High School Football Games of the Week: Texas & Louisiana Powerhouses Shine
DALLAS / ALGIERS — Two of the South’s premier high school programs flexed their muscle Friday night, with Duncanville (Texas) and Edna Karr (Louisiana) each earning statement victories to open their seasons.
Duncanville 35, South Oak Cliff 28
In Texas, No. 8 Duncanville leaned on junior quarterback Maximus “The Great” Denson, who dazzled in his first career start. Filling in for former All-American Keelon Russell (now at Alabama), Denson threw three first-half touchdowns and rushed for nearly 100 yards as the Panthers built a 29-14 halftime lead.
He connected with SMU commit Zach Turner (7 yards), Trenton Yancey (64 yards) and Emmanuel Ellison (23 yards) for scores.
South Oak Cliff fought back with big plays of its own. Levon Morton scored twice in the first half — once on a 76-yard punt return and again on a 1-yard run — before the Bears rallied late behind Jayden Williams’ 74-yard touchdown pass to Devonte Hill and Torrin Teague’s 76-yard touchdown run with 2:34 left. The Panthers’ defense held strong to seal the 35-28 win.
Duncanville (1-0) has a bye next week before visiting Waxahachie on Sept. 19. South Oak Cliff (1-1) will host Longview on Friday.
Edna Karr 35, Shaw 0
In Louisiana, Edna Karr’s defense set the tone in a 35-0 shutout of Shaw at Morris Jeff Stadium in Algiers. The Cougars didn’t allow a first down until the final play of the third quarter and limited the Eagles to just 28 total yards.
Offensively, Nicholls State commit Tre Garrison powered Karr early with touchdown runs of 16 and 4 yards. He racked up 92 yards on 10 carries before sitting the second half due to cramping. Floyd Jones added a 22-yard touchdown reception from quarterback John Johnson, Jerell McGee sprinted for a 24-yard score, and Ian Gray recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to cap the night.
Johnson finished with 129 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while Jermond Macklin stepped up in the second half with 78 rushing yards.
Karr (1-0), the defending Division I state champions, look to continue their momentum in a national spotlight matchup against American Heritage (Fla.) next week at the Caesars Superdome. Shaw (0-1) faces West Jefferson.
Takeaway: Whether in Texas or Louisiana, the storylines were the same — elite defenses, breakout quarterbacks, and programs proving why they’re perennial contenders.
