MELISSA, Texas — The 2023 season opener of Friday Night Football will feature two of the top three ranked teams in the state of Texas in Class 5A-Division II, as #1 Melissa will host #3 Argyle on Friday night, in a game pushed back to an 8 p.m. start time due to soaring temperatures in the Dallas area.
Friday will mark the debut for Melissa's brand new $35 million Coach Kenny Deel Stadium, which has received rave reviews from around the country in the last few weeks.
A game that could be a state semifinal preview, pits two of the most talented teams in the state head-to-head to open their difficult non-district schedules. Melissa lost to eventual state champion South Oak Cliff in last season's 5A-Division II Region II final. The next week, Argyle lost to SOC in the state semifinals. This year, these two teams sandwich #2 South Oak Cliff in the preseason rankings in 5A-Division II.
So we may learn a thing or two about how the 2023 season could shake out, on the very first night of the year.
The top-ranked Cardinals bring back a wealth of talent on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Cardinals defensive end Nigel Smith is one of the best defensive ends in America. The senior is rated as a four-star prospect, and one of the top 20 players in the senior class in Texas this year. He and Oklahoma State commit Gunnar Wilson lead a Melissa defense that should be stingy this fall. And on offense, the Cardinals return their leading passer Trever Ham, their leading rusher Nathan Adejokun, and their leading receiver Karson Maynard to an offense that averaged more than 43 points per game last season.
The Eagles, under the guidance of long-time head coach Todd Rodgers are again expected to do big things, but they'll have to do so with some new faces. Quarterback John Gailey is back for his senior season, after combining for 18 touchdowns last fall. And his top two receiving threats are back as well, as senior Will Hodson and junior Will Krzysiak both hauled in five touchdown passes last season. But the Eagles top two running backs are gone, as RJ Bunnell and Landon Farris have both graduated, taking their 34 rushing touchdowns with them.
Defensively, the Eagles lost several key pieces as well, but they bring back talented linebacker Devon Owen who figures to be the focal point of the Argyle defense. Owen figures to play safety at the next level and is committed to play at Navy in college. He'll be the anchor for an Eagles defense that lost seven starters, including Riley Van Poppel, Michael Madrie, and Grant Mirabal.
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