Is This The Magical Bear Den?
There are perhaps not many people outside of Lions or Cardinals fans who would understand the relevance of this story. The Cardinals and Lions are tied at 61 seasons without a Super-Bowl win to their credit. The tale of the Dallas Independent School District in Division 5A sports is similar.
The Dallas ISD has not won a State Championship since 1958, though the 1988 season still remains hotly contested in some circles. The David W. Carter High School Cowboys did in fact win the State Championships though they were ultimately stripped of their title due to a couple of major scandals which can be easily tracked down for those unfamiliar with the stories.
Even the 1958 is somewhat marred by a long history rife with division and matters that have hopefully been largely settled. The 1958 championship was won by student athletes from Booker T. Washington who no longer has a football program.
Given the issues with segregation at the time, the High School was not allowed to compete in the University Interscholastic League or UIL, and actually won the Prairie View Interscholastic League championship title. The last Dallas ISD high school to win a UIL title was Sunset High School in 1950.
Texas is famous for many things, and many of these points are contested, so challenges are nothing new for most Texans. One thing that can never be successfully argued though, is the love most Texans have for barbecue and for football. Going more than sixty years without a football championship is simply unacceptable, especially in Texas.
The South Oak Cliff High School Golden Bears have not made a trip to the semi-finals since 1970. Not only was this trend broken this year, but the Golden Bears went on in the semi-finals to defeat Lubbock Cooper, scoring their first two touchdowns from 82 yards on a kick return and from 78 yards with a pass by Kevin Henry-Jennings to Kylin Mathis.
The victory over Lubbock Cooper by the Golden Bears keeps them in the State Semi-Finals and brings them one step closer to a well-deserved and long-overdue State Championship, and one step closer to home. The South Oak Cliff High School Golden Bears will be taking on Liberty Hill at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington for their next showdown.
Coached by lifelong Dallas Resident Jason Todd, the team has been urged to focus on their bearing and behavior under the current intense level of scrutiny, and to focus on their game, not the historical nature of the conditions they are playing against.
Aside from any prejudice that may arise from being their coach, Jason Todd seems to believe that his team has a very good chance of winning the State 5A Championships this year. Their third-round win was proof positive that this Golden Bears team has what it takes to go all the way.
The third round saw the Golden Bears going up against the three-time defending State Champion Bearcats from Aledo High School. That game went down to the wire, effectively ending with a Fourth and one attempt by Aledo with under one minute remaining in the game, and fumbling the ball.
Even had they made that play, their victory was not assured, and ultimately, the Golden Bears won the day. There can be no doubt that defeating such a strong opponent bodes well for the ability and the future of the Golden Bears. The ability to come together and defeat not just the defending champs, but a team that has consistently won is a strong boost for the team morale.
These students have already accomplished a lot, but bringing home the State Championship would certainly be an added dollop of sweet success to add to their list of victories. If you can arrange a trip to the AT&T Stadium, these athletes have definitely earned some strong support from the local community. This may very well end up being yet another magical made for movies moment unfolding right before our eyes.