How did Dallas area teams fare vs. out-of-state competition in Week 1?

One of the biggest moments from Week 1 of the Texas high school football season actually took place in Fort Lauderdale, where DeSoto met Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in a battle of nationally-ranked teams.

St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked No. 2 by MaxPreps and boasting several star recruits, has the chance to be the nation’s top-ranked team after No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) lost 33-28 to Florida’s Columbus.

Eight-time state champion Southlake Carroll edged Jenks, an 18-time Oklahoma state champion, 34-33 after erasing a 27-point deficit. Argyle fell to California’s Oak Ridge 27-26 to open its season, but Melissa routed Arkansas’ Pulaski Academy 63-21. Kimball shut out Oklahoma’s Douglass 64-0.

There will be more interstate matchups before Dallas-area teams begin district play.

DeSoto also opened last season against a non-Texas team: Georgia’s Creekside. After losing 70-0 to DeSoto in 2024, Creekside routed the Texas power 70-28 in 2025. Many Texas high school football fans wrote DeSoto off for the season after that loss, but the program went on to win its third state title in three years.