ESPN

Southlake Carroll's boys and girls swept the Class 5A team titles at the UIL swimming and diving championships over the weekend at Austin's Jamail Texas Swimming Center.

Highland Park's girls won the Class 4A team championship.

Frisco's Corey Nix set a 4A state record in the boys 100-yard freestyle with a time of 45.13 seconds.

The following area swimmers won their events:

CLASS 5A GIRLS

• 200 medley relay: Southlake Carroll, 1:44.22
• 200 freestyle: Julia Anderson, Fort Worth Paschal, 1:45.88
• 100 freestyle: Julia Anderson Fort Worth Paschal, 49.53
• 200 freestyle relay: Southlake Carroll, 1:36.08
• 100 backstroke: Caroline Korst, Hebron, 55.62
• 400 freestyle relay: Southlake Carroll, 3:27.99

CLASS 5A BOYS

• 200 freestyle: Ted Singley, Southlake Carroll, 1:38.38
• 50 freestyle: Ted Singley, Southlake Carroll, 4:23.68

CLASS 4A GIRLS

• 200 medley relay: Highland Park, 1:49.09
• 200 freestyle: Claire Walters, Rockwall-Heath, 1:50.86
• 200 IM: Whitney Allen, Frisco, 2:03.54
• 50 freestyle: Raena Eldridge, Rockwall, 23.69
• 100 freestyle: Sammie Hashbarger, McKinney, 51.55
• 500 freestyle: Emily Nightingale, Lucas Lovejoy, 4:55.53
• 200 freestyle relay: Highland Park, 1:36.48
• 100 breaststroke: Destiny Nelson, Prosper, 1:06.12
• 400 freestyle relay: Highland Park, 3:32.96

CLASS 4A BOYS

• 200 IM: Adam Bull, Richardson Pearce, 1:49.84
• 100 freestyle: Corey Nix, Frisco, 45.13
• 500 freestyle: Adam Bull, Richardson Pearce, 4:30.47
• 200 freestyle relay: Frisco, 1:25.75

The competitive nature of the District 9-4A boys playoff race suggested the district would be competitive in the playoffs as well.

It hasn't panned out that way.

District 10-4A went 3-1 against 9-4A in the bi-district round, with 9-4A's one win being Frisco's 54-52 win over Rockwall.

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

Even that game went down to the wire despite Frisco being the 9-4A champion and Rockwall being the fourth seed from 10-4A. Frisco won after RJ White connected on a putback at the buzzer.

District 10-4A's wins were convincing. McKinney North took a 68-58 win over Carrollton Creekview, which was enjoying a resurgent season that saw it push Frisco for the 9-4A crown.

McKinney held off a late rally to beat Frisco Centennial 53-51, and Highland Park topped Carrollton Newman Smith 46-34 despite not having its top scorer, David Allen.

Things get tougher for 10-4A as it moves on to face teams from Dallas ISD. Highland Park, which still won't have Allen (who is suspended for the week in compliance with the district's policy regarding arrests and participation in extracurricular activities), faces defending 4A champion Dallas Kimball, the No. 5 team in ESPN Dallas' final Class 4A area rankings.

McKinney North takes on No. 4 Dallas Woodrow Wilson and McKinney gets No. 2 South Oak Cliff. Frisco plays Dallas Lincoln.

CARROLLTON, Texas -- Carrollton Creekview students spent all night trying to get under RJ White's skin, singling him out with mean-spirited taunts and barbs.

Apparently that's the last thing you want to do to Frisco's leading scorer.

Fueled by the chants, White erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points in the final frame to lead Frisco to a 75-73 win over Creekview on Friday.

The win caps a remarkably good week for Frisco (20-9, 9-2 in 9-4A). The Raccoons beat Creekview and Frisco Centennial to join them in a three-way tie for first place in 9-4A.

"He's been doing what we've asked him to do for the last four years," Frisco head coach Andrew Steele said of White. "When you find that fire and you can get him mad at something, he gets to be a man-child out there and he's pretty hard to stop."

Creekview (19-12, 9-2) held a 64-58 lead heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring Frisco by 15 points in the third quarter. But the Mustangs' hot shooting didn't last. Frisco spent most of the final frame on a 13-3 run created by feeding White in the paint.

The senior gave Frisco the lead back with a three-point play with a little over two minutes remaining in the game, and Creekview missed a pair of shots in the final 20 seconds.

"Bottom line: We got fortunate at the end," Steele said.

If anger sparks White during games, he must get mad a lot. The 6-foot-7 senior leads Frisco in scoring (16 points per game) and rebounding (9 per game) and has helped Frisco overcome a sluggish start to district play.

The Raccoons opened 9-4A play with a losses to Carrollton Newman Smith and Centennial, but they've now won eight straight games, including victories over Newman Smith and Centennial.

White couldn't get much going in the first half against Creekview. Officials called a tight game through 16 minutes, doling out 30 total fouls in the first half.

"They blew it too much," White said of the referees. "I wish they would have let us play."

That hampered White's physical inside game, but Frisco's supporting cast stepped up to give the Raccoons a 46-37 lead at the break.

Including White, Frisco had six players with at least nine points -- Ryan Thomas (13), Kanetis Mays (10), Brady Culbertson (9), Adrian Singletary (9) and Kevin Stephens (9).

Creekview found its game in third quarter. Justin Cueto, who tweaked his ankle in the first half, came out on fire. Coupled with Stephen Buckner (24 points) and Ali Zia (14 points), Creekview turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a six-point lead in just eight minutes.

"I think during the first half our kids were too focused on the crowd, the officials, other things besides doing what we need to do on the basketball court," Creekview head coach Jonathan Ellis said. "We had to fire them up. We got after them."

But as the officiating loosened up, White was able to take advantage of his size in the paint.

And those pesky Creekview fans provided a little motivation, too.

"Knowing fans are talking, I just try to put up 30 a game," White said. "That's what got me going."

Running back Carlos Harris helped resurrect Frisco's suffering football program.

He'll have the opportunity to do the same at North Texas.

The District 9-4A MVP signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to play for a Mean Green team that isn't in too different a situation as Frisco was before Harris came along.

Frisco went 1-19 in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Raccoons rebounded in 2010 with Harris at quarterback and excelled in 2011 after moving him to running back. Frisco won two playoff games.

North Texas is on a similar arch. It went a dismal 6-37 in 3 1/2 seasons under Todd Dodge but rebounded in 2011 under Dan McCarney with a 5-7 record.

Harris was the workhorse running back in Frisco's Wing-T offense, rushing for 1,722 yards and 21 touchdowns on 223 carries.

The Raccoons weren't the only Frisco ISD team to have a breakout season. Frisco Centennial went undefeated in the regular season and won two playoff games.

Chase Appleby lead a formidable front seven that fueled Centennial's run. He signed with Wyoming on Wednesday.

FORNEY, Texas – Frisco's resurgent season came as a result of a simple formula for success -- run the ball and win the battles in the trenches.

Against Kilgore on Friday, Frisco ran into team that employed the same philosophy.

But with a noticeable size advantage on both sides of the ball, Kilgore ended up imposing its will on Frisco en route to a 24-10 win at Forney's City Bank Stadium.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

Kilgore (9-4) advances to play Corsicana in the 4A Division II Region II finals at 7:30 Friday in Forney.

"They're a team that can run the ball and controls the clock," said Frisco head coach Vance Gibson. "They're strong up front and we're not real big up front on either side of the ball. It was a matchup we knew would be tough for us."

From the opening kickoff, Kilgore had its way with Frisco (9-4) upfront. The Bulldogs opened huge holes for running backs LD Anthony (122 yards and a touchdown) and Dondra Halton (174 yards).

"They just do a good job of executing," Gibson said. "They have big strong guys that try to wear you down."

On the other side of the ball, Frisco had trouble opening holes for its own workhorse running back, Carlos Harris. Harris didn't muster a rush for more than 10 yards in the game and finished with just 46 on the ground.

Frisco rushed for just 151 yards total, and its struggles on third down (3-for-13) proved problematic throughout the game.

Kilgore took a 7-3 lead into halftime despite three first-half turnovers, and quarterback Riley Toler extended it in the third with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Following a Frisco three-and-out, Halton led Kilgore on another long drive that ended with a field goal that gave the Bulldogs a 17-3 lead with 4:55 left in the game.

Frisco moved Harris over to receiver on its next drive and it paid off. Harris was on the receiving end of all six of Frisco's pass completions on the day, good for 59 yards.

"We just wanted to get an athlete out in space and see if he could make some plays," Gibson said of the move.

The pass plays to Harris led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Derek Deiter to cut Kilgore's lead to 17-10 with 3:05 left in the game.

Frisco attempted an onsides kick following the touchdown. The kick landed in a good spot for Frisco, but Kilgore recovered and Halton scored on a 15-yard run four plays later.

The loss ends a resurgent season for Frisco, which has struggled in recent years because of expansion in Frisco ISD. The Raccoons went a combined 1-19 from 2008 to 2009.

Two years later, Frisco has rebuilt itself into a more than competitive 4A program.

With rapid expansion causing uncertainty for Frisco’s extracurricular activities, the thought of two Frisco ISD teams playing for a region title was laughable as recently as last year.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

But with things settling down -- at least for these two Frisco schools –- Frisco Centennial (12-0) and Frisco (10-2) are just one win away from facing each other in the 4A Division II Region II title, a game that would serve as the ultimate redemption for the turbulent school district.

Both teams face tough opponents in the region semifinals, though.

Corsicana (11-1) is arguably the best team Centennial has seen all year. The game features a tantalizing matchup between Tigers running back Cameron Washington, who leads the area in rushing with 2,587 yards and 38 touchdowns, and a Centennial run defense that’s giving up a mere 74 rushing yards per game.

The two play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Midlothian.

Frisco faces resurgent Kilgore (8-4), which is enjoying its first winning season since 2008. The running tandem of L.D. Anthony and Dondra Halton have allowed to the Bulldogs to upset Royse City and most recently Lancaster (14-6).

The game at 1 p.m. Friday at Forney’s City Bank Stadium should be smash-mouth football at its best. Frisco’s Wing-T offense leans heavily on its own standout running back, Carlos Harris (1,675 yards and 21 touchdowns).

Frisco gave Centennial all it could handle in their meeting in the regular season. The Raccoons held a one-point lead in the fourth quarter before a 42-yard touchdown run by Lamar Jordan late in the game sealed a 29-22 win for the Titans.

Should both Frisco schools come up short, it will set up a rematch between Corsicana and Kilgore. The Tigers beat Kilgore, 38-13, in nondistrict play.

Wylie East entered the playoffs looking like a dark-horse team with the potential to make a surprise run.

So did Frisco.

In their bi-district matchup, the two teams fought to a standstill that Frisco ended by successfully converting a two-point conversion attempt in the final two minutes to escape with a 25-24 win.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

Frisco faces Dallas Lincoln in the 4A Division II area round at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium.

The win highlights a resurgent season for Frisco (9-2). After years of struggling with Frisco ISD’s expansion, the Raccoons have put together their best season since 2006, when they lost in the area round to Whitehouse.

A switch to the Wing-T offense has proved beneficial. Frisco has one of the most productive offenses in the area thanks to its running game, which rushes for more than 300 yards per game. Running back Carlos Harris is among the area’s rushing leaders with more than 1,500 yards this season.

But ironically, it was Frisco’s passing game that sealed the win. On the two-point conversion attempt, quarterback Eric Allen hit Harris in the end zone for the game-winning conversion.

And Frisco’s running game never got going against Wylie East. It tallied 113 yards on 41 carries, hardly the explosive results Frisco is used to. Frisco capitalized on three Wylie East interceptions to make up for its lack of offensive production.

If Frisco gets its running game back on track, it could make a run in Region II. After Lincoln (6-5), Frisco would face the winner between Kilgore and Lancaster. After that, it could be Sulphur Springs, Corsicana or Frisco Centennial, which beat Frisco, 29-22, in the regular season.

FRISCO (8-2) vs. WYLIE EAST (8-2)
1 p.m. Saturday at Plano’s Clark Stadium

What: Class 4A Division II Region 2 bi-district game

When we saw them last: Frisco, which finished second in District 9-4A, edged Frisco Liberty, 23-20, at Pizza Hut Park on a fourth-quarter field goal by Kyle Fischer. Wylie East fell to District 10-4A second-place finisher Rockwall-Heath, 27-7, and finished third in the district.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

Last in the playoffs: Wylie East is making its first playoff appearance in the school's second year of having a varsity program. Frisco’s last playoff game was a 2007 bi-district loss to Highland Park, 49-28.

What’s at stake: The winner of this game will face the winner of the bi-district matchup between Dallas Lincoln (5-5) and Seagoville (7-3).

Key matchup: Both teams' running games. Both offenses are powered by quality feature backs: Carlos Harris for Frisco and Jabari Anderson for Wylie East. Whichever defense can control the running game will have a clear edge in the game.

Players to watch: Anderson has scored an astronomical 26 touchdowns on the season and will most likely break the 2,000-yard mark in the bi-district matchup. Harris has 19 touchdowns of his own with over 1,000 more yards than the team’s next leading rusher, quarterback Eric Allen (410 yards).

Prediction: Wylie East 45, Frisco 27

CLASS 4A DIVISION II REGION 2 PREVIEW

Overview: This region might be one of the most intriguing for area teams. There are quality teams in Frisco Centennial, Corsicana, Wylie East, Frisco and Lancaster in this region, but their ability to make a deep run into the playoffs is somewhat in question.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

To their advantage, they won’t have to face the likes of Aledo or Stephenville until the state semifinals, but there a plenty of other roadblocks to overcome just to get that far.

Favorite: Frisco Centennial. The Titans (10-0) come into the playoffs highly touted as one of the top programs in the state this season. The atmosphere that surrounds local Frisco matchups gives Centennial an advantage in preparation for playoff football. Also, look out for Corsicana, which made it through one of the toughest districts in North Texas, District 15-4A, with just one loss. The Tigers could easily ride one of the area’s top running backs, Cameron Washington, deep into the playoffs.

Watch out for: Wylie East. The Raiders (8-2) came onto the scene as one of the biggest surprises of the season in their second year of varsity competition. East gave district champion and ESPN Dallas 4A No. 1 Highland Park a run for its money earlier on the year and has rolled on solid momentum throughout the season. It could take a few teams by surprise in the playoffs and make a historic run.

Can’t wait to see: Wylie East-Frisco (1 p.m. Saturday, Plano's Clark Stadium). Wylie East begins with a tough test against Frisco (8-2), which had resurgence the year. The winner of this matchup should have easy going through the next couple of rounds.

Hope to see: Frisco Centennial vs. Corsicana. This matchup of two very athletic teams wouldn’t happen until the third round, but both seem more than fit to make it that far. This game could easily be the “championship” of this region a round early.

Talent pool (FBS recruits): Sulpher Springs: RB Kendrick Daniels (Arkansas State); Kilgore: RB Ladarius Anthony (TCU); Hutto: QB Ryan Higgins (Louisiana Tech); Lancaster: CB La’Darius Newbold (Tech).

Frisco Centennial head coach Mark Howard thought his team had a bright future in the fall of 2006.

His junior high feeder teams were rolling to undefeated records behind a class of 2011 that looked like one that could define his nascent program.

“I was licking my chops,” Howard said.

But the growth in Frisco that spawned the need to open the school where he coached didn’t slow down. In fact, it picked up.

To combat overcrowding at Frisco High and Centennial, the district opened two more high schools – Liberty and Wakeland. Liberty pulled students from Centennial when it opened, including much of the class of 2011 that Howard coveted so much.

He could do nothing but watch as the players he helped groom fueled long playoff runs at Liberty in 2009 and 2010.

“We lost them,” Howard said. “When you open new schools and kids break off and go to other schools, it’s tough.”

And so it goes for the Frisco ISD schools. The city’s rapid growth has led to rapid expansion in the school district. Since 2003, Frisco has opened five new high schools. A sixth is on its way in a few years.

The expansion has had a profound impact on athletics at each school. When new schools open, they take kids from existing schools where entire classes of students are cut. The total number of students suddenly drops. This often weakens the athletic programs, particularly football teams because they need so many players to be successful.

No team better exemplifies the highs and lows that expansion can create better than Liberty. In just its second year of varsity play in 2009, Liberty went three rounds deep in the playoffs behind the students it took from Centennial.

But when Frisco Heritage opened last year, it took students from Liberty, which doesn’t have a full senior class this year. While the Redhawks (5-2, 2-2) have still managed to stay competitive this season, they are clearly not what they were, having lost to Centennial and Carrollton Creekview in consecutive weeks.

It may get worse before it gets better for Liberty because Frisco’s seventh high school will pull from Liberty when it opens in a couple years, dealing Liberty two blows in a short period of time.

“When you lose half or more of a group of kids you’ve been coaching coming up through your feeder system, that’s hard to overcome quickly and have your numbers build back up,” said Frisco head coach Vance Gibson. “We’ve made it through that cycle.”

Frisco went through what Liberty is about to go through. Centennial pulled from Frisco when it opened in 2003. Just as numbers were beginning to come back up at Frisco, Wakeland opened in 2006, taking the better part of Frisco’s incoming junior and senior classes.

While this achieved the more important goal of opening a new high school with a full curriculum and easing overcrowding, it had a catastrophic impact on Frisco’s football team.

After making the playoffs in 2007, Frisco went 0-10 in 2008 and 2009.

“When Wakeland came in, our whole school’s numbers went down pretty dramatically,” Gibson said. “We were a really really small school compared to the people we were competing against.”

Frisco’s newest schools – Heritage and Lone Star – pulled from Liberty and Wakeland, respectively. This has allowed Frisco and Centennial to build its numbers back up while its competition in District 9-4A is either dealing with losing a class (Liberty and Wakeland) or is a brand new school (Heritage).

Not surprisingly, Frisco and Centennial have flourished as a result of not being picked on by expansion. The Titans (7-0, 4-0) are dominating opponents with their defense while no one has found a way to slow down Frisco’s (6-1, 4-0) running game yet.

The two teams meet for what may be the District 9-4A title at 7 p.m. Thursday at Pizza Hut Park.

“This our best team since we started the program,” said Howard, who’s been the coach at Centennial since it opened. “We’re treading in some water we’ve never crossed before.”

What we got right: The majority of the teams in the 5A poll took care of business this week, leaving the top seven unchanged. Aledo and Waxahachie remained unmoved after wins this weekend in 4A. Waxahachie has proven it belongs at the top of one of the deepest districts in the area, 15-4A, but it will be interesting to see if it has what it takes to move up any further.

What we got wrong: We can't make up our mind who is the best team in 4A. Denton Ryan and Highland Park have very comparable results through 2011, and both pass a similar eye test. However, Highland Park has proven it has depth on offense, finding players to replace standout wide receiver Dalton Stogner. Garland has flown under the radar for the majority of the season but had a big win against Rowlett this weekend, showcasing skill in all phases of the game. Fort Worth Southwest taught Fort Worth Arlington Heights a lesson it did not learn in years past -- how to lose in district play. That blowout was more than enough to give Southwest the No. 10 spot in the 4A poll.

Say hello to: 5A -- Garland, Cedar Hill; 4A --Fort Worth Southwest

Say goodbye to: 5A -- Keller Central, Hebron; 4A -- Everman

Watch out for: 5A -- Arlington Lamar; 4A -- Frisco

Tell us: How would you rank teams differently and who did we leave out?

Frisco has emerged as one of the area’s best offenses this season, and the Raccoons have their running game to thank for it.

Frisco (5-1, 3-0 in District 9-4A) leads all 4A teams in rushing with more than 370 yards per game after switching to the Wing-T formation this year.

Head coach Vance Gibson said his team switched to the Wing-T to better take advantage of its existing personnel and to avoid having the offense based on one player.

The Raccoons suffered the pitfalls of having a quarterback-based offense in 2010. After losing its starter to injury early in the season, Frisco spent the rest of the year trying to find a suitable replacement under center and struggled as a result.

“Before district play, we’d already lost two quarterbacks,” Gibson said. “We were like a lot of people, a spread team. We were throwing the ball and before we got to district play we had no quarterback. We wanted to do something to make sure we weren’t necessarily in a quarterback-driven offense.”

Frisco’s success has vindicated the switch in more ways than one. Not only is Frisco’s offense among the best in the area, but it’s survived the loss of running back Carlos Harris.

Harris led the area in rushing before going down with an ankle injury during Frisco’s win over Frisco Wakeland (4-2, 2-1), but it hasn’t slowed down the Raccoons because they prepared a stable of backs including Ben Cole, Matt Nollman and Jordan Daniels.

Frisco went on to beat Wakeland and has defeated Carrollton R.L. Turner and Carrollton Newman Smith without Harris.

“That’s been the most satisfying thing about this season,” Gibson said. “We’ve had starters out for whatever reason and had kids who hadn’t had a lot of playing time in the past step up and do a phenomenal job.”

Harris started the game against Newman Smith last week but didn’t return after halftime because the ankle was still bothering him. Gibson said Harris is week-to-week and that the team won’t play him until he is 100 percent.

Frisco needs him as soon as possible given its remaining schedule. The Raccoons play at Frisco Centennial (6-0, 3-0) in two weeks and at Frisco Liberty (5-1, 2-1) to close the regular season. Those games will likely decide the 9-4A champion.

Frisco hosts Frisco Heritage (2-4, 1-2) on Friday.

“We expect this to be an extremely tough game,” Gibson said of his game against Heritage.

The Carrollton schools are having a tough time competing against their Frisco ISD counterparts in District 9-4A this season.

Newman Smith (0-5, 0-2), Creekview (0-5, 0-2) and R.L. Turner (1-4, 0-2) have yet to win a game against a Frisco team this season, leaving the five Frisco teams in the top five spots in the standings.

A similar situation developed last year, but Newman Smith rebounded from a slow start to make the playoffs, preventing a sweep of the four 9-4A playoff spots for Frisco ISD.

It may be tougher for Trojans to rebound this year. Aside from their own issues, they face a tougher group of Frisco teams.

While Frisco Liberty (5-0, 2-0) and Frisco Wakeland (3-2, 1-1) may have taken a step back, Frisco (4-1, 2-0), Frisco Centennial (5-0, 2-0) and
Frisco Heritage (2-3, 1-1) have gotten better.

Newman Smith hasn’t played the latter three, but it already lost to Liberty (18-17) and Wakeland (38-24) despite getting quarterback Shawn Holmes back from injury.

This weekend’s games will be telling for the district. Newman Smith takes on resurgent Frisco, and Centennial hosts Liberty in a game that will go a long way toward crowning a 9-4A champion.

And if there’s any consolation for Carrollton ISD fans, they're guaranteed at least one win this week with R.L. Turner hosting Creekview.

What we got right: The top of the 5A poll. There were no changes in the first four spots -- with Allen, DeSoto, Euless Trinity and Dallas Skyline maintaining their strongholds.

What we got wrong: We may have underestimated Highland Park. The Scots, who started the year at No. 3 in the 4A rankings, climbed past Denton Ryan into the No. 1 spot for the first time this season based mostly on its quality offensive play. We overrated Birdville, which had climbed to No. 5 in 4A but fell out of the rankings after losing to second-year program Trophy Club Byron Nelson.

Say hello to: 5A -- Denton Guyer; 4A -- Waxahachie

Say goodbye to: 5A -- Plano; 4A -- Birdville

Watch out for: 5A -- Hebron, Mansfield; 4A -- Wylie East, Trophy Club Byron Nelson

Tell us: Use the comments section to let us know what we have wrong.

WEEK 2 FOOTBALL RANKINGS


What we got right: There really wasn't much to miss on this week. All of our top teams from last week got the job done in Week 1, save Denton Guyer, who lost to Cedar Hill, 24-21, Monday at the Kirk Herbstreit Classic.

What we got wrong: Cedar Hill took Denton Guyer's No. 10 spot in the 5A poll, but it shouldn't be much of a setback for Guyer as the season progresses. If both teams continue to win, they should both have a spot among the area's best. Dallas Kimball dropped out of the 4A poll despite its 2-0 record, merely because the teams in this week's top 10 had higher quality wins in the opening two weeks of the season. Kimball will have the opportunity to jump back in as the season progresses.

Say hello to: 5A -- Arlington Bowie and Cedar Hill; 4A -- Lancaster

Say goodbye to: 5A -- Denton Guyer and Plano; 4A -- Dallas Kimball

Watch out for: 5A -- Colleyville Heritage and Sachse; 4A -- Richardson Pearce and Frisco