Texas high school football is more than just a game — it’s a way of life. Dave Campbell's Texas Football is spotlighting a different program from across the Lone Star State, diving into their history, traditions, and legends. From powerhouse programs to hidden gems, Texas High School Football Spotlight is your deep dive into what makes each team unique. Whether it’s unforgettable seasons, iconic players, or fierce rivalries, this series celebrates the schools, communities, and stories that define Texas high school football.

Today's Spotlight: Carthage Bulldogs

The Rundown

There has never been a more dominant run in Texas high school football than Scott Surratt’s head coaching tenure at Carthage. The Bulldogs are second in state history with 11 state championship wins, and their first title came in 2008. Under Surratt’s watch, Carthage has won the state championship more times than they’ve not won the state championship (7). That means, theoretically, that if you ranked every Carthage team Surratt has coached, the bottom half of the list would still have state championship teams. We’re talking about teams that reached the pinnacle of the sport, which 99 percent of coaches never experience, and could still technically be a below-average season by Surratt’s standard. That’s absurd.

By The Numbers 

Class – 4A DII
Enrollment – 788
Location – Panola County, 36 miles southeast of Longview

Trophy Case

State Championships – 11 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025)
State Championship Appearances – 12 (1991, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025)
District Championships – 35 (most recent: 2025)
Playoff Appearances – 42 (most recent: 2025)

Glory Days 

It’s difficult to pick the best team in program history when Coach Scott Surratt is a perfect 11-0 in state championship games. We’ll narrow it down to every undefeated state champion to make the process easier: 2009, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2025. The 2025 Carthage Bulldogs are our pick – and not just because their state championship is the freshest in our minds. 

The 2025 team’s 822 total points were the most in program history. QB Jett Surratt and RB KJ Edwards shattered every Carthage career record. Surratt became the most prolific quarterback his father had ever coached, throwing for 11,145 yards and 153 touchdown passes over three years as a starter. We’ll have more on Edwards’s illustrious career to follow.

The 2025 team also had the most star-studded defense in program history with the linebacker tandem of Carson Crawford (Colorado) and Qui Beck (Texas A&M). But the Bulldogs weren’t top-heavy. DL Zay Owens and a loaded secondary led by Tylin Williams, Trey Gant, and Jace Harris all earned First Team All-State honors.

The GOAT

Given all the amazing players who’ve donned a Carthage uniform, I’m splitting this award up into best single-season performance and best career performance.

Even accounting for recency bias, we believe KJ Edwards had the best career in program history. Running back is the position of record in Carthage, and Edwards set the program’s all-time marks with over 5,500 career rushing yards and 78 touchdowns. The rare freshman on varsity, Edwards was also a part of three state championship victories and won the State Championship Game Offensive MVP award as both a junior and a senior.

But no one had a better single season than running back Dwight Smith in 2008. After living in California with his father during his junior year, Smith returned home to Carthage and had a senior season for the ages. He led Carthage to its first state championship in program history with 2,820 yards and 43 touchdowns. His state championship game performance in a 49-37 win over Celina is still one of the best in the modern era: 272 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, including a 90-yard score. Smith played college football at both TCU and Navarro College.

The Architect

There has never been a more obvious answer for who a program’s best head football coach of all time is. Everett “Sleepy” Reynolds led Carthage to their first state championship appearance in 1991 … ok, with all due respect to Sleepy, it’s clearly Scott Surratt. When Surratt took over in 2008, Carthage had stumbled to a 37-39 record over the last seven years. In the 19 years since, the Bulldogs are 249-31. Surratt’s 11 state championship rings are the most in TXHSFB history, and it's also more than the fingers he has on his hand or the number of playoff losses he’s had in his career (8). 

I feel bad for joking about Sleepy. Let me rectify it by giving him his due as the most successful coach before Surratt. Reynolds coached the Bulldogs from 1973 to 1999 and finished his career with a 188-102 record. His 1991 team was the first to reach the state championship in program history. 

Battle Lines

Carthage has played Henderson more than any other team in school history. This fall marks the 80th meeting, dating back to the first “Battle of 79” in 1925. Henderson has the all-time advantage of 40-36-3, but Carthage is hot on the chase. Carthage holds a 13-3 advantage since 2005. Henderson’s last win against Carthage was in the 2016 regular season, but Carthage avenged the loss in the playoffs behind star RB Keontay Ingram’s 248 rushing yards and four touchdowns. 

Kilgore is our pick for Carthage’s second-biggest rival. The teams are so similar: both are historic East Texas powers, both are red and white, and both have a Bulldog mascot. And yet, they despise each other. Carthage has lost just two regular-season games since October 7, 2016, both at the hands of those other Bulldogs. Kilgore holds a 31-29 all-time advantage over Carthage, mainly thanks to Coach Mike Vallery’s 10-1 run from 1995-2009. But since 2013, Carthage has an 8-4 advantage, headlined by the Tevin Pipkin-led Carthage 2013 Class 4A DII State Championship victory. 

Home Turf

Carthage is known for having some of the best facilities in East Texas, and Bulldog Stadium is a prime example. The 6,000-seat facility has endzone-to-endzone bleachers on the home side and a high-definition video board.

The Year That Was

The 2025 Carthage Bulldogs were the most dominant of all Coach Scott Surratt’s 11 state championship teams. An uncharacteristically sloppy defensive performance in a 61-56 win over Athens in the regular season ended up being the turning point of the entire season. From that moment on, Carthage won every game by an average margin of over 35 points. The Bulldogs did not win a playoff game by less than two scores, including a 49-21 win over West Orange-Stark in the Class 4A DII State Championship. That lopsided score is even closer than the game actually was. Carthage pulled their starters to standing ovations early in the fourth quarter after building a 49-0 lead.

Looking Ahead

Carthage lost many of its principal offensive playmakers from its back-to-back state championship run, most notably the record-setting QB/RB combo of Jett Surratt and KJ Edwards. Coach Surratt will rely on an experienced WR and defensive line room while the young team gets acclimated. 

Rising junior Jace Harris was a First Team All-State defensive back last fall and is also a dynamic wide receiver. He’ll be a dangerous weapon alongside fellow junior JD Edwards, the younger brother of KJ. JD had a breakout sophomore season as a three-phase player with 746 receiving yards, six touchdowns, 37 tackles, two interceptions, and two return touchdowns. Edge rusher Caleb Smith (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) is the leader of the defense after posting 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and three sacks.

Xs and Os

Offense – Multiple- Pro Style
Defense – Multiple- 4-2-5

On the Rise 

LT Vernon Pittman (6-foot-5, 335 pounds) started as a sophomore on Carthage’s state championship team and earned First Team All-District accolades. He’s one of the state’s fastest-rising prospects after earning offers from Houston, Baylor, and UTEP this offseason.

In Their Own Words

“(Our program is special because of) Our players’ willingness to buy into the program and desire to play unbelievably hard during preparation and games.” HC Scott Surratt