DALLAS (KDAF) — CW33 High School Football Showdown returns beginning August 24, highlighting some of the top teams in Dallas-Fort Worth. Throughout the 2023 regular season, the station will feature live games on Thursday nights. Once the playoffs come, the action moves to Friday and Saturday as local squads fight to advance.
Opening night arrives on Thursday, August 24, with the Mansfield Timberview Wolves hosting South Grand Prairie. Timberview reached a regional final in 2022 and enters this season as the state’s fifth-ranked team in Class 5A I according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. It’ll mark the debut of head coach Robert DeSanto. The Warriors will provide a big challenge, coming off an appearance in the Class 6A I area round under Laban DeLay.
August 31 features Ennis at Midlothian. The Lions lost four of their first five last year, including a defeat at the hands of the Panthers, but recovered to make a run to the Class 5A II area round. Midlothian won its first 12 games last season, only to fall in the 5A I regional semifinals against Aledo.
District play begins on Sept. 7 for 6-5A I, which includes nine teams. The projected top two squads meet immediately, as Frisco Lone Star faces Frisco Reedy at Toyota Stadium. The Rangers sport an offensive line that will win a lot of battles in the trenches, led by Gary Lassley. Reedy is also fantastic in that category, as Max Anderson regularly dominates at his position.
It’s a quick return to non-district action on Sept. 14, as the Arlington Colts pay a visit to the Mesquite Horn Jaguars. AHS running back Drelon Burton accounted for 15 touchdowns last year. He’ll be forced to contend with Horn defensive end Armstrong Nnodim, who racked up 69 tackles, including 18 for a loss, last season.
Head coach Dave Henigan leads the Denton Ryan Raiders into a District 3-5A I meeting with Rudy Rangel’s The Colony Cougars on Sept. 21. Braeden Mussett is expected to transition from wide receiver to quarterback for the Ryan offense, which features a lot of young talent. Meanwhile, the Cougars have a proven entity in signal caller Carson Cox.
Fort Worth ISD student-athletes go under the primetime spotlight on Sept. 28 at historic Farrington Field. Dunbar topped Western Hills in a 60-33 shootout on CW33 last season, and the station will feature the same matchup again in 2023. Both squads earned Class 4A I playoff appearances. Another high-scoring affair could be in store.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football projects Midlothian Heritage and Mansfield Summit to finish first and second, respectively, in District 5-5A II. The two sets of Jaguars meet on Oct. 5. Heritage advanced to the regional semifinal round last season, while Summit fell in bi-district play after two consecutive years of making the state semifinals.
Defending Class 6A I state champion Duncanville returns to the CW33 airwaves on Oct. 12 when the Panthers visit the Mansfield Tigers. DHS finished 15-0 in 2022 and enters this season as the top-ranked team in Texas. Mansfield boasts eight returning starters on offense from a bi-district qualifying team.
The final pre-determined matchup on the schedule is on Oct. 19 when Southlake Carroll visits Northwest Eaton. Dragons quarterback Graham Knowles is verbally committed to Georgia Tech, one of many big-time prospects on Carroll’s roster. Eaton expects another huge campaign from multi-talented QB Noah Lugo, who accounted for 30 total touchdowns last year.
For the final two Thursday nights of the regular season, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, CW33 will make selections between 6-12 days prior to kickoff. This will help assure that consequential matchups are featured, with district championships, seeding, or playoff spots on the line.
Postseason play begins the weekend of Nov. 10. Dallas-Fort Worth teams will be featured on Friday and Saturday live broadcasts ahead of the state championships.
CW33 viewers will continue to hear familiar voices during each broadcast. It will be the 18th season together for Denton High School product Doug Anderson and Lewisville state champion LaDarrin McLane in the broadcast booth. Anderson provides the play-by-play call, and McLane offers analysis, while Arlington Lamar graduate Chris Mycoskie returns as the sideline reporter.
CW33 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN SCHEDULE
Thursday, Aug. 24: South Grand Prairie vs. Mansfield Timberview (Newsom Stadium)
Thursday, Aug. 31: Ennis vs. Midlothian (Midlothian ISD Stadium)
Thursday, Sept. 7: Frisco Reedy vs. Frisco Lone Star (Toyota Stadium)
Thursday, Sept. 14: Arlington vs. Mesquite Horn (Hanby Stadium)
Thursday, Sept. 21: The Colony vs. Denton Ryan (C.H. Collins Complex)
Thursday, Sept. 28: Fort Worth Dunbar vs. Fort Worth Western Hills (Farrington Field)
Thursday, Oct. 5: Mansfield Summit vs. Midlothian Heritage (Midlothian ISD Stadium)
Thursday, Oct. 12: Duncanville vs. Mansfield (R.L. Anderson Stadium)
Thursday, Oct. 19: Southlake Carroll vs. Northwest Eaton (Northwest ISD Stadium)
Thursday, Oct. 26: Week 10 Regular Season – Teams TBD
Thursday, Nov 2: Week 11 Regular Season – Teams TBD
Friday, Nov. 10: Playoffs Begin
