Two cities intertwined through friends and family collided in the state playoffs at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
DeSoto and Cedar Hill are six miles apart. Both high schools are among the best in the country.
On Saturday night, DeSoto beat Cedar Hill 55-41 to advance in the Class 6A Division II state playoffs.
"It's a big rivalry, but in the end we're right down the street from one another. We're on the opposite ends of Belt Line," said Cedar Hill teacher Becky Rader. "We're still a community. We're right there together."
Rader's son, Devin Rader, is a senior linebacker for Cedar Hill. One of Devin's best friends is DeSoto offensive lineman Xavier Newman.
"They've been playing football since they were 4 years old. They played little league," said Xavier's mother, Michelle Brigham. "They're competing. They know what they have to do for their teams. After the game, they can talk about it. We're like a family"
