Despite an 0-2 start in 2026, all is not lost for South Oak Cliff. The Golden Bears have rebounded from similar starts to contend for state championships before.

South Oak Cliff is 0-2 for the third time in the last five years, but longtime running backs coach Keith Davis has seen this before. His message: Don’t worry.

South Oak Cliff was dished its second loss of the season, falling 23-21 to the Galena Park North Shore Mustangs at the Roland Parrish Classic on Sept. 12. A week before, the Randle Lions handed South Oak Cliff its first loss of the season, defeating the Golden Bears 20-14.

Davis has spent 14 seasons on the South Oak Cliff staff, giving him a firsthand look at the program's rise under head coach Jason Todd. The Golden Bears have reached five consecutive state championship games, winning Class 5A Division II titles in 2021, 2022 and 2025.

The last time the team took back-to-back losses to start a season was in 2024. Despite falling to North Shore and Duncanville that season, South Oak Cliff recovered to finish 13-3 and win the Class 5A Division II state championship game. That experience helps explain why Todd, Davis and the rest of the staff aren't overreacting to this year's start.

“We just got to execute better,” Davis says. “But you want to know where you stand and you want to get those issues fixed early so that once the playoffs come, you’re pretty much rolling and building on what you've already corrected.”

Both losses have been competitive. South Oak Cliff fell behind North Shore 14-0 in the first quarter before its defense helped change the game by forcing four fumbles. The Golden Bears rallied to take a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter before North Shore scored the decisive touchdown in a 23-21 victory.

Davis said the expectations surrounding a program that has reached five consecutive state championship games aren't greater than the expectations inside it.

“Coach Todd really coined the phrase, ‘Be the pressure,’ Davis says. “We're not worried about the pressure. We are the pressure and we apply it. So when it comes to those things, we put more pressure on ourselves than anybody ever could.”

South Oak Cliff's recent history gives the coaching staff reason not to overreact to an 0-2 start. Davis said the priority is correcting mistakes while teaching players to maintain their composure.

“Most of us are dads, brothers, sons, uncles, so you might get something different from different coaches, however, the message is the same,” Davis says. “If you feel like you didn't do your best, then that's on you and your effort. Going forward, you have to fix that part. But you can only control what you can control. That's the main thing. You can't get too high, you can't get too low. You have to be even-keeled.”

South Oak Cliff returns to action Sept. 18 against Hillcrest, which is 3-0 and has won each of its first three games by at least 15 points.