On a Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., two national powerhouses in high school football went into battle. The program from Texas didn’t exactly cover itself in glory, however.
DeSoto High School, a four-time UIL state champion located south of Dallas, flew east to face St. Thomas Aquinas, one of history’s most decorated high school programs. Bad blood between the schools appeared early, with at least one team harboring some degree of animosity. DeSoto’s captains refused to shake hands with the St. Thomas Aquinas’ captains during the pregame coin toss, a decision that drew plenty of subsequent criticism on social media.
“This was a poor representation of the DeSoto, [Dallas-Fort Worth] and the state of Texas before the game,” longtime Dallas Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. shared on X. “We love the state titles but character counts. Blame the leadership and administration. What are we teaching our boys. You get what you allow.”…