Both teams are ranked in the Top 10, and this year's renewal of the rivalry also figures to be a de facto District Championship Game
SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Euless Trinity and Southlake Carroll are two Texas high school football programs that will be forever linked. Their story writes a new chapter on Friday night, in a game that will be broadcast on WFAA+, on Friday Night Football.
You can watch the game live on our streaming platform WFAA+, which is available on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
These programs played an iconic playoff game in 2006 in front of what those who were there say was a crowd of over 60,000. And probably 150,000 people would tell you there were one of those people at Texas Stadium, to see Carroll win a 22-21 thriller, on their way to a third straight state championship.
They've met nine more times since, including four times in the playoffs. And the matchup always feels like a bigger deal than most other games. But this year, with both teams back in the Top 10 in the state rankings, it takes on a different significance.
Friday night's game is almost assuredly the District 4-6A Championship game. Trinity and Carroll are head and shoulders above the rest of the district, as evidenced by Carroll's 52-3 win over Byron Nelson last week. The Bobcats were the preseason pick to finish third in the district.
So yes, Friday night is for the district title.
Carroll comes in off a 15-1 season that saw Riley Dodge's team take it's only loss in the 6A-Division II state championship game. A 24-17 loss to Vandegrift kept the Dragons from their ninth title in program history. But Dodge's team brings back 10 offensive starters and nine defensive starters, to form a team that is the unquestioned #1 ranked team in the state. Senior quarterback Angelo Renda leads the way offensively, with a potent wide receiving corps. Ohio State pledge Brock Boyd is the primary target, but Renda has no shortage of weapons, with Brody Knowles, Blake Gunter, and Caden Mackey all capable of making big plays. Davis Penn and Brooks Biggers handle the rushing attack for the Dragons, who average better than 45 points per game this season.
Defensively, Carroll is incredibly stingy. They've allowed just 3.3 points per game this year. Ten points in total. All season. Defensive tackle Jake Lucky leads the way up front, with his 5'8, 250 pound frame clogging up rushing lanes. William Chen, a Brown commit, is the Dragons top linebacker. Luke and Austin Bussmann start in the secondary for Carroll.
Carroll is a team with a tried a true identity — they throw the football down the field with incredible success and precision. Similarly, Trinity has a well-known personality. They run the football.
The offensive line for the Trojans is big, powerful, and athletic. Three-star SMU commit Toa Katoa leads the way, along with Rice commit Leyonte Chandler. Katoa is a 6'6, 393 pound force at offensive guard. He teams up with offensive tackle Kiloa Wolfgramm, who is 6'0, 375 pounds. And running behind that unit is star senior running back JT Harris, who is committed to play at Texas State next fall.
Mack Lineweaver, the son of head coach Aaron Lineweaver, is the signal caller this season for the Trojans. He runs the offense well, and can add a dose of passing game flair to an offense that many years in the past has lacked that feature.
Defensively, the Trojans feature one of the premier talents in all of Texas high school football. Cornerback John Meredith is the No. 1-ranked cornerback in America in the Class of 2027, and has 40 scholarship offers to his name. The 6'3" corner is incredibly long, agile, and has the speed and quickness to stay with any receiver. Gordon Mohetau runs the defense from his linebacker position. And Simi and Semisi Naupoto lock things down on the defensive line for Trinity.
Our Friday Night Football pregame show will begin at approximately 6:50 p.m. CT, with kickoff to follow at 7:00 p.m. CT. Join Mike Leslie and Hek'ma Harrison on the call for Week 4 of Friday Night Football on WFAA+. Then, after the game, catch Friday Night Football: 5th Quarter at 10:40 p.m. on WFAA+, as we bring you highlights and reaction from all across the area.