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With the rich talent pool of boys soccer in the area traditionally on teams like Southlake Carroll, Coppell and the Plano schools, who would have thought District 9-5A would have two of the best teams, not only the area but in the country?

As expected, one team is 2010 5A state champion Dallas Jesuit, which enters the 5A playoffs as the ESPNHS Fab 50 No. 9 team in the nation with an 18-2 regular season record.

The other took many by surprise.

Richardson Berkner won the District 9-5A title and finished the regular season 18-1 and is ranked No. 3 in the nation, the highest of any Texas team.

“I didn’t see that they had that from the JV team last year,” Jesuit coach Charles DeLong said. "They kind of came out of nowhere.”

It’s Berkner’s first trip to the playoffs in six years with coach Juan Beracochea at the helm.

Knocking off defending 5A state champion Southlake Carroll in the fourth game of the season gave Berkner the confidence to claim that playoff berth and garner national attention during the journey.

Credit a large portion of the success to senior Jack Wolf, who leads Berkner in all-around scoring with 25 goals and six assists. His effort stuck out to DeLong and has been adopted by the rest of his teammates. Wolf, a National Honor Society member and Division I prospect, single-handedly won Berkner’s second game against Jesuit, scoring both of his team’s goals in the 2-0 win.

“He’s very athletic. Very determined and he’s got decent skills,” DeLong said. “He plays on a team that gives him appropriate service. It’s hard to score that many goals unless you have players around you that can pass you the ball at the right time and the right place and you can’t score that many goals unless you have something going for you as an individual. He’s a handful.”

Going from zero to the top could easily go to the heads of most high school players, but that’s not the nature of this blue-collar squad which enters the postseason as even-keeled as possible, Beracochea said.

“We have never been in this position, so we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Beracochea said. “We’re a very humble team.”

The 5A girls bracket has seven UIL teams in the top 16, most of which will face each other in the first three rounds. Two out of the seven are guaranteed to see their season come to an abrupt halt after the second round.

The most intriguing of these future pairings is the potential second-round match between No. 6 Flower Mound and No. 5 Mansfield in the area round. The winner of that area Super Bowl could then face No. 7 Plano West before reaching the regional tournament.

Saved from that mess is No. 2 McKinney Boyd, which returns to the postseason trying to repeat as 5A state champions.

IRVING, Texas -- McKinney Boyd running back Bryan Driskell won MVP honors Sunday at the Dallas Nike Football Training Camp.

With Aledo star Jonathan Gray headed to UT, the senior stands out as one of the best running backs in Dallas-Fort Worth. Driskell said he doesn't mind the attention with Gray out of the picture, but he liked the challenge.

"It's always good to have the competition, to compete for the top spot, so it's a bittersweet feeling," Driskell said with a wide grin.

With his stock on the rise, Driskell has received interest from Baylor, Texas Tech and Auburn. His work in the classroom doesn't hurt him either. Harvard, Yale and Duke have all taken interest in the speedster.

Driskell said a few schools are lining up to watch him at upcoming spring practices, and he anticipates offers from Texas Tech and Baylor.

With a possible choice looming between Ivy League and BCS teams, Driskell's father Stan said the decision is all up to his son.

"He has to go to a place where he feels comfortable," Stan said. "His mother and I talk a lot about the fact that it's not just a four-year decision for him, it will be a 40-year decision."

It may turn out to be a tough choice, but Stan said he couldn't be more excited for his son.

"Bryan has worked extremely hard to get to where he is, and it's paying off for him right now," Stan said. "I'm a proud father."

Driskell rushed for more than 2,000 yards and scored 30 touchdowns last season.

WYLIE, Texas -- From the opening tip, Skyline controlled its bi-district matchup against McKinney Boyd (15-20), claiming a 60-30 win.

Skyline (28-4) excelled at finding and hitting high-percentage shots in the paint, which made up the majority of the Lady Raiders' points.

The Lady Raiders opened up the game on a 6-0 run that consisted mostly of transition layups after turnovers forced by Skyline’s man press.

“We wanted to keep the pressure on from start to finish,” Skyline coach Cassandra McCurdy said. “We kind of eased up a little in the third quarter and they came back around, but I was proud of the defensive effort.”

The remainder of the game was flashes of transition buckets and dishes into the post for Skyline, whose game plan was to exploit the post with its height advantage.

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“We felt like if we got our posts some touches, we would come out on the victorious end,” McCurdy said. “We felt like we had the height advantage so that’s one of the things we emphasized was trying to get it inside.”

Skyline’s rebounding in the second half became slightly lethargic, allowing Boyd to tally a few more points in the final frame, but never enough to threaten the lead.

Skyline forward Stabresa McDaniel led both teams in scoring with 18 points. Four Skyline players finished in double-digits in scoring.

Skyline advances to the area round to play Mesquite who beat College Station's A&M Consolidated in the bi-district round.

Plano West doesn't have the No. 1 prospect in the nation like it did in 2009 with Jackson Jeffcoat, but the Wolves are sending a defensive end to Texas.

Bryce Cottrell signed a national letter of intent to play for the Longhorns on Wednesday, becoming the second West defender to sign with Texas in three years.

Cottrell helped lead the Wolves to the brink of the playoffs. They finished in a three-way tie for a playoff spot in the brutal District 8-5A, but West finished on the outside looking in after losing the tiebreaker.

The senior was originally committed to Oregon but switched just before signing day.

Plano West's Carlos Wiggins also signed on Wednesday, putting his name in ink for New Mexico.

Other notable area players who signed on Wednesday include Sache's Tyler Holmes (Kansas); West Mesquite defensive back Cranston Jones (New Mexico); McKinney Boyd defensive end Jamal Palmer (Baylor) and punter Camerson Decell (Rice); and Lake Dallas receiver Ferrando Joseph (Louisiana Monroe) and running back Dontonio Jordan (Stanford).

Local recruits are flocking to Baylor on national signing day.

As of 9:30 Wednesday morning, the Bears had announced the signing of 20 recruits, eight of them from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Bears have received signed letters of intent from two Wylie players, DB Terrell Burt and OL Kyle Fuller.

Also headed down I-35 to Waco are Denton Ryan DL Dominique Banks, Richardson Pearce WR Corey Coleman, Hebron WR Kiante' Griffin, Euless Trinity LB Brian Nance, McKinney Boyd DE Jamal Palmer and Garland QB Seth Russell.

McKinney Boyd’s girls soccer team, ranked No. 1 in the ESPNHS Fab 50, has already begun its 2012 campaign after winning its second state title in four years last season.

With the players who return, Boyd remains a frontrunner to bring another state title back to North Texas.

The biggest change for Boyd this year is on the sidelines.

After one of North Texas’ most successful coaches, Jimmie Langford, resigned from Boyd to take a job coaching a boys team in Colorado, the reigns of the defending champs were given to Michele Estes.

The transition might not be as difficult as it sounds. Estes simply moved into the head coaching role after spending years as an assistant coach under Langford.

Not much strategically has changed in Boyd’s play under Estes, but it’s intangibles that the new coach emphasizes to her players.

“She’s brought a more competitive atmosphere,” senior striker Amanda Elertson said. “She’s trying to ignite the team more. We’ve lost players from last year, so we need to find a chemistry this year that will make us as successful as last year.”

Before practices and games, Boyd breaks out to the cheer “We are one” to put teamwork and team chemistry in the front of the players' minds as they move through the season, preparing for another playoff run.

It’s that personal connection with the team that Elerton values in Estes, which in turn is what Estes wants to spread amongst the team.

“She knows your personality,” Elertson said. “If you’re struggling, she knows what’s best to help pick you up and get you going, and I think it’s really good to have a coach that knows you.”

Elertson is one of many Boyd players who participates year-round by playing club soccer outside of the school team. Estes believes this creates a business-like attitude that prevents true chemistry from forming. Estes hopes she can create a more personal connection amongst the Boyd team, which is something the players rarely have the opportunity to form on club squads.

Boyd will have another tough road to state again this year with five North Texas girls teams ranked in the top 10 in the Fab 50 as of Jan. 8.

The 5A state runner-up, Colleyville Heritage, ranks No. 3 in the nation in the Week 6 poll, behind Coppell. Ursuline Academy ranks No. 4 as it looks to continue its dynasty in the state’s private school ranks.

North Texas has the chance to make a strong push on the boys side, as well, with the efforts being led by defending 5A state champion Southlake Carroll. Carroll entered the 2012 season with a 31-match undefeated streak that is the second longest active streak in the nation.

The surprise team to watch for is Hebron, which is ranked No. 12 in the nation as of Jan. 8, just one spot ahead of district rival Allen at No. 13.

The perennial powerhouse, Frisco Wakeland, comes in at No. 14, looking to sandwich a girls state title last season with a boys title in 2010.

But 2012 has the chance to be the season of Boyd in soccer, with a boys team that ranks No. 9 in the Fab 50, competing with the girls side for the higher national ranking when all is said and done.

The girls, of course, are winning the battle so far, and have the will and drive to repeat last season’s success.

“Everone on this team is competitive and everyone wants to win,” Elertson said. “They have that drive and desire, and I think we can be as successful.”

Three players from state champion Coppell were named to the Class 5A volleyball all-state tournament team.

Leading the way was Kierra Holst, the MVP of Coppell's state final victory over McKinney Boyd. Joining Holst are teammates Erica Bohannon and Chiaka Ogbogu. Boyd's Megan Mollett was also named to the 5A all-tournament team.

In Class 4A, Shelby Sullivan of runner-up Richardson Pearce is in the all-tournament team.

Class 3A champion Lucas Lovejoy placed three on the all-tournament team: finals MVP Andie Malloy, Nicole Newton and Mallorie Puckett.

CLASS 1A

• *Avery Brown, Jr., Water Valley
• Nicole DeHaven, Jr., Iola
• Briana Glass, Sr., Water Valley
• Amanda Gooch, Fr., Iola
• Rachel Warner, Jr., Burton
• Melodie Wood, Jr., Water Valley

CLASS 2A

• Avery Acker, Sr., Poth
• Abbey Bybel, Sr., White Oak
• Haylee Diehl, Sr., Nocona
• Kelsee Felux, Sr., Poth
• *Jordan Kotara, Sr., Poth
• Chelby Stanford, Sr., Jewett Leon

CLASS 3A

• Layne Little, So., Abilene Wylie
• Michelle Lytle, Sr., Abilene Wylie
• *Andie Malloy, Sr., Lucas Lovejoy
• Nicole Newton, Sr., Lucas Lovejoy
• Mallorie Puckett, Jr., Lucas Lovejoy
• Brette Threadgill, Sr., Sinton

CLASS 4A

• Kelsey Alford, Sr., Richmond Foster
• Katy Beals, Sr., Austin Lake Travis
• Erin Fairs, Sr., Richmond Foster
• *Amy Neal, Sr., Austin Lake Travis
• Sierra Patrick, Sr., Austin Lake Travis
• Shelby Sullivan, Sr., Richardson Pearce

CLASS 5A

• Erica Bohannon, Jr., Coppell
• Chanel Clark-Bibbs, Sr., Houston Cypress Falls
• Ayssa Garcia, Sr., San Antonio Johnson
• *Kierra Holst, Sr., Coppell
• Megan Mollett, Jr., McKinney Boyd
• Chiaka Ogbogu, Jr., Coppell

*Denotes championship game MVP

The Class 5A state volleyball championship trophy will remain in North Texas.

McKinney Boyd and Coppell won their semifinal matches Friday in San Marcos and will face off in the final at 7 p.m. Saturday. Hebron was the 5A champion in 2010 but didn't make it back to state.

Boyd beat Houston Cypress Falls 25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22 in one semifinal, and Coppell beat San Antonio Johnson 14-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10 in the other.

Two other area teams will go for state titles Saturday.

Lucas Lovejoy goes for its third consecutive 3A title against Abilene Wylie at 2 p.m. after sweeping Sinton 25-23-25-9, 25-15 in a Friday semifinal match.

Richardson Pearce punched its ticket to Saturday's 4:30 p.m. 4A final by beating Canyon Randall 25-17, 26-24, 12-25, 25-21 in a Thursday semifinal.

Four area teams are headed to the UIL state volleyball tournament semifinals this week. The tournament will be held at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Class 3A Lucas Lovejoy (46-4) will begin its state championship defense against Sinton (30-10) at 1 p.m. on Friday. The Leopards will need to step up their blocking and maintain ball control to repeat.

“I think this team has a lot of big-game experience and we have the ability to score in all six rotations," said coach Ryan Mitchell, who added that Lovejoy has put great emphasis on film study and scouting during the playoffs in order to identify opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. "We are also a very aggressive serving team, which takes a lot of teams out of system. The team that serve receives the best at state usually wins, so that will be a key for us this weekend.”

Mitchell calls three-time state champion Andie Malloy “the engine that makes our team run.” The experience of junior Mallorie Puckett and fellow junior Shannon Connell's ball distribution have also helped Lovejoy get to this point.

Mitchell is confident that if his players perform at the top of their game they will walk away champions once again.

Richardson Pearce looking for redemption

Class 4A Richardson Pearce (35-13) is looking for redemption after losing in the state semifinals last year.

Pearce will face Canyon Randall (42-4) on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Coach Jason Nicholson has stressed that Pearce needs to maintain ball control both in serve receive and defense.

“If we can serve and pass we will be a tough team for whomever we face," Nicholson said. "Canyon Randall has a great team and a great coach, so we understand that we have to take care of the ball and keep our errors to a minimum.”

The young Mustangs have kept a similar practice routine heading into Thursday's match, focusing on skills early in practice and later moving on to strategy and decision-making.

“I am very proud of these girls and am impressed with the resolve they have had all season," Nicholson said. "They grow each and every day, and it has been an exciting ride.”

McKinney Boyd has one goal in mind

McKinney Boyd coach Kelly Quinn says her team has one expectation for this weekend: to win state.

Boyd has coined the playoff slogan “1,028 inches,” signifying the team’s total number of inches in height and the belief that it takes every inch of every player to reach the ultimate goal of winning the state championship.

The Broncos can attribute much of their success to team unity and the ability of each player step up in her individual role.

Quinn pointed out junior libero Kaley Seaber as a key reason for the team’s success this season.

“She has been the glue and a significant driving force behind our team's unity and focus,” Quinn said.

Boyd has had plenty to brag about already this season, including the honor of being undefeated district champions, Region II champions, finishing second in the Duncanville Tournament and taking fifth place in the Pearland Tournament.

Class 5A McKinney Boyd (44-6) will play Houston Cypress Falls (40-7) at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Coppell finding balance with defense

Coppell is a much different team than it was at the beginning of the season. It has made the transition from more of an offensive team to a defensive team.

“I think a key has been to strengthen our defense and serve receive to balance the offense,” coach Julie Green said. “I believe that our major strength is that we are balanced. Our defense is as important as our offense, and we work hard to put six balanced rotations on the court.”

Coppell’s goal all along has been to win state, and the players have been able to take what they have learned in practice and apply it to games.

“If we put forth our best focus, play together and give relentless effort, I am happy,” Green said.

Coppell is focused on getting off to strong starts, which fuels passing and offense and in turn, defense.

“I firmly believe that it takes a talented team -- one that is unselfish and committed to the team goal above any individual one -- to make it all the way,” Green said. “I am most proud of the girls in that they have gone from a group of talented individuals to a talented team.”

Class 5A Coppell (40-8) will play San Antonio Johnson (44-6) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Four teams from the Dallas-Fort Worth area won their regions Saturday and advanced to the UIL state volleyball tournament, which runs Thursday-Saturday at Texas State University in San Marcos.

In Class 3A, Lucas Lovejoy returns to defend its state championship.

Richardson Pearce is back in the 4A state tournament after losing in the semifinals last year.

Two area 5A teams advanced, McKinney Boyd and Coppell.

Here is the state tournament schedule:

THURSDAY


CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS

• 1 p.m.: Jewett Leon (44-2) vs. Poth (42-9)
• 3 p.m.: White Oak (42-3) vs. Nocona (34-8)

CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS

• 5 p.m.: Canyon Randall (42-4) vs. Richardson Pearce (35-13)
• 7 p.m.: Austin Lake Travis (48-0) vs. Richmond Foster (38-10)

FRIDAY

CLASS 1A SEMIFINALS

• 9 a.m.: Burton (30-2) vs. Iola (34-9)
• 11 a.m.: Cayuga (41-4) vs. Water Valley (35-8)

CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS

• 1 p.m.: Lucas Lovejoy (46-4) vs. Sinton (30-10)
• 3 p.m.: Cleveland Tarkington (39-5) vs. Abilene Wylie (39-6)

CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS

• 5 p.m.: McKinney Boyd (44-6) vs. Houston Cypress Falls (40-7)
• 7 p.m.: San Antonio Johnson (44-6) vs. Coppell (40-8)

SATURDAY

• 9 a.m.: Class 1A final
• 11:30 a.m.: Class 2A final
• 2 p.m.: Class 3A final
• 4:30 p.m.: Class 4A final
• 7 p.m.: Class 5A final

CLASS 5A DIVISION I REGION 2 PREVIEW

Overview: Each season, Region II provides surprises, in part because it is composed of schools from the big-city areas of Dallas, Houston and Austin. The teams rarely see each other until playoff time.

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One familiar name is missing this season. Round Rock Stony Point, regional champion each of the last three years, failed to qualify for playoffs this year.

Dallas Skyline is the only unbeaten team in this bracket. DeSoto, Round Rock Westwood and The Woodlands are all 9-1.

Two of the more established programs in this grouping, The Woodlands and Austin Westlake, lost in the opening round a year ago and aren't usually down for long.

Westwood was aided by a pair of transfers, running back Ledeans Anderson from Mississippi and receiver Desmond Wyatt from Kansas, in its rise.

Favorite: DeSoto. The Eagles have made drastic defensive improvements, and the offensive output hasn’t really fallen off despite the graduation of record-setting passer Ryan Polite. The result is the Eagles are a better team than the one that lost to Stony Point 72-48 in the Region II final a year ago.

DeSoto opponents are averaging 15.8 points a game this season, half of the 32.4 opponents averaged in 2010. The defense has talent at each level with Texas A&M commit Michael Richardson at end, Texas commit Bryson Echols and LSU commit Jalen Mills in the secondary and uncommitted Alex Lyons at linebacker.

Watch out for: Garland. Since starting 0-2, the Owls have reeled off eight straight wins on the way to capturing another District 10-5A title. A quick exit in the 2010 playoffs should serve as motivation. The draw in the lower half of the bracket, away from the looming DeSoto-Skyline showdown, should be an advantage.

Garland has a lot of offensive weapons, but the main one is Kansas-bound quarterback Seth Russell with 12 touchdown passes and over 1,200 passing yards.

Can’t wait to see: Richardson Berkner-Garland (7:30 p.m. Friday, Garland's Williams Stadium). Berkner has a winning streak of five games and has shut out its last two opponents. The Rams and their triple-option offense are back in the playoffs after falling short in 2010. They depend heavily on quarterback Yedidiah Louis not only to keep defenses honest with his passing, but also for his skills as a runner. He leads the team with over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.

We hope to see: Round 4 of DeSoto-Skyline. The Eagles and Raiders have met in the second round of the playoffs the last three years with Skyline taking the first two (51-26 in 2008 and 41-36 in 2009) and DeSoto answering emphatically last season, 38-0.

A pretty intense rivalry has developed between the two schools. It was easy to see during combines in the spring when players went out of their way to avoid those from the enemy camp.

Only a couple of bi-district wins stand between a fourth meeting. The downside is a second-round meeting is far too early. A Region II final would be more fitting.

Talent pool (FBS recruits): A&M Consolidated: DT J.J. Bynum (Texas Tech); RB Quinton White (Texas Tech). DeSoto: DB Bryson Echols (Texas), OL Curtis Riser (Texas), DE Michael Richardson (Texas A&M), RB Devin Rushing (Air Force), Jalen Mills (LSU). Garland: LB Damien Neroes (SMU), QB Seth Russell (Kansas). Klein Collins: QB Tyler Stehling (Rice), DE Roland Leal (Air Force), Shane Rhodes (Boise State). Klein Oak: QB Nicky Baratti (Notre Dame), DT Daniel Shaul (UTEP), LB A.J. Hilliard (Arizona). McKinney Boyd: DE Jamal Palmer (Baylor). Mesquite Horn: DB Devante Harris (Oklahoma). Round Rock: DT Glen Antoine (UTEP). Dallas Skyline: LB Peter Jinkens (Texas), WR Thomas Johnson (Texas), WR Trey Rabone (Kansas State), RB David Greene (UNLV). The Woodlands: DE Mitchell Meyers (Iowa State), WR Blake Webb (Oklahoma State).

The Highland Park team tennis dynasty continued over the weekend in College Station, as the Scots won their fourth consecutive UIL Class 4A state championship.

Highland Park defeated Austin Lake Travis 10-5 in Saturday's championship round to cap an undefeated season. The Scots have won the 4A team tennis title seven of the last eight years.

Plano West and McKinney Boyd reached the Class 5A state tournament, but both teams lost in the semifinals. Perennial power New Braunfels defeated Houston Memorial 10-5 for its fifth consecutive state championship.

Here are the results of Highland Park's victory in the finals:

Boys Singles

• John Mee (HP) def. Austin Mayo (LT) 6-3, 6-4
• Avery Schober (HP) playing Sam Laudon (LT) 6-2, 3-4 DNF
• Oliver Seifert (LT) def. Luke Stainback (HP) 6-0, 7-6 (4)
• Connor LaFavre (HP) leading Adam Dokos (LT) 6-3, 5-3 DNF
• John Daeske (HP) playing Nick Ruzicka (LT) 6-3, 3-6 DNF
• Daniel Maese (HP) playing Tristan Wise (LT) 6-4, 3-6 DNF

Girls Singles

• Brittany Brewster (LT) def. Kristen Mee (HP) 6-2, 6-0
• Melanie Marlin (HP) def. Ryan Brown (LT) 6-1, 6-2
• Sarah Cannon (HP) def. Courtney Schulte (LT) 6-1, 6-2
• Remi Immler (LT) def. Kristen Adams (HP) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
• Maddie Gordon (HP) def. Hunyeh Hoghooghi (LT) 6-1, 6-1
• Margo Taylor (HP) def. Bailey Meyer (LT) 6-0, 6-2

Boys Doubles

• John Mee and Luke Stainback (HP) def. Sam Laudon and Oliver Seifert (LT) 6-2, 6-4
• Jaxon Immler and Austin Mayo (LT) def. Avery Schober and John Daeske (HP) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
• Connor LaFavre and Nicolas Elwood (HP) def. Tristan Wise and Nick Ruzicka (LT) 6-0, 7-6 (2)

Girls Doubles

• Melanie Marlin and Sarah Cannon (HP) def. Ryan Brown and Courtney Schulte (LT) 7-6 (4), 6-3
• Kristin Mee and Kristen Adams (HP) def. Lauren Schulte and Hunyeh Hoghooghi (LT) 6-2, 6-2
• Alin Piranian and Maddie Gordon (HP) def. Bailey Meyer and Remi Immler (LT) 6-3, 6-2

Mixed Doubles

• Brittany Brewster and Adam Dokos (LT) def. Hunter Holman and Margo Taylor (HP) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3

Garland’s win over Rowlett on Friday put the Owls in a strong position to win District 10-5A, but what about the rest of the district?

There’s still a lot to be decided. Sachse, McKinney Boyd and Rowlett are all tied at 3-1 behind Garland (5-2, 4-0), and even South Garland (2-4, 2-2) still has a shot to get in despite a slow start to the season.

As it turns out, many of the key games in the district come at the end of the season, particularly for Sachse, which is trying to make the playoffs for the first time in school history.

Sachse (6-1, 3-1) closes the year at Boyd, at South Garland and at home against Garland, with its one loss of the year coming against Rowlett.

After playing Sachse this Thursday, Boyd (5-2, 3-1) plays at Rowlett and at home against South Garland.

Rowlett (4-3, 3-1) may have the easiest path heading forward. It has games against North Garland and Garland Lakeview Centennial sandwiched around its bout with Boyd.

District 10-5A matches up with 9-5A in the first round of the playoffs. That means someone from the district will get the unenviable position of facing Dallas Skyline (7-0, 4-0 in 9-5A), the No. 2 team in ESPNDallas.com's 5a area rankings, in bi-district.

Boyd is the largest school in the district followed by Garland. Because Garland has already beaten Boyd, the Broncos are more than likely to face Skyline if it gets into the playoffs. If Boyd collapses, the hot potato is passed to Rowlett, the third biggest school.

GARLAND, Texas -- They might be young almost every year, but McKinney Boyd has always had a knack for getting the job done.

Multiple players had record-setting nights for Boyd (3-1, 1-0) in a 58-14 win over Garland Lakeview Centennial (0-3, 0-1) on Thursday in the first game of District 10-5A play.

Boyd junior running back Bryan Driskell had a career night for the second week in a row, racking up 270 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 24 carries. His efforts in the first half were more than enough to pass the 2,000-yard rushing mark since the start of his sophomore year.

Driskell had no idea he passed the milestone after the game, but said he was happy the success could come alongside a district-opening win.

Driskell came alive in the third quarter, scoring touchdowns on runs of 47 yards, 58 yards and 32 yards, working his way toward a 3,000-yard mark that is surely in his future.

The remaining Boyd scores came from another blossoming offensive threat, quarterback Curtis Ladd, who went 13-20 for 214 yards and four touchdowns.

His best connection of the night was early in the first when he hit wide receiver Cameron Decell in the end zone from 15 yards out to put Boyd up 14-0.

Ladd made the most of his newly-acquired starting role and impressed head coach Don Drake with is development.

“Week after week, what you want to see is progress out of everybody, but especially those guys whose first year it is on varsity -- you want to see that growth,” Drake said. “I think Curtis, from that moment he stepped on the field as a quarterback for us against McKinney North in Week Zero, he’s made huge strides in his progress.”

The Boyd defense stood tall against Lakeview, allowing just 60 yard of total offense in the first half and 239 in the game.

Decell was huge in the field position battle, setting a school record for touchbacks off kickoffs in a game with seven. Only two of his kicks failed to reach the end zone and most sailed well out of the back of the field.

He was also Ladd’s top target on the night, coming up with 87 yards and a touchdown on two catches.

The blowout win was huge for Drake and his team going into a game against Garland next week, a favorite to take the District 10-5A championship.

“That’s a huge game. The Owls are a very good football program and it’s a big game for us. We know how tough they are and we know they are going to come ready.”

McKINNEY BOYD (2-1) at GARLAND LAKEVIEW CENTENNIAL (0-3)
7 p.m. Thursday at Garland’s H.B. Johnson Stadium

When we saw them last: Boyd took a Mc-Town battle, beating McKinney, 38-28. Boyd quickly took a31-7 lead at the half thanks in part to a 60-yard touchdown pass and a 66-yard touchdown run. Lakeview Centennial put up a good fight against 4A No.9 Rockwall-Heath, losing 20-14.

2010 result: Boyd blew out Lakeview Centennial in McKinney, 51-16. Lakeview Centennial nearly matched Boyd in total yards, but former Boyd quarterback Jonovan Griffin picked apart Lakeview Centennial through the air for two touchdowns and added one more on the ground.

What’s at stake: A f ast start in District 10-5A play. Boyd is expected to be a playoff contender out of 10-5A, and a loss to Lakeview Centennial in the district opener would damage the Broncos' chances. The Patriots would establish themselves as a dark-horse playoff candidate by pulling off the upset.

Key matchup: Lakeview Centennial’s front eight vs. Boyd running back Bryan Driskell. Driskell is one of the most electric rushers in the area and is Boyd’s go-to man on offense. Lakeview has strong leaders in linebackers Lee Willis III and Mike Allen, who will have to find some way to control Driskell for the Patriots to have any chance to stay in the game.

Players to watch: Next in line for Boyd after Driskell is quarterback Curtis Ladd, who is second on the team in rushing and is fairly consistent through the air. Lakeview Centennial DB Deonte Morrison could have a field day in the secondary as Ladd has thrown three interceptions in three games this season.

Prediction: Lakeview Centennial remains winless in a 38-21 loss.