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The Dallas Cowboys of high school football. That's how Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire describes Southlake Carroll.

"They're the team people love to hate," he says.

Three straight state titles and a 49-game winning streak will do that. Carroll is the most respected, admired and possibly most imitated program in the state, but it's also the program most likely to appear in nightly prayers.

"Please, please ... make Carroll lose."

Tonight, however, the hate turns to love. As Carroll battles the most talented and athletic team it has ever faced, the Dragons will have the support of fans who traveled across Texas for the game at SMU's Ford Stadium.

But many of those fans won't really be cheering for Carroll.

"They're not backing us," Carroll linebacker Derek Tomlin said last week. "They're backing Texas."

And, if you believe the hype for tonight's game, Carroll is Texas. And Miami Northwestern, also a defending state champion, is Florida. Forget the hundreds of other big schools that play in the two states. This is Florida vs. Texas. Winner take all.

"Obviously, the fans and the media are going to put the states against each other," Northwestern coach Billy Rolle said. "There's no way to get around that."

So in a game that will get neither team a step closer to the playoffs, in a game played in weather more suited to baseball than football, the stakes are huge. A national television audience, national bragging rights, an inside track to the national championship ...

Or is it just two elite teams playing each other?

"It's both," Carroll receiver Blake Cantu said. "It's two good teams going against each other, and it's also Texas vs. Florida. It's always been a big controversy over who's better, Florida or Texas."

One game shouldn't decide that, and in reality, it won't. Players from Texas, Florida, Ohio, California and other powerhouse football states will always claim their home is No. 1.

And, many people would say, nobody should care. High school athletics is about competing for district and state titles, not national accolades. And as for that high school national championship?

Well, the trophy might as well be a unicorn in shoulder pads. It's that mythical.

Those arguments aren't off the mark. But there's no doubt that pride is on the line tonight.

"I think to a certain degree, this does kind of carry the banner of Texas vs. Florida," Hebron coach Brian Brazil said. "To a lot of people, Texas is the measuring stick."

And right now, Carroll is the measuring stick. It has one loss since 2002 and shares the state's longest big-school winning streak with the Abilene teams of 1954-57.

One reason for the dominance, Carroll players and coaches say, is that the team never looks ahead. It never takes a team for granted. It doesn't listen to all the talk and the hype outside the "bubble" around Carroll's practice facility.

Which is why this description of tonight's game is not surprising:

"We're just treating it like any other game," Carroll running back Tre' Newton said.

Miami Northwestern might have the same approach.

"It's just another game," defensive end Marcus Forston said.

But it's not. After all, Forston made his comments last week during a national conference call. Conference calls don't happen for just another high school game. They don't happen for any high school games.

Neither do betting lines, thank goodness. But the Carroll-Northwestern game had one last month before an Internet gambling site took it down. That's the kind of national interest the game has attracted.

At its core, this game is the perfect predistrict matchup. A playoff atmosphere, a challenging opponent, a great learning experience to prepare for when the games really matter.

But what surrounds the core makes the game matter. For better or worse, high school football has spread beyond state borders. And more than ever, state pride is on the line.

Which means, although it will be Carroll vs. Northwestern on the field, it will be more than that off of it. As irrational as it may seem, this is Texas vs. Florida. Winner take all.

"For me, this is Texas vs. Florida, because I'm really proud of Texas football," McGuire said. "I hope Carroll beats the snot out of them."

Most Texas fans will feel the same way. For one night, Carroll is their team.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets ($15) for the game between Southlake Carroll and Miami Northwestern will be sold at SMU's Ford Stadium between Gates 3 and 4 beginning at noon Saturday. Gate 6 ticket sales will begin at 2 p.m. and then Gate 8 ticket sales will begin at 3 p.m.

Dave Stephenson with Titus Sports Marketing said that as of Friday afternoon, 18,480 tickets had been sold.

Quarterbacks

Carroll's Riley Dodge and Northwestern's Jacory Harris are two of the nation's top quarterbacks. Harris, a tall, athletic playmaker who has orally committed to Miami, threw for a career-high 330 yards in Northwestern's season opener against Carol City on Aug. 30. Dodge is one of the area's top dual threats and has been instrumental in Carroll's state titles in 2005 and 2006. He will head to North Texas in 2008.

Carroll's O-line

Carroll's offensive line traditionally has been one of the state's best. This year's group, featuring North Texas signees Jake Jackson and Nick Leppo, will have to contain one of the nation's top defensive groups. DT Marcus Forston is lightning quick and agile for a 6-3, 305-pounder. The line, as well as RB Tre' Newton, also will have to keep speedy LB Sean Spence from penetrating into the backfield. Northwestern's defense has pitched eight shutouts since the start of the 2006 season.

Northwestern's receivers

All of Texas knows the potential of Carroll's dangerous receiving corps. But Carroll defenders will have to be on their toes when they line up against WRs Aldarius Johnson, Tommy Streeter, Kendal Tompkins and Robert Demps. Both Johnson and Streeter are big, fast targets for Harris. Johnson (6-4, 200) has orally committed to Miami, and Streeter (6-6, 200) is weighing the options of several Division I schools.

D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E

Penalties and turnovers can be hard to overcome in a game pitting two talented teams. Northwestern must play a more controlled game against Carroll after committing six turnovers in a win last week against Homestead, Fla. Carroll had seven penalties in last week's win against Lake Highlands, and QB Riley Dodge threw two first-quarter interceptions.

Homefield advantage

Carroll isn't playing at Dragon Stadium, but the 25-mile trip to SMU's Ford Stadium is a lot shorter than the three-hour flight from Miami. Northwestern arrived Thursday, so jetlag should not be a problem. Presumably, a large number of the fans will be cheering for Carroll.

Damon L. Sayles

Trust me, Northwestern will take out Carroll

Editor's note: Adrian Bushell, a senior running back/defensive back at DeSoto, is a transfer from Miami Pace High School. He never played against Northwestern, but he watched it play many times and volunteers a scouting report on today's game.

What I like most about Northwestern is its offense. They have good receivers and a good quarterback. It is a fast-paced offense and they can throw it all over the field.

I think their best player is Aldarius Johnson, a wide receiver. He's a deep threat, and he can go get it. He's also a good friend. So are a couple of other guys on the team.

Another Northwestern player I know, a linebacker, called me not long ago to get a scouting report. I told him Texas players are bigger and stronger and that they'd better get ready.

Northwestern's good running back from last year graduated, but they still have some guys to put in there. This is their year to win state in Florida.

I haven't seen Southlake play, but I've seen highlights of them. I'm impressed with Tre' Newton, the running back, and Riley Dodge, the quarterback.

I'm going to the game. Northwestern's gonna win. I'll be pulling for them.