Coach Kenny Perry said it is critical for his defense to be at its best when his Arlington Bowie Volunteers face the Arlington Colts for the District 4-5A lead at 7:30 p.m. Friday at UTA's Maverick Stadium.
"Arlington is not the kind of team you want to play catch-up against," Perry said.
Bowie (6-1, 3-0) leads Arlington (6-2, 3-1) by a half-game in 4-5A.
Arlington has averaged 47.8 points for game over the last five weeks. In the last two games, the Colts have scored 63 and 62 points.
Perry said his defense has grown up a lot since a 35-27 loss to Skyline in the second game of the season. "Our young guys didn't back down that night. That gave us the confidence to know we can play with anybody," Perry said.
Bowie's steady offense is led by quarterback Deric Davis (96-154-2, 1,223 yards, 12 touchdowns.) Perry calls him the best quarterback no one knows about.
Junior receiver Cameron White has already committed to TCU. He has 15 catches for 247 yards and five touchdowns but it his blocking that has pleased Perry most.
A Bowie victory would extend its streak against fellow AISD teams to 15 in a row, matching the record of Arlington Lamar in 1988-1993. Bowie's last loss to a city opponent was to Arlington Martin in 2005.
"This season has been a little surprising," Perry said. "As freshmen this group went 3-7. But they have really bought into what we're doing."
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Jeff Andrews
Jeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.
Randy Jennings
Randy Jennings covers south Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. His 34-year career as a sports writer includes eight years at the Dallas Morning News. Jennings is a graduate of UT-Arlington.
Mercedes Mayer
Mercedes Mayer covers west Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. Mercedes has covered DFW-area sports for the last six years, including a 5 1/2 year stint with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Mayer is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Ethan Szatmary
Ethan B. Szatmary covers east Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. Ethan covered colleges and high schools for the Denton Record-Chronicle for eight years and graduated from Emory University.
