Preview stories, predictions and more for Dallas-area teams (Oct. 9-11)

With six weeks in the books and district play now in full swing across the state, it’s time to press pause and acknowledge some of the top performers of the year.

There are still 10 weeks left in the season, including up to six postseason games for the top teams in the state, so plenty can still change — and just about every coach in the state will give some sort of coachspeak answer when talking about hot starts, usually including some variant of “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” Still, some of these starts simply cannot be ignored.

Here’s a look at some of the top performers, surprise teams and championship contenders in the Dallas area.

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Lincoln coach Randall Johnson (from left), Todd Rodgers of Argyle and former Frisco Liberty...

Lincoln coach Randall Johnson (from left), Todd Rodgers of Argyle and former Frisco Liberty coach Matt Swinnea are among those who weighed in on whether high school football lore is as strong as it used to be in rapidly growing North Texas.

Michael Hogue / Staff artist

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– The highest-earning football coaches in D-FW are at schools that excel in the classroom

– Salary tracker: See how much North Texas football coaches make and their tenure

– Why the stadium arms race in North Texas has cooled drastically

– See the newest premier high school football stadiums in North Texas

– How much do booster clubs in North Texas spend on football, and how much is enough?

– Booster club database: See what North Texas spends on high school football, other sports