Highland Park had won state four times before, and Smithson Valley was 0-4 in their championship appearances to date.
ARLINGTON, Texas — It was dubbed the “winningest coaching matchup in UIL Texas High School Football Championship history” by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine.
DFW’s Highland Park versus San Antonio’s Smithson Valley.
The Scots’ leading man, Randy Allen, has the second-most total wins in Texas high school football history. And on the other sideline was the Rangers’ high-profiled coach Larry Hill, who is ninth all-time in wins. Both coaches came into the matchup with a combined 784 wins.
Allen had led Highland Park to four state titles, one with Matthew Stafford in 2005 and then a three-peat from 2016 to 2018. Smithson Valley had made it to the state championship game four times under Hill but never won.
Smithson Valley beat the Highland Park Fighting Scots 32-20 in Saturday’s 5A-D1 state championship, the first of a triple-header to wrap up the UIL State championship slate.
Highland Park found paydirt on two of their first three drives but struggled to score a touchdown for the rest of the game. Smithson Valley, meanwhile, continued to lean on pounding the rock, rushing for 297 of their 361 total yards in the game.
Looks like the fifth time was the charm for Hill and the Rangers.
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