When the Cowboys were winning three Super Bowls in the 1990s, the offense was built around the "Triplets'' -- quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin.
DeSoto has its own version of the triplets with quarterback Ryan Polite, running back Marcus Murphy and wide receiver Darius Terrell.
Polite, a junior, has thrown for 3,013 yards and 30 touchdowns. Murphy, a senior, has rushed for 1,171 yards and 16 touchdowns. Terrell, a senior, has 59 catches for 925 yards and eight touchdowns.
"Those three kids are a big part of our success,'' said DeSoto coach Claude Mathis. "They are our triplets. We have a massive offensive line like the Cowboys had. The only thing we lack is a 'Moose' Johnston.''
DeSoto (8-1, 4-0) even has a counterpart to Alvin Harper, the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver, with David Porter (44 catches, 715 yards).
Seven times this season DeSoto has scored at least 40 points. The offense averages 568 yards per game.
DeSoto takes an 8-game winning streak and No. 9 state ranking to Tyler's Rose Stadium on Friday to play for the outright District 11-5A title when it meets Tyler John Tyler (8-1, 3-1).
"My kids want to win the title outright,'' Mathis said. "Probably the most important thing is getting out of the game healthy for the playoffs.''
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Contributors
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.
