The Internet is a strange and magical place.

Sometimes you find things you wish you would not have found, and other times you find gems like McKinney High School ESPN, or @MHSespn on Twitter .

To summarize, McKinney High School students dress in suits and interview players and coaches with hilarious results. It's not even that the questions are funny or off-base, but some of the photo-bombing is fantastic.

Here's some of my favorites:

#LionNation pic.twitter.com/gVI95zTGih

— manestreamnews.com (@manestreamnews) January 9, 2016

Coach Watson talks with us about tonight's big win against Lovejoy! pic.twitter.com/PbKQgXTUcB

— MHS ESPN (@mhsespn) January 16, 2016

We hear @isaiassanchez23 talk about his gravity defying slam pic.twitter.com/UTEcMmazlF

— MHS ESPN (@mhsespn) January 16, 2016

@zvnxxxx & @camryn_33 talk about the killing of Lovejoy tonight pic.twitter.com/AvNbceB69s

— MHS ESPN (@mhsespn) January 16, 2016

@ericcnelsonn speaks about running away with the victory pic.twitter.com/caiAySq2lf

— MHS ESPN (@mhsespn) January 16, 2016

ARLINGTON -- The first day of spring semester classes at UT-Arlington aren't until next week, but it has been anything but quiet on campus.

Over 300 cheer squads are participating in the University Interscholastic League's inaugural Game Day Cheer pilot competition, which runs through Saturday, at two venues on the Arlington campus: Texas Hall and College Park Center. The Class 6A preliminary and final rounds will be at College Park Center on Saturday.

Of the league's 245 Class 6A schools, 92 sent teams. In total, 333 programs -- from locales as far-flung as El Paso, the Panhandle and the Rio Grande Valley -- traveled to participate.

The turnout was about half of what was originally projected by UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt when the pilot program was passed in June 2014. UIL assistant athletic director Traci Neely said a late start in registering teams might have hurt first-year participation.

"But to be at 330 teams the first year, I'm not complaining at all," Neely said. "To have that many 6A schools, it's a statement."

The Game Day Cheer concept is unique to Texas, developed in a partnership with cheerleading company Varsity. The event doesn't involve high-flying acrobatics seen in other cheer competitions; instead, the focus is on trying to recreate what a cheer team does on the sidelines.

The competition is broken up into three preliminary events: band dance, crowd-leading and fight song cheers. Twenty teams with the best cumulative scores advance to the finals, where all three cheers are performed in a three-minute routine.

For most of the schools participating, it's the first time for their cheer programs to compete in an organized event.

"They did their best to give us a lot of good instructions," Birdville coach Tina Clifton said. "We're making the best of it; it's a great experience for these kids."

Clifton said several of her fellow cheer coaches told her they wouldn't participate this year, not wanting to serve as guinea pigs as the league figured out the competition.

"It'll probably be tweaked over time, when they find out what worked and what didn't," Clifton said.

Given the variety of routines in a single event, it's clear that the pilot still has some things to iron out.

"There were a couple of things that we did wrong -- didn't follow the rules exactly -- because it's all new," Carrollton Creekview coach Erin Johnston said. "But it's been great. I've been telling them, 'You could be the first-ever state champions.' That's really cool. A really unique opportunity."

UIL officials and event organizers called the initial effort a success, a good indication that the league will continue the pilot for another year or add the event to its permanent schedule. Neely said that interest from outside the UIL was high. On Friday afternoon, she toured Texas Hall with representatives from Louisiana and Oklahoma state associations, with four other state associations watching the events online.

As Birdville's team left the contest floor at College Park Center, the excitement of the first-year participants was clear to see.

"The energy was so great," senior co-captain Sara Kopenec said. "It was so loud, and I'm so glad that everything went well. We were just going in thinking, we know what we can do, clean and sharp, and we know we can execute well. That's our main focus."

"I think we did awesome," senior co-captain Marriel Williams added. "We did the best we could, and that's all that matters."

Twitter: @corbettsmithDMN

By RANDY JENNINGS / Special Contributor

CEDAR HILL -- The situation called for a cool hand, and DeSoto's Julian Miranda delivered.

The 5-10 senior guard contributed a steal and a heady crosscourt assist for a 3-pointer, and then he sealed a 72-62 victory over Cedar Hill with deadly free throw shooting.

"I've been around as long as anybody, and it was time for me to step up and be a leader," said Miranda, who finished with a game-high 22 points Friday night before a packed house at Longhorns gym.

DeSoto saw a comfortable lead reduced to two points with three minutes to go, a signal for Miranda to get busy in the showdown of the area's top two Class 6A area teams.

"I expect those guys that have been in the program to make great plays,'' said DeSoto coach Chris Dyer.

DeSoto (22-1, 4-0 in District 8-6A), No. 1 in the area and No. 2 in the state, stretched its winning streak to 17.

Cedar Hill (17-3, 3-3), second-ranked locally and No. 8 in the state, trailed by as much as 13, but rallied within a basket when Lesley Varner was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws.

After a timeout, DeSoto went inside to 6-10 center Marquis Bolden (13 points, 11 rebounds) for a basket. The long arm of Bolden then forced a bad shot on the other end for breathing room.

Cedar Hill climbed back into the game by limiting DeSoto to only three baskets in a 12-minute stretch of the second half. The Longhorns strategy of making DeSoto earn its points at the free throw line worked for awhile.

Jordan Berry came off the DeSoto bench to provide an offensive spark in the first half, hitting three 3-pointers.

The Eagles led by seven at intermission even though Bolden spent much of the second quarter on the bench with two fouls, the second a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a dunk.

Guard Jonathan Webb kept Cedar Hill in striking distance in the first half with 12 of his 17 points.

Both encounters last season went overtime and were won by the road team by one point. Cedar Hill's 59-58 victory last January was its first over DeSoto since 2006, ending a streak of 10 consecutive defeats to its rival. The teams did not play from 2010-12.

The teams meet again in DeSoto on Feb. 9.

Schedules still haven't been finalized for the 2016 high school football season because UIL realignment is in February, but get ready for a big game on opening week:

Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, the top-ranked team in USA Today's national rankings the past two seasons, is coming to Texas to play Cedar Hill.

Bishop Gorman coach Kenny Sanchez and Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire each confirmed it Thursday, although both said final details are still being worked out. It is expected to be televised on one of the ESPN networks, Sanchez said, and will be played in the Dallas area. It might be played at Cedar Hill's Longhorn Stadium or at another site.

The second week of the season might be just as big, because Bishop Gorman is hoping to play Allen -- also in the Dallas area.

"A team coming to Texas two weeks in a row," Sanchez said. "I don't know if that's ever happened."

Allen is currently in the process of hiring a head coach to replace Tom Westerberg, who last week was announced as the new football coach and athletic director at Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill near Houston. Nothing will be finalized on a Bishop Gorman-Allen game until after the new coach is in place.

The Cedar Hill game, however, appears to be solid.

"We're excited about it. We're just waiting for the details to be finalized," McGuire said. "We think we're going to have a pretty special team next year."

Cedar Hill was the 5A Division II state champion in 2013 and the 6A Division II state champion in 2014. The Longhorns finished 9-2 this year and lost in the first round of the playoffs. That first-round loss, however, was against fellow powerhouse Southlake Carroll -- and at Dragon Stadium. Cedar Hill is expected to have one of its most talented teams ever.

Bishop Gorman, a private school in Las Vegas,  has won seven straight Nevada state titles. The Gaels finished 15-0 this season and have won 39 straight games.

This tweet comes from Bishop Gorman quarterback and Texas A&M commit Tate Martell

Update on our 2016 schedule... Not finalized pic.twitter.com/lRrUluxF89

— Tate Martell™ (@TheTateMartell) January 15, 2016

Twitter: @mattwixon

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Plano East rolls past defending state champ

Devin Gifford scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Plano East boys to a 77-59 win over defending Class 6A state champion Plano West on Friday night.

Plano East (18-6, 7-1), ranked 19th in the state, remained alone in first place in District 6-6A. Allen is one game behind, and Plano West (14-8, 5-3) fell two games back.

Plano East made eight 3-pointers, with Chris Parker hitting three of them. Parker finished with 15 points, Marek Nelson added 13 and Mikail Simmons scored 12. Plano East led by six at halftime, then took control by outscoring Plano West 17-9 in the third quarter.

SPOTLIGHT

Player of the year

The Naismith Trophy released its midseason team of players under consideration for the National Player of the Year award, and four of the 25 girls are from the Dallas area.

The list features Baylor signees Lauren Cox of Flower Mound and Natalie Chou from Plano West, Texas signee Joyner Holmes from Cedar Hill and Louisville signee Ciera Johnson of Duncanville. Cox is ranked by ESPN's HoopGurlz as the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2016, Holmes is No. 2, Chou is No. 8 and Johnson is No. 15.

Alabama pledge Terrance Ferguson from Advanced Preparatory International and Marques Bolden from DeSoto are among the 25 players on the boys list. Ferguson is ranked as the 12th-best recruit in the nation in the Class of 2016 by Rivals.com, and Bolden is No. 16.

No. 1 wins in a rout

Sophomore Gabby Standifer came off the bench and hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points to lead No. 1 Argyle to a 55-33 win over No. 5 Sanger in a matchup of state-ranked 4A girls teams. Argyle (21-1, 3-0 in 9-4A) held Sanger (22-3, 2-1) to single-digit point totals in three of the four quarters.

Adam Boedeker

Briefly ...

Louisiana Tech signee Oliver Powell had 16 points and nine rebounds as the Rowlett boys extended their winning streak to eight games with a 72-60 win vs. Sachse. Rowlett (14-5, 5-0) leads 11-6A by two games. ... The Denton Guyer girls improved to 7-0 in 5-6A, rallying from a five-point halftime deficit to beat Denton Ryan 61-52. ... The Lancaster boys, ranked No. 2 in the state in 5A, got 27 points from Tahjon Starks and beat Mansfield Summit 74-61.

FRIDAY'S STANDOUTS

BOYS

Will Enzor, Highland Park, guard: Scored 20 points to lead Highland Park to a 65-60 win over Richardson, the state's 12th-ranked 6A team. Highland Park moved into a tie for first with Richardson in District 10-6A.

Mike Gipson, Wylie, forward: Made a layup with two seconds left to give Wylie a 53-51 win over McKinney North in a battle for first place in District 10-5A. Noah Whitworth made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points for Wylie (10-8, 5-0).

Marquies Tinsley, Carrollton Newman Smith, post: Made a game-winning dunk with six seconds remaining as Newman Smith (13-7, 5-0) beat Carrollton Creekview 46-44 in a battle for first place in 11-5A.

RJ Nembhard, Keller, guard: Scored 34 points as Keller beat Justin Northwest 54-38. Keller improved to 5-0 in District 5-6A and handed Northwest its first district loss.

Ashawntee Harris, Grand Prairie, forward: The 6-7 senior scored 32 points in a 65-64 win against Midlothian. Cailen Bond made a free throw with four seconds left to win it for Grand Prairie.

GIRLS

Arleighshya McElroy, Richardson, guard: The Texas A&M signee scored 28 points to help the state's 23rd-ranked 6A team improve to 7-0 in District 10-6A with a 65-48 victory against Highland Park.

Mallory Adams, Frisco Centennial, forward: The sophomore scored 29 points in a 59-44 win over Frisco Heritage. Adams is second among area 5A players in scoring.

Bryn Gerlich, Colleyville Heritage, guard: The sophomore scored 28 points as Colleyville Heritage beat Southlake Carroll 54-47, leaving the teams tied for second place in District 7-6A.

Trinity Oliver, Euless Trinity, guard/forward: Oliver followed up Tuesday's 32-point performance by scoring 26 on Friday as the state's 13th-ranked 6A team beat Coppell 60-35 and improved to 6-0 in District 7-6A.

Victoria Jackson, Cedar Hill, guard: Scored 26 points to lead the state's 11th-ranked 6A team to a 76-71 win over DeSoto. Texas signee Joyner Holmes also scored 26 for Cedar Hill.

STAT SHEET

1: Points allowed in the third quarter by the Frisco Liberty girls in a 50-38 win over Frisco Lone Star. Liberty, ranked 12th in the state in 5A, trailed 26-20 at halftime but outscored Lone Star 14-1 in the third quarter.

0: Points allowed in the first half by the Grapevine girls, who led 33-0 at halftime en route to a 59-12 victory over Fort Worth Polytechnic.

85: Margin of victory for the South Oak Cliff girls, who beat Adamson 94-9. Shay Brown had a triple-double for SOC with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals. The Lincoln girls scored 61 in the first half and beat Madison 102-24.

Talent doesn't always equal wins in high school football. It's strange to think about, but the Texas team with the best prospects will not necessarily bring home a state championship.

Friday, 247Sports compiled an interesting list ranking the top 50 high schools nationwide based on the recruits coming out of those programs since 2000.

Below I've listed the top 10 plus local schools, but you can find the list of all 50 here. The list is based on 247Sports composite rankings, meaning the order takes into account both the number of recruits and the stars/rank of each one.

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

2. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)

3. Junipero Serra (Gardena, Calif.)

4. DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)

5. IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.)

6. Glenville (Cleveland)

7. Miami Central (Miami)

8. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

9. Skyline

Top recruits (by 247 score)

-WR Mike Davis

- LB Corey Nelson

- LB Anthony Wheeler

10. Lincoln (Tallahassee, Fla.)

12. DeSoto 

- OL Curtis Riser

- RB Dontre Wilson

- RB Cyrus Gray

17. Cedar Hill

- WR Damarkus Lodge

- DE Jarvis Humphrey

- LB Aaron Benson

19. Allen

- OL Greg Little

- QB Kyler Murray

- WR Dan Buckner

41. Southlake Carroll

- S Robert Barnes

- QB Kenny Hill

- DE Jackson Richards

45. Euless Trinity

- OL Ofa Mohetau

- C Patrick Vahe

- DL Chris Daniels

*The only Texas school in the top 50 not from the D-FW area was North Shore at No. 20.

The Keller girls soccer team opened the Allison Horn Memorial Colleyville Cup with a 2-0 win over defending Class 6A state champion Coppell, the nation's fifth-ranked team. Keller produced an even more impressive victory Saturday to win the tournament.

Keller won the tournament's championship game 4-0 over Southlake Carroll, the No. 1 team in TopDrawerSoccer.com's winter national rankings. Keller (6-1-1), ranked No. 49 in the nation, got goals from North Texas pledge Berklee Peters, AK Ward, Karlie Johnson and Brooke Morgan in handing Carroll (7-1) its first loss. Keller sophomore goalkeeper Mason Rodusky shut out a Carroll team that had scored 31 goals in the first seven games.

Against Coppell on Thursday, Keller got goals from Ward and Peters. Rodusky and senior goalie Lauren Markham combined for the shutout. Keller outscored its four opponents by a combined 14-1 in the tournament.

Carroll won't have to wait long to get another shot at Keller. The teams play again at 1 p.m. Monday at Carroll's Dragon Stadium.

These are the latest state rankings from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Local teams are bolded.

6A

5A

4A

3A

Large Private Schools

Small Private Schools

The latest state rankings from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches are below. Local teams are bolded.

6A

5A

4A

3A

Large Private Schools

1. Addison Trinity Christian (21-3)

2. Plano Prestonwood Christian (20-7)

3. Tomball Concordia Lutheran (26-5)

4. Bellaire Episcopal (21-4)

5. San Antonio St. Anthony Catholic (24-5)

6. Houston Westbury Christian (20-7)

7. Beaumont Monsignor (17-4)

8. Austin St. Stephen's (18-5)

9. San Antonio Antonian (23-8)

10. Saint Mary's Hall (17-9)

11. Fort Worth Southwest Christian (19-6)

12. Houston St. Thomas (16-4)

13. Houston Christian (20-7)

14. San Antonio Central Catholic (23-5)

15. Fort Worth Nolan Catholic (18-6)

16. Holy Cross of San Antonio (24-5)

17. Lubbock Trinity Christian (19-7)

18. Austin St. Michael's Catholic (18-6)

19. Austin St. Dominic Savio (19-7)

20. Houston Kinkaid (17-8)

21. Dallas Parish Episcopal (13-3)

22. Houston The Village School (16-1)

23. Tyler All-Saints Episcopal (17-7)

24. Colleyville Covenant Christian (19-8)

25. Dallas Greenhill (13-8)

Small Private Schools

1. Cedar Hill Trinity Christian School (22-4)

2. Arlington Grace Prep Academy (19-5)

3. Houston St. Thomas Episcopal (13-12)

4. Beaumont Legacy Christian (18-5)

5. Austin Waldorf School (21-2)

6. Midland Classical Academy (18-8)

7. Conroe Lifestyle Christian (22-6)

8. Baytown Christian Academy (17-4)

9. The Woodlands Christian Academy (19-7)

10. Lubbock Christian School (21-6)

11. San Antonio Lutheran High School (20-7)

12. Waco Vanguard College Preparatory (12-9)

13. Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills (14-4)

14. Katy Faith West Academy (16-6)

15. Granbury North Texas Christian Academy (9-4)

16. Dallas Yavneh Academy (15-4)

17. Kingwood Northeast Christian Academy (22-7)

18. Fort Worth Lake Country Christian School (12-12)

19. Geneva School of Boerne (21-9)

20. Lubbock All Saints Episcopal School (19-8)

21. League City Bay Area Christian (12-13)

22. Dallas First Baptist Academy (11-3)

23. Huntsville Alpha Omega Academy (17-6)

24. San Marcos Hill Country (11-4)

25. Mission Juan Diego Academy (14-4)

Seven Dallas-area players were named to the 2016 McDonald's All-American rosters on Sunday evening -- the most-ever selected in a single year to participate in the prestigious all-star showcase. 

Four area girls were selected, the most ever in the 15-year history of the event. Plano West guard Natalie Chou (Baylor signee), Cedar Hill forward Joyner Holmes (Texas signee) and Duncanville post Ciera Johnson (Louisville signee) were named to the East roster, while the nation's No. 1 prospect, Flower Mound forward Lauren Cox (Baylor signee), was chosen for the West team. 

The boys selections were similarly split, with API guard Terrance Ferguson (Alabama pledge) and Irving MacArthur guard Andrew Jones (Texas pledge) selected to the East roster, while DeSoto post Marques Bolden was picked for the West team. It is the seventh-straight season where at least one Dallas-area prospect was chosen for the boys game.

Both games will be played on March 30 at Chicago's United Center, with the girls game televised on ESPNU at 5:30 p.m. and the boys game following at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Dallas-area girls McDonald's All-American history

: Lauren Cox, Flower Mound; Natalie Chou, Plano West; Joyner Holmes, Cedar Hill; Ciera Johnson, Duncanville
2015: Ashley Hearn, Sachse
2014: Ariel Atkins, Duncanville
2012: Moriah Jefferson, THESA; Alexis Jones, Irving MacArthur; Jordan Jones, DeSoto
2010: Tiffany Moore, Frisco; Odyssey Sims, Irving MacArthur
2008: Destini Hughes, Kennedale; Brooklyn Pope, Fort Worth Dunbar
2006: Allison Hightower, Arlington Seguin; Brittaney Raven, North Crowley
2003: Tiffani Jackson, Duncanville
2002: Erin Grant, Mansfield

Dallas-area boys McDonald's All-American history

: Marques Bolden, DeSoto; Terrance Ferguson, API; Andrew Jones, Irving MacArthur
2015: Jawun Evans, Kimball
2014: Emmanuel Mudiay, Prime Prep; Myles Turner, Euless Trinity
2013: Keith Frazier, Kimball; Matt Jones, DeSoto; Julius Randle, Plano Prestonwood
2012: Isaiah Austin, Arlington Grace Prep; Marcus Smart, Flower Mound Marcus
2011: Le'Bryan Nash, Lincoln
2010: Perry Jones, Duncanville
2008: Willie Warren, North Crowley
2006: Darrell Arthur, South Oak Cliff
2005: Byron Eaton, Lincoln; Calvin Miles, Skyline
2004: LaMarcus Aldridge, Seagoville
2002: Chris Bosh, Lincoln; Daniel Horton, Cedar Hill; Bracey Wright, The Colony
2000: Brian Boddicker, Duncanville
1996: Glendon Alexander, Carrollton Newman Smith
1991: Jimmy King, Plano East
1987: Larry Johnson, Skyline

ALLEN - During the last 10 years, Allen has become one of the state's top football programs. On Monday night, it brought back a coach who helped the Eagles become a powerhouse.

Waco Midway head coach Terry Gambill, who was an assistant at Allen for nine seasons and the defensive coordinator for the Eagles' first state champion in 2008, was approved Monday by the Allen ISD board of trustees.

"He's got that Allen DNA," Allen superintendent Lance Hindt said moments before the trustees unanimously approved Gambill.

Gambill left for Midway in 2010, and he had a 68-13 record in a six-season run that included advancing to the 4A Division I state final in 2011. He was named district Coach of the Year in each of his seasons at Midway.

Gambill replaces Tom Westerberg, who in 12 seasons at Allen had a record of 147-17 and won four state titles. Westerberg announced two weeks ago that he was leaving for Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill, where he'll be the football coach and district athletic director.

Allen ISD athletic director Steve Williams said Gambill's familiarity with Allen and his ability to win at another school made him the top choice from a strong field of candidates.

"We didn't want someone who would come in and clean house and want to bring all his own people," Williams said. "We wanted somebody to come in and help us build on the things that we think are important."

Allen won three consecutive state titles from 2012 to 2014. The Eagles won their 10th straight district title this season and advanced to the 6A Division I semifinals before their 57-game winning streak was snapped by Austin Westlake.

Gambill, who will also be an assistant athletic director for Allen, began his coaching career at Garland in 1985 and also coached at Duncanville, Southlake Carroll and Forney before arriving at Allen in 2001. Gambill was not at the board of trustees meeting but said that he will meet with Allen players and coaches on Tuesday.

"To me, Allen is the best high school program in the country," Gambill said. "I'm so excited to get to be a part of it again."

Terry Gambill says he will be taking some of his staff from Midway w/ him to Allen. He says his son Cody will join him, others TBD #txhsfb

— Jessica Morrey (@JessicaMorrey) January 19, 2016

More @CoachGambill, ""The transition will be much easier because I know the Allen program, tradition, what they stand for and.. (1/2)

— David Smoak (@DavidSmoak) January 19, 2016

"....it won't take me long to learn what's taken place since I left 6-years ago."

— David Smoak (@DavidSmoak) January 19, 2016

Midway: #WeWillWin pic.twitter.com/aD5Dwnp5ep

— Terry Gambill (@CoachGambill) January 19, 2016

...@CoachGambill, "Allen is best program in state of Texas & no 1 plays HSFB like this state, I wouldn't have left Midway if it wasn't best"

— David Smoak (@DavidSmoak) January 19, 2016

Another note or two on @CoachGambill and @alleneagles, "my parents live about five minutes away, and that's also a big deal for the family."

— David Smoak (@DavidSmoak) January 19, 2016

Twitter: @mattwixon

On the night Terry Gambill officially became Allen's new football coach, he was called a proven winner, a guy who knows the Allen culture, and someone with "that Allen DNA." It was like a Gatorade shower of praise for a coach who had just won the big game.

And, essentially, Gambill had just done that. The former longtime Allen defensive coordinator, who left in 2010 to be Waco Midway's head coach, came back home as the winner of one of the most coveted high school coaching jobs in the state.

But in the downpour of compliments, there was more than a sprinkle of expectation. Allen ISD superintendent Lance Hindt pointed out how Gambill helped Allen win the first of its four state titles, and then added this:

"When he gets here, we're looking forward to that fifth one. Not to put any pressure on him."

Pressure? Nah. After all, in the last four years, Allen lost two games. So there's some margin for error and room for improvement.

Yes, I'm kidding. Allen's run over the last four seasons, with a record of 61-2 and three state championships, was incredible.

"It's unbelievable," Gambill said.

But what was unbelievable has contributed to a core belief for at least some Allen fans. A state title should be within reach each season.

It's much like the environment Southlake Carroll coach Hal Wasson jumped into when he was hired in 2007 to replace Todd Dodge, whose Carroll teams had gone 79-1 and won four state titles in a five-year span.

"Why would you be doing this if you didn't want to be in a place where the expectations are high?" Wasson said on the day he was hired.

Over the next three seasons, Carroll went 29-9 and had six playoff wins - a wonderful stretch for most programs. But there were some grumbles from Carroll fans before the Dragons went 16-0 and won a state title in 2011.

Success can be both a blessing and a curse. Tom Westerberg, Allen's coach for the last 12 seasons, acknowledged that when talking about his decision to take over as head football coach at district athletic director at Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill.

"When you get the bar raised where you can't raise it anymore," he said, "there's a lot of stress that comes with it."

When Westerberg took over in 2004 for Joe Martin, who left for an executive position with the Texas High School Coaches Association, Allen was an emerging powerhouse. But the Eagles had not yet won a state title. They were playing in a cramped stadium that was nearly 30 years old and was affectionately called "The Double Wide."

The common fan complaint back then regarded the portable toilets that had to be brought in for each game. There are no such complaints with the gorgeous $60 million Eagle Stadium, which is the gem of a sparkling set of athletic facilities. Allen also has the largest enrollment in the state, drawn from a fairly affluent community, and an administration that strongly supports athletics.

Those are all reasons that Gambill, 54, called Allen the country's best football program. It's why he's leaving Midway, where his teams were 68-13 and he was the district Coach of the Year six straight seasons. Midway is a special place, he said, but he couldn't turn down the chance to return to where he was defensive coordinator for nine seasons.

"Allen is home," he said.

Home to some big expectations. But those don't concern Gambill, they motivate him.

"I'm not worried about the expectations," he said. "To me, it's more exciting to go where there are those expectations."

Twitter: @mattwixon

GAMBILL FILE

Age: 54

Education: Tarleton State

Background: Began coaching career at Garland in 1985. Coached at Duncanville, Southlake Carroll and Forney before serving as Allen defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2009. Waco Midway head coach the last six seasons.

Notable: His sons, Cody and Chase, played for Allen. Terry Gambill said one of the most exciting moments of his time at Allen came in 2009, when he watched Chase catch a 27-yard touchdown pass with no time left in a playoff game against Southlake Carroll. The touchdown sent the game to overtime - and Carroll eventually won.

When former Allen head football coach Tom Westerberg left for Barbers Hill, one of the unnoticed storylines was the gap it created at offensive coordinator with his son, Kyle, joining him.

In a not-so-shocking move, new Allen head coach Terry Gambill will reportedly be bringing his offensive coordinator from Waco Midway, Derek Alford, in the same capacity at Allen:

The new HFB coach at @MidwayFB will NOT be OC Derek Alford, who has accepted the same position under @CoachGambill at @alleneagles #txhsfb

— David Smoak (@DavidSmoak) January 21, 2016

According to the Midway Quarterback Club website, Alford was with Gambill throughout his entire tenure and is a South Garland High graduate. 

Allen's athletic director was quoted here saying, "We didn't want someone who would come in and clean house and want to bring all his own people."

In addition to Alford, Gambill will reportedly also bring his son, Cody, who graduated from Allen and was a corners coach at Midway.

Terry Gambill says he will be taking some of his staff from Midway w/ him to Allen. He says his son Cody will join him, others TBD #txhsfb

— Jessica Morrey (@JessicaMorrey) January 19, 2016

CLASS 6A

CLASS 5A

CLASS 4A-OTHERS/PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Nike is getting ready to launch a national 7-on-7 football league that would involve high school football players, according to a report from CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd. Five cities are mentioned in the story: San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Kansas City.

No, Dallas isn't mentioned. But the 7-on-7 league is another step in high school athletes being pulled into the battle of the shoe companies. It's something I and Corbett Smith wrote about in part of SportsDay's series on the future of football.

Dodd's story is worth your time. Here are a couple of nuggets from it:

What was once referred to as "Shoe Wars" in basketball has now become a gridiron skirmish. That is, essentially using teenagers to push merchandise.

Nike is merely keeping up with the competition. This year, more than 200 teams will participate in the national Adidas competition that culminates in the "national championship" July 30-31 in Atlanta. IMG Academy has sponsored a championship for five years.

At the core of the endeavor, the apparel companies are using kids to hawk their product. While that's basic American capitalism at its best, the concern is that another round of those "Shoe Wars" is breaking out in what is still supposed to be amateur football.

More sole influence: Nike set to launch 7on7 league. NCAA continues to monitor that space. https://t.co/2hLeWHUy21

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) January 21, 2016

Twitter: @mattwixon

Malik Jefferson was in the spotlight when he arrived as an early enrollee in Austin in January 2015. 

The Mesquite Poteet star was the jewel in Charlie Strong's second recruiting class at Texas, expected to come in and immediately contribute for a Longhorns' defense that was its strong suit in 2014.

Jefferson, the high school Butkus Award winner and the No. 1 prospect on the final SportsDay Area Top 100 rankings, did not disappoint. 

The inside linebacker was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after recording 61 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and 2.5 sacks in 11 games (that said, Texas' defense took a step back, finishing 106th in the nation in yards allowed and 87th in scoring defense). 

As a result, Jefferson was named to nearly every freshman all-American team:

But the next most productive player from SportsDay's Area Top 100 came from an unlikely position (and unlikely spot). 

Coppell tackle Connor Williams was one of a handful of Dallas-area offensive linemen who graduated to the college ranks and immediately played significant minutes for a Power 5 Conference team. 

Williams (6-5, 283) signed with Texas and started all 12 games for the Longhorns at tackle. While the Longhorns' offense wasn't exactly good (OK, it was bad; 92nd in yards gained), Williams was one of the most consistent performers on the team. Pro Football Focus graded him the top pass-blocking freshman in all of college football. 

Consequently, Williams was named to nearly as many All-American teams as Jefferson, not bad for someone ranked No. 32, and the ninth offensive lineman, on last year's Area Top 100. 

His immediate success is surprising in that offensive line is one of the last places to expect a true freshman to come in and play right away. Quarterback is obviously the toughest position to make that transition, but apart from that, true freshman interior defensive linemen and offensive linemen generally don't have the strength or mass to stand up to college players. 

Not only did Williams see the field with regularity, so did another Dallas-area prospect: Euless Trinity's Patrick Vahe (No. 13 in last year's Top 100), who started 12 games for the Longhorns at guard. 

In addition, Keller's massive tackle Maea Teuhema (No. 5) and Flower Mound Marcus' Keaton Sutherland (No. 12) also got loads of playing time that translated into post-season honors. 

McKinney North's electric running back Ronald Jones II (No. 7) was the only Dallas-area skill position player to be named to an All-American team, after becoming only the second freshman in USC history to lead the team in rushing (987 yards, eight TDs, joining LenDale White [2003]). 

A quick glance at the rest of the Top 15 from last year's Area Top 100:

2. Kyler Murray, QB, Allen (Texas A&M): Played a little, then became the starter, then lost his starting job and eventually transferred to Oklahoma. 686 passing yards, more INT (7) than passing TDs (6)
3. Soso Jamabo, RB, Plano West (UCLA): 66 carries, 403 yards, four rushing TDs
4. DaMarkus Lodge, WR, Cedar Hill (Ole Miss): Redshirted, but did get one catch in the season opener for 12 yards and a touchdown
6. James Lockhart, DE, Ennis (Texas A&M): Played in four games, making one solo tackle and three assists
8. Chris Warren, RB, Rockwall (Texas): 71 carries for 470 yards and four TDs, most coming in the final two games (had 276 yards, 4 TDs vs. Texas Tech)
9. Anthony Wheeler, LB, Skyline (Texas): Played in 12 games, started two, 22 solo tackles, 14 assists, one fumble recovery
10. Carlos Strickland, WR, Skyline (Cal): Redshirted
11. Bobby Evans, OL, Allen (Oklahoma): Redshirted
14. Trevor Elbert, OL, Rockwall-Heath (Texas A&M): Redshirted
15. DeShon Elliott, S, Rockwall-Heath (Texas): Played in five games, 12 tackles, two interceptions

Two of the area's top football recruits announced their commitments on Twitter, with Argyle Liberty Christian quarterback Nick Starkel picking Texas A&M and Southlake Carroll wide receiver Zach Farrar choosing Mississippi State. Farrar committed for football and baseball.

Starkel (6-3, 186), who decommitted from Oklahoma State in December, is ranked as the 20^th-best pro-style quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2016 by 247SportsComposite. Starkel threw for 3,091 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. 

"I just thought it was the best fit for me, with a good education, good location, close to home, only three hours away," Starkel said. "And then great football, great coaching staff as well."

Texas A&M lost two quarterbacks when Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen transferred, with Murray heading to Oklahoma. Starkel is the only quarterback in the Class of 2016 currently committed to A&M.

"Obviously there are less QBs there right now. That's always a plus," Starkel said.

A&M has added a quarterback, as Trevor Knight transferred from Oklahoma. A&M also returns Jake Hubenak. 

Starkel visited Texas A&M this past weekend. He had planned to visit other schools, but he said that after visiting A&M, he decided not to take anymore visits.

Farrar (6-4, 205) was an honorable-mention all-state selection. He had 56 catches for 1,114 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.

Oral commitments are nonbinding. Feb. 3 is the first day that football players in the Class of 2016 can sign a national letter of intent.

Duncanville held steady at No. 3 in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national girls basketball rankings.

MaxPreps' comment:

"Duncanville's slow but sure rise could easily end with a national championship -- and a well-deserved one. There are more than a few who believe the best in Texas is the best in the nation this year."

The Pantherettes certainly have been dominant this season. "It's out depth and our hunger," post Cierra Johnson told me for this story. Duncanville is also pretty dang talented.

So what other Texas teams are in the MaxPreps national rankings?

Galena Park North Shore is ninth. And that's it for the Lone Star state.

But as always, other teams will emerge in the playoffs.

Here are the complete MaxPreps rankings.

Twitter: @mattwixon

The Dallas ISD will hold its national signing day ceremony at noon on Feb. 3 at Ellis Davis Field House to recognize its senior athletes who are signing national letters of intent. The DISD also wants to recognize its former athletes that day -- and possibly in a bigger way down the road.

DISD assistant athletic director Annette Scogin said the school district is looking for former DISD athletes to take part in the signing day ceremony. They will walk in and be recognized before the current athletes.

Scogin said that if the DISD can connect with its former athletes that it could someday lead the school district to create some type of Ring of Honor.

Former Woodrow Wilson star Tim Brown, a Heisman Trophy winner who became the first DISD product to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, won't be able to attend. But there will be a video of him.

Former athletes who are interested in attending or who would like more information can contact Scogin at 214-240-4690 or ascogin@dallasisd.org

Game of the Night

Skyline beats Jesuit in battle for 9-6A lead

Tivin Ridguard hit three 3-pointers and scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Skyline boys to a 56-38 victory against Jesuit in a battle for first place in District 9-6A.

Skyline (22-1, 7-0), ranked 12th in the state in 6A, outscored Jesuit 7-0 in the third quarter to build a 12-point lead. Marcus Garrett nearly had a triple-double for Skyline, finishing with 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and Ladarrian Burney added 11 points.

Jesuit (16-6, 6-1) scored more points in the fourth quarter (21) than it did in the first three quarters (17). But Skyline was even better, scoring 27 points in the final quarter.

Spotlight

A scare for No. 1

The undefeated Mansfield Timberview girls basketball team trailed 35-32 entering the fourth quarter before rallying for a 49-43 win over Arlington Seguin. Chennedy Carter scored 23 points for Timberview (25-0, 11-0 District 14-5A), the state's No. 1-ranked 5A team.

Battles for first

No. 17 McKinney North beat No. 10 Prosper 55-53 in a clash of state-ranked 5A girls teams. It left the teams tied for first in 10-5A. ... The Arlington Bowie girls beat Weatherford 57-41 to gain sole possession of first in 4-6A.

No. 1 vs. No. 2

In a matchup of the state's top two large private-school boys teams, No. 2 Plano Prestonwood Christian beat No. 1 TCA-Addison 64-44.

Briefly

The Little Elm boys beat Frisco Wakeland 66-59 and moved a half game ahead of idle Frisco Liberty for first place in 9-5A. ... In a matchup of state-ranked 6A boys teams, No. 8 Cedar Hill beat No. 17 South Grand Prairie 62-59. ... The Denton Guyer boys beat Justin Northwest 60-50. Guyer remained tied with Keller for first in 5-6A, and Northwest fell one game back. ... The Lewisville boys outscored Allen 19-4 in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 47-46 win over the second-place team in 6-6A.

Friday's Standouts - Boys

Bryson Robinson - Mesquite, guard: Scored 36 points in a 77-61 win against Lake Highlands.

Coye Campbell - West Mesquite, guard: Scored 26 points as District 12-5A leader West Mesquite beat Mesquite Poteet 56-44. West Mesquite, ranked 12th in the state in 5A, is 7-0 in district.

Zhaire Smith - Garland Lakeview, forward: Had 29 points and 10 rebounds as Lakeview beat Rockwall 62-49, leaving the teams tied for second in 11-6A.

Drew Timme - Richardson Pearce, center: The freshman had 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in a 76-54 win over Highland Park. Highland Park dropped out of a tie for first in District 10-6A, falling one game behind Richardson. Grant Lair added 22 points for Pearce.

DeVante Waldon - Keller Timber Creek, guard: Scored 29 points in a 76-53 win over Keller Fossil Ridge.

Khalil Adams - Prosper, point guard: Made a go-ahead layup, then hit four free throws down the stretch as Prosper beat McKinney North 40-36 in a battle for first place in 10-5A. Adams' brother Kaleb assisted on the go-ahead basket.

Girls

Carissa Moody - Plano, guard: Scored 30 points and made two free throws in the final minute to break a 50-50 tie in Plano's 53-50 win over Plano West (24-4, 10-1), the state's fourth-ranked 6A team. Lauren Davenport added a free throw with three seconds left for Plano (20-9, 9-3). Plano West leads District 6-6A by a half-game over Flower Mound.

Joyner Holmes - Cedar Hill, forward: The Texas signee, a McDonald's All-American, scored 26 points as No. 10 Cedar Hill beat No. 15 South Grand Prairie 58-49 in a matchup of state-ranked 6A teams. Cedar Hill (22-6, 7-1 District 8-6A) trailed 37-32 entering the fourth quarter.

Evie Whorley - Kennedale, point guard: Scored 32 as the state's 14th-ranked 4A team beat Alvarado 72-38.

Anna Hurlburt - Southlake Carroll, post: Had 25 points and nine rebounds as Carroll beat Hurst L.D. Bell 40-27 and remained tied with Colleyville Heritage for second place in 7-6A.

Sydney Meador - Denton Guyer, guard: Hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 as Guyer beat Justin Northwest 61-47 and stayed tied with Keller for first in 5-6A.

Catherine Renneker - Woodrow Wilson, post: Coming off a 26-point game, the sophomore had 24 points and 13 rebounds in a 56-42 victory against North Dallas.

Stat Sheet

41

Points scored by Ellen Margaret Andrews for the Greenhill girls in a 52-47 victory against Episcopal School of Dallas.

52

Points scored by the DeSoto boys in the first half in a 98-73 win vs. Duncanville. McDonald's All-American Marques Bolden scored 20 for the state's No. 2 team.

18

Rebounds for McDonald's All-American Lauren Cox in the Flower Mound girls' 32-19 win vs. Flower Mound Marcus. Cox, a Baylor signee, scored 16.