Let Texas high school football's 'Journey To Jerry World' commence

Buck's Ballpark: A brand-new football season in Texas is upon us and there are still some unanswered questions

Gilmer players hold the trophy after winning the 2023 UIL 4A Division II title at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. / Tommy Hays

We’ve waited months for this to finally come back around once again.

Finally, starting on Thursday, the long offseason will be in the rear view mirror. At long last, a brand new Texas high school football season is officially upon us.

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For the next 17 weeks, folks across Texas, and even those in other states, not to mention even those perhaps residing abroad, will be riveted to the activities being played out by countless teenagers from small towns to huge metropolitan areas across this vast state.

From Dumas to New Boston, from Dallas to Houston, from Fort Stockton to Sealy, players, coaches and fans will all have one common goal beginning this week - to get to one place, and one place only, when all is said and done.

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That would be the sprawling edifice with a dome on top looming like a beacon in the night, something that can be seen from miles away. It’s none other than AT&T Stadium in Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys and sometimes referred to affectionately (or even derisively) as “Jerry World," after ubiquitous Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones.

It’s the place these aforementioned countless teenagers from all corners of the state want to play in right before Christmas. As far as many are concerned, earning the chance to play at “Jerry World” is a good enough Christmas present right there. 

They’ve spent these offseason months, through many reps in the weight room on frigid winter mornings, to running many routes underneath sometimes consistently broiling summertime sun, just to resume this journey to get to “Jerry World.”

For some, it will be their last chance to try and get there. For others, they’ve been there before and they want to go back there again. And for some others, it is going to be their first go-round and in their minds, their ultimate goal is to get there all four years of their high school career.

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Without a doubt, Texas high school football is like nothing else. It’s been written in books and played out on the screens in movie theaters and on television sets at home.

I got to witness the Texas high school football phenomenon firsthand as a newspaper sports editor in East Texas in the late 1990s. And I’ve been able to follow it once more here in recent years at SBLive, now High School On SI.

Yep, nothing like it.

This season will be even more extra special because I’ll be practically following games here from start to finish and keeping more tabs on teams from all corners of the state.

A disclaimer before I go any further: I was raised in Arkansas, went to college in Arkansas and spent more time living in Arkansas than any other state. But I was born in Texas and I grew up not too far from the state’s border and my favorite Major League Baseball team plays its home games inside the state (hint - they finally won the World Series last year), so I definitely have some Lone Star State DNA running through my veins.

And the food in Texas? Mannnnn…..

OK, I digress.

Every year, there are so many compelling stories to keep tabs on across the state. And the 2024 season is no exception.

So, here are 10 key questions that will hopefully be answered in the next 17 weeks.

Will the likes of DeSoto, Duncanville, Aledo, Albany and Gunter be able to repeat as state champs for the third consecutive year?

Will teams like North Shore, South Oak Cliff and Carthage regain its customary place as the last ones standing when the confetti drops and the title trophies are handed out?

Can a team that did make it to “Jerry World” last season, like a Tyler Chapel Hill, Bellville or a Humble Summer Creek, get back there this December and finish the job this time?

Is Anna - fresh off of winning its first-ever state title - just getting started with its budding dynasty or will moving up to 5A be a rude awakening for the Coyotes?

Who will be this year’s version of Terry Bussey, that small-school standout who virtually puts a team and a town on his shoulders and carries them to the ultimate glory? Is it someone like Sunray quarterback Armando Lujan, Daingerfield receiver/defensive back Kenny Mosley or Columbus signal-caller Adam Schobel? Maybe even Schobel's new Cardinals' teammate, Grayson Rigdon, who is seeking to make the jump from 6-man legend to budding 11-man superstar?

Does Todd Dodge - arguably on the Mount Rushmore of the state’s all-time greatest coaches - have another great run left in him after taking over at Lucas Lovejoy?

Can a team from the El Paso, Lubbock or Corpus Christi area muscle its way into the conversation as a bona fide title contender and be right there with the elite teams from the Metroplex and the Houston-area?

Will Port Neches-Groves, which won its first state title in nearly 50 years, do it again or can another team from the "Golden Triangle" area pull it off?

Can several teams that have been knocking at the door to “Jerry World” in recent years, like North Crowley, Daingerfield, Forney and Frisco Emerson, finally earn that exclusive invite into the club?

Is there a team we’re not even talking about right now that can go deep in the playoffs and maybe even make it to “Jerry World?”

These and many other questions will be answered in the coming weeks, especially when (we think) the weather will turn a bit more frigid and the playoff pressure intensifies.

With that in mind, let the “Journey To Jerry World” finally commence. Come along for the ride, and I’ll see you at the end of the trail.

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2024 Texas high school football preview

Stay with SBLive's preseason coverage in the lead up to the 2024 Texas high school football season and the start of games on Thursday.

• Who are the 25 best teams in Texas, regardless of classification or association? Here are the SBLive Preseason Texas Power 25 rankings, as well as the 20 winningest active coaches.

• Who are the 100 most important high school football players in Texas? We scoured the state and counted down from 100 to 1: Part 1 (100-51) |Part 2 (50-1)

• We're taking a position-by-position look at the top players returning in the Lone Star State this fall, starting with 50 quarterbacks, 70 running backs, 40 wide receivers, 25 tight ends, 25 offensive linemen, 30 cornerbacks, 25 safeties, 45 linebackers and 25 kickers/punters.

• Who are the most underrated teams in the Lone Star State entering the season? We're taking a look by region at the programs poised to out-perform expectations, starting with North Texas, Southeast Texas and Central Texas.

• We examined offseason player movement and the 12 transfers that will have the biggest impact in the fall.

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SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.For more information, visitsi.com/high-school.

-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX