0–10 to 4–0 (+4)
Plano West
Coach Tyler Soukup knows his players hear all the voices outside their building that pipe up after a 0-10 season. That's why he couldn't be prouder of the senior and junior leadership on his Plano West team, which brought the Wolves together to prove to everyone they're better than how they played.
"In all sincerity, it's probably one of the most gratifying feelings that I've had as a coach and in my professional career," Soukup said.
That senior leadership starts with quarterback Jordan Grant, who has selflessly shared time under center with junior backup Blake Tevis. Grant is the team's leading passer with 294 yards and a touchdown, the second-leading rusher with 184 yards and four touchdowns, and has even split out wide to catch five passes for 57 yards and a score. If that doesn't already qualify him for one of the most versatile players in Class 6A, he also plays safety on long-distance downs.
"Our starting quarterback has shown that, 'I'll do whatever it takes,'" Soukup said. "I'll get out from behind center and let another kid take the snaps if the coaches think that is what's best for the team. I'll tell you what, that doesn't happen very often."
But Soukup says that, despite being proud of his team's 4-0 start, he's even more proud of how focused they've stayed on going 5-0.
Dallas A+ Academy
Dallas A+ Academy has made school history every week of the 2025 season. The Knights were the first group to go 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 and 4-0.
"It's great to be around a group that's doing things that have never been done before," Coach Michael Scott said. "That's why I got into coaching a long, long time ago. The reason I did it was to help these kids learn to be good citizens and good people, but also to be able to do things that they didn't think they were able to do."
Scott says QB Abdiel Gurolla, who missed all but three games last season, is the offensive engine. The senior has 97 carries for 625 yards and six touchdowns, while throwing the ball just seven times all season. But fellow senior Jordan Smith, who normally plays nose guard and full back, came on in relief against Dallas Gateway and rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-8 win.
The Knights' defense is holding opponents to just 8.25 points per game under new defensive coordinator Perry Jason. The coach wasn't the only offseason addition, however. Scott helps coach Dallas A+ Academy's soccer team, which lost by one goal in the playoff to eventual state finalist Gainesville. He convinced captain Diego Vasquez to try out for middle linebacker because it had similarities to his position in soccer. Tight end Isaac Perez has also moved from the pitch to the gridiron this year.
Boys Ranch
Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, located about 30 miles northwest of Amarillo, is the state's largest childcare facility for at-risk youth between the ages of 5 and 18. Historically, most of the players who suit up for Boys Ranch are playing their first organized sport. The program has had one winning season in the last 33 years (6-5 in 2008) and at one point had the state's longest losing streak with 49 games.
But Coach Louis Kelley III, the grandson of the legendary Lubbock Estacado coach, has the Roughriders at 4–0 for the first time in school history. Now in his third season, Kelley says the 2025 team is the first in which every kid has only played for him.
"It's more than football here," Kelley said. "One minute, you're playing counselor. The next minute, you're a coach. You have a lot of different roles you have to play here."
Last year, Boys Ranch went 0–10 in its inaugural season as a six-man football program. But with every player returning, including some who Kelley insists could start at Amarillo Tascosa or Amarillo Palo Duro, Kelley set a District Championship expectation this offseason. Junior wide receiver Cord'e Jackson had three catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns last week. Jackson's pairing with 6'3 wide receiver Ethan Paulo has helped quarterback Isaac Acosta throw for over 900 yards and 18 touchdowns in just four outings.