Top 26 storylines for 2016: No. 9 – Will DFW be shut out of the 6A title games again?

2015_08_28_Guyer v Allen_1124The past few years, the Dallas-Ft. Worth area has dominated the scene at the 6A level. In fact, in the past ten years of the twenty possible state champions at the state’s largest classification, the DFW area won 13 titles alone. So the fact that the DFW area didn’t even have a team playing for a title in 2016 comes as a bit of a surprise and disappointment for those who consider the state’s largest metro area to also house the best football within the borders. Many will tell you these types of things run in cycles and in some years Houston dominates, some years Austin or San Antonio will rise up, and that is definitely true, but looking at last year, it probably was a bit of a “down” year for elite teams in the area. The big question is: can DFW bounce back or will it be shut out of even playing for a 6A title in 2016? The top candidate looks to be Cedar Hill, ranked in the top five by pretty much every outlet in the state going into the season, but also coming off a tough loss to Bishop Gorman. The Longhorns bring back a bevy of offensive talent, but can they navigate a tough schedule and improve enough on defense to make a deep push? Allen’s got the pedigree, but the Eagles are flying a bit under the radar. Still highly regarded, the talk in 6A has centered on other programs leaving the Eagles, under new head coach Terry Gambill, out of the limelight. It’s an odd year in DFW as it appears most of the real power in DFW lies in the Division II bracket, which could open the door for Allen or always powerful Euless Trinity to make a deep run. Others who could contend are Mansfield, DeSoto, Denton Guyer, Southlake Carroll, Rockwall and Arlington Martin. Mansfield advanced to the semifinals last year, and DeSoto could likely be a player in the Division II bracket. Guyer and Southlake both look strong on the defensive side of the ball, while Rockwall could have one of the state’s most prolific offensive units. Odds are slim that DFW is shut out of the 6A title games for the second year in a row, in fact I’d strongly advise you to bet against that notion. The road to AT&T Stadium is loaded with potential minefields in the DFW area, but my bet is there will be at least one 6A team from the Metroplex playing for all the marbles in December.

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