South Oak Cliff’s ‘Marsalis Boyz’ are headed for the three-peat
BY A’NEASE LINNEAR ON DECEMBER 12,
What started out as a perceived easy victory soon turned into a battle to the very end. Within the first 15 seconds of South Oak Cliff High School’s state semifinal game against Frisco Emerson High School, junior linebacker Jayden S. got an interception from a deflected pass that resulted in a touchdown and set the tone for the game.
“It felt very good, but also very unexpected, and I’m just glad I was able to help my team,” Jayden said.
SOC’s defense continued to put up a fight in the redzone, allowing Emerson’s Mavericks only a field goal until a late touchdown that took them into a tie game going into halftime. The Mavericks weren’t going down so fast and tried their hardest to come back, but the Golden Bears weren’t letting that happen. As the Ford Center rumbled with the infamous “SOC, who they talkin’ bout, SOC!” chant, the Marsalis Boys pressed to secure their spot in the state championship game.
With 40 seconds left in the up-and-down fight, the Golden Bears got into a victory formation and it was now certain that they were headed back to the UIL 5A Division 2 State Championship for the chance at a three-peat victory. SOC defeated Frisco’s Emerson in a thriller, 36-24, to go head-to-head with a familiar team, the Port Neches-Groves Indians, whom they defeated in last year’s championship game.
Getting to where they are now had not come without doubts and naysayers. But with the heart of champions, SOC earned the respect of them all.
“After this, nobody will have anything left to say,” defensive line coach Michael Traylor told his players before the game. “They picked Melissa, Midlothian, and Lovejoy [to beat us], so go out there and show them exactly who we are.”
Afterward, playmakers, Jamarion P. and Jayden S. let it be known that they were exactly where they needed to be.
“I came in the game thinking it shouldn’t be close at all, but their quarterback kept them in the game,” Jamarion said. “It was a dog fight in that first half, so we knew we had to come and execute in the second half, and we did just that.”
Now with their eyes on the rematch against Port Neches-Groves, Jayden says this team is special and up for the challenge even though they may have been overlooked during the season. “We’re locked in and ready for whatever, so we’ll see y’all at AT&T.”
The students aren’t the only ones excited for this historic game. Head coach Jason Todd said, “We’re getting ready for the grand finale, and I hope to see everybody there.”
The game starts at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Fans are asked to wear all white in support of the Golden Bears and to purchase tickets on seatgeek.com using the code 5ADIIS23 for a discount.
