High stakes, High talent, High School Football

The matchup I’m about to discuss is quite literally the best game being played in the Lonestar state this week. Before you ask, no, it’s not the Red River rivalry game. It is in fact the Duncanville (TX) and IMG Academy (FL) game.

What? No, it can’t be the best Texas matchup this week! It can and it will be the best matchup this week (especially after the loosing performances from Oklahoma and Texas last week), and here’s why.

IMG Academy is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, and Duncanville sits at No. 6. If you need any more convincing about the high stakes this game has, both teams are coming in undefeated, having no history, but they do share a common opponent which is DeSoto.

The last time IMG travelled to Texas was in 2015 to beat DeSoto 47-29. In 2018, Duncanville took on DeSoto and the night ended in a 24-14 victory. Having DeSoto as a common opponent is beneficial to understand how each team is going to approach the game on Friday. Like many high school teams, the IMG Academy Ascenders play a powerful first half, and finish with a slow 4^th quarter. Usually, this has no bearing on the outcome of the game because of the talent deficit IMG creates with opponents. However, this is where the Duncanville Panthers could pull out the upset against the Ascenders. The panthers play all 4 quarters, and this aspect of their game has led them to the state championship for the past 2 years.

If you’re interested in watching the showdown at Globe Life Park, simply follow the directions at the link below!

https://www.flofootball.com/articles/6777471-how-to-watch-no-1-img-academy-vs-no-6-duncanville

Call this a Second Warning

During the Mustangs game against Memphis, the entire SMU student section was removed due to their inability to follow COVID-19 guidelines. While it’s slightly comical seeing as the affected team was SMU, this is still a serious matter. The Mustang’s rules are pretty standard: only 1,000 students in attendance, masks worn at all times, and 6 feet of social distancing. None of these regulations were followed by students, hence the reason for their police escort in the first half of the game.

Football’s Promise to Fans

After the Patriots and Titans COVID-19 outbreak, the NFL has put forth more precautionary measures in order to ease the continuous threat of the virus. The league announced that they will be implementing video surveillance to monitor the wearing of protective equipment while practicing and travelling. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has also said that if failure to comply leads to a spread of the virus that forces-

While this may seem extreme or even look like a violation of privacy, it should be a relief to fans, knowing the NFL is going to continually work proactively to ensure a full season of football.