A Win for High School Football

The stadium was packed, Michael and Deion were in the house, and a national television audience was tuned in.

All that was left was for the Southlake Carroll Dragons to de-horn the Miami Northwestern Bulls and put to rest the silly notion that a program from another state could compete with the elite of Texas football without returning home fraught with stories of how a maniacal Dragon dominated them with fire-breathing precision.

In the end the raging bull from Miami turned Carroll into Puff the Magic Dragon by shutting them out in the second half and forcing an uncharacteristically high five turnovers. No more win streak, no more record breaking performance and no more Texas high school football invincibility; but somehow it seemed OK.

This was not a loss for Southlake Carroll and Texas high school football, but a win for high school football in general and for two communities specifically.

The looks on the faces of the Northwestern faithful said it all. Most of them had probably never been to the Lone Star state, or witnessed high school football on such a grand scale, but then again, few had. For all those who made the long haul from the Sunshine state this was no doubt a trip that will be etched in their mind indelibly.

For one night, financial disparity was an afterthought, and racial divsion was non-existent. The communities and coaches gave each other respect and the players prayed together in unity at game's end, knowing they will never pass this way again.

Northwestern will likely go on to their second consecutive Florida 6A title and Carroll will be favored to do the same in class 5A Texas high school football, but whatever the outcome for the remainder of the season, they will never forget the night they all came together on a steamy night in Texas and produced a win for high school football.