak Cliff finishes off perhaps the toughest nondistrict schedule in the Dallas area by playing a Parish Episcopal team that has won three consecutive TAPPS Division I state titles. It will be interesting to watch Parish Episcopal sophomore quarterback Sawyer Anderson, who has 13 FBS offers, go against a South Oak Cliff secondary that features four FBS commits.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Prosper at Denton Guyer, 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at C.H. Collins Complex
Jesuit at Lake Highlands, 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Wildcat-Ram Stadium
Cedar Hill at Waxahachie, 7 p.m. Sept. 16
Celina at Anna, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16
Carter vs. Lincoln, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at Wilmer-Hutchins
WEEK 5
Rockwall-Heath vs. Rockwall
7 p.m. Sept. 23 at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium
This was arguably the best game in the Dallas area in 2021, with Rockwall-Heath beating Rockwall 79-71 in double overtime. The game featured 1,491 yards of total offense. Rockwall’s Braedyn Locke and Rockwall-Heath’s Josh Hoover, who combined to throw for 777 yards in last year’s matchup, have both graduated, so two new quarterbacks will be leading their teams in this intense rivalry game.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Lewisville at Flower Mound, 7 p.m. Sept. 23
South Grand Prairie at Arlington Martin, 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at Choctaw Stadium
Frisco Wakeland vs. Frisco Lone Star, 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at Ford Center at The Star
Duncanville at Cedar Hill, 7 p.m. Sept. 23
Waxahachie at DeSoto, 7 p.m. Sept. 23
China Spring at Parish Episcopal, 7 p.m. Sept. 23
Lancaster at Longview, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23
WEEK 6
Flower Mound at Flower Mound Marcus
7 p.m. Sept. 30
The Mound Showdown has produced some thrillers in recent years. Flower Mound Marcus won 48-45 in 2016 when Justin Dinka scored on a 4-yard run in the second overtime. Flower Mound won 17-10 in 2017 as Pierce Hudgens scored the winning touchdown on a 46-yard run with four minutes remaining. Marcus won 34-31 in 2019, scoring the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run by Tyler Gainey in the final minute. Flower Mound won 17-14 last year, with Yale Erdman scoring the winning touchdown on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Jesuit at Highland Park, 7 p.m. Sept. 30
Sachse vs. Garland Naaman Forest, 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Williams Stadium
Grapevine vs. Colleyville Heritage, 7 p.m. Sept. 30 at Grapevine’s Mustang-Panther Stadium
WEEK 7
Waxahachie at Duncanville
7 p.m. Oct. 7
Both teams are ranked in the top 40 in the state in Class 6A — Duncanville at No. 4 and Waxahachie at No. 40. This will be a good chance for fans to see Duncanville junior running back Caden Durham, who received offers from Alabama and Oklahoma late last month. He ran on Duncanville’s 4x100-meter relay team that won the Class 6A state title in 39.98, the fastest high school time in the nation in 2022.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Melissa at Mesquite Poteet, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at Mesquite Memorial Stadium
Midlothian Heritage at Mansfield Summit, 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at R.L. Anderson Stadium
Bishop Lynch at Parish Episcopal, 7 p.m. Oct. 7
WEEK 8
McKinney at Allen
7 p.m. Oct. 14
Two of the best quarterbacks in the area go head-to-head, as McKinney’s Keldric Luster faces Allen’s Michael Hawkins. Luster, an SMU pledge who transferred from Frisco Liberty to McKinney during the offseason, accounted for 54 touchdowns and 5,014 yards of total offense last season.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Flower Mound at Hebron, 7 p.m. Oct. 14
Ennis at Midlothian Heritage, 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Midlothian ISD Stadium
WEEK 9
Aledo at Denton Ryan
7 p.m. Oct. 21 at C.H. Collins Complex
This might be the best matchup of Class 5A teams all season. Denton Ryan enters the season ranked No. 2 in the state in 5A Division I and Aledo is No. 3. Fans won’t want to miss five-star Texas A&M pledge Anthony Hill Jr. of Denton Ryan — the No. 1 linebacker in the nation — playing in a game that should determine the District 3-5A Division I championship. Aledo won 5A Division II state titles in 2018, 2019 and 2020, while Denton Ryan won the 5A Division I state championship in 2020.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Allen at Denton Guyer, 6 p.m. Oct. 20 at C.H. Collins Complex on ESPN2
Arlington Lamar vs. Arlington, 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Choctaw Stadium
Flower Mound Marcus at Lewisville, 7 p.m. Oct. 21
Northwest Eaton at Southlake Carroll, 7 p.m. Oct. 21
Cedar Hill at DeSoto, 7 p.m. Oct. 21
Fort Worth Nolan at Parish Episcopal, 7 p.m. Oct. 21
Carter at Celina, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21
Mesquite Poteet at Lovejoy, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21
WEEK 10
DeSoto at Duncanville
7 p.m. Oct. 28
Both teams have the talent to win a state title, but first they will meet to determine the championship of District 11-6A, the “District of Doom.” Duncanville has won the last four meetings in the series, including regional finals in 2020 and 2021. Ten players in this game are ranked among the top 100 recruits in the Dallas area in the Class of 2023, including five defensive backs — Jaden Milliner-Jones, Caimon Mathis and Brian Hollins of DeSoto and Duncanville’s Deldrick Madison and Lamodrick Spencer.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
Denton Guyer at McKinney, 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at McKinney ISD Stadium
Prosper at Allen, 7 p.m. Oct. 28
Trophy Club Byron Nelson at Southlake Carroll, 7 p.m. Oct. 28
Richland at Mansfield Timberview, 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at Vernon Newsom Stadium
Frisco Lone Star vs. Frisco, 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at Toyota Stadium
WEEK 11
Melissa at Lovejoy
Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
This regular-season finale is expected to decide the District 7-5A Division II title and will highlight some elite recruits. A Melissa program that is moving up from 4A Division I to 5A Division II is led by four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith II, the sixth-ranked recruit in Texas in the Class of 2024 who holds offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas and Texas A&M. Lovejoy, which reached a regional final before losing to 5A Division II state champion South Oak Cliff, returns four-star junior linebacker Payton Pierce (30 college offers) and senior wide receivers Kyle Parker (committed to LSU) and Jaxson Lavender (committed to SMU).
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS
McKinney at Prosper, 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Children’s Health Stadium at Prosper ISD
Arlington Lamar at South Grand Prairie, 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Gopher-Warrior Bowl
Frisco vs. Frisco Wakeland, 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at David Kuykendall Stadium
Mansfield Summit at Ennis, 7 p.m. Nov. 4
Hebron at Lewisville, 7 p.m. Nov. 4
Justin Northwest at Denton Ryan, 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at C.H. Collins Complex
Lincoln at Sunnyvale, 7 p.m. Nov. 4
Parish Episcopal at Plano Prestonwood Christian, 7 p.m. Nov. 4
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