ARLINGTON – They say Arlington is where “champions are crowned.” That is especially true for Carthage head coach Scott Surratt. He claimed his ninth title as a head coach when the Bulldogs knocked out Wimberley to win the Class 4A Division II crown. That ties him with legendary coach Gordon Wood for most state titles in Texas high school football history at the 11-man level. 

"Any time you're mentioned with Gordon Wood, that's the top of food chain," Surratt said after the win. "It'll mean a lot tomorrow. Right now, I'm just trying to stay in the moment. It is a grind to get to a state title game and we want to enjoy this one." 

The pace in which Surratt tied the mark is dizzying. Wood won his first title in 1955 at Stamford. His last came 26 years later when he led Brownwood to the title in 1981. Wood was a head coach for 13 years before claiming his first crown. Surratt is only in his 16th season as a head coach. He took over the Bulldogs in 2007, and he led them to their first title in school history a year later. 

Calling Surratt the best coach in Texas high school history isn’t a stretch. The 16-0 record in 2022 pushes his career mark to 205-29. That’s an 87.6 percent winning percentage. Carthage has reached the playoffs in each of his 16 seasons in charge. The Bulldogs won the district championship 14 times during that span. They’ve won at least 10 games in 13 of his 16 seasons as a head coach, including the last seven. 

Surratt’s Bulldogs play their best in big moments. He has more state championships (9) than playoff losses (7). Carthage is 9-0 in state title games. They won the previous eight by an average score of 41.9 to 21.75. That margin grew past a three-possession difference thanks to the 42-0 win over Wimberley on Friday morning. 

"We practice our guys hard for these moments," Surratt said. "We play a hard schedule in the regular season and that prepares us for these moments." 

Surratt’s nine titles are as many as Randy Allen (4) and Gary Joseph (5) have combined. The closest contemporary to Cartage’s head man is Tim Buchanan at Aledo with seven championships. He can reach eight Saturday morning when the Bearcats play College Station for the Class 5A Division I crown. 

And for those waiting for Surratt to slow down – don’t hold your breath. His son, a quarterback, is only a freshman. Carthage has played at least 12 games in each of his 16 seasons, meaning the Bulldogs have never been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs during his tenure. Their worst season was a 6-6 finish in 2014 – year after winning a state championship. Since that mark, Carthage is 112-7.