On Aug. 7, schools in classes 1-4A, as well as 5A and 6A schools that didn't have spring practice, can begin fall football workouts. (The remaining 5A and 6A schools will start Aug. 14.)
So that means we're now at 18 days until the start of practice. As we count down to the start of practice, I'll try to dig up some numbers and stats that apply to the days remaining:
18
Let's start with the strong run that teams from Dallas-Fort Worth have had over the past six seasons. Since 2010, D-FW-area teams have won 18 UIL football titles. Roll call:
Aledo 5, Allen 3, Cedar Hill 2, Denton Guyer 2, Argyle 1, DeSoto 1, Ennis 1, Highland Park 1, Melissa 1, Southlake Carroll 1. (If we can call Gunter a D-FW-area school, you can get to 19 after last year's title).
Another notable 18 is Allen's consecutive winning seasons. The Eagles were 3-7 back in 1998, when still coached by Todd Graham, who is now the head coach at Arizona State. In every season since that three-win campaign, the Eagles have won at least eight games. They've also won four state titles -- in 2008, '12, '13 and '14. Allen, which was No. 2 in our 6A area spring rankings, should have a great offense with senior WR Carson Schleker (Iowa State pledge), senior RB Brock Sturges (Arizona State), junior QB Grant Tisdale (one of the state's top QB prospects in Class of 2019) and OL anchor Trey Stratford (UCLA).
And here's another 18 ... it's the sum of Sachse's wins over the past two years. The Mustangs were 11-1 last season, and their only loss was to 6A Division I runner-up The Woodlands in Round 2 of the playoffs. Sachse, which was No. 4 in SportsDay's 6A area spring rankings, returns DB Isaiah Humphries, who is orally committed to Penn State, and QB Jalen Mayden, a Mississippi State pledge. (Also, Humphries is No. 18 in SportsDay's ranking of area recruits in the Class of 2018).
Previous countdowns:
- 19 days until fall practice begins
- 20 days until fall practice begins
- 21 days until fall practice begins
Twitter: @mattwixon