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Big game preview: Duncanville set to clash with DeSoto in battle of state champions

charles baggarly
·4 min read

In 2023, Duncanville won a state championship in Class 6A D1, Texas’ largest classification.

That would make the Panthers the best team in Texas high school football, right? Not necessarily. Earlier in the season, DeSoto defeated Duncanville 49-35 to win a District 11-6A title; the Eagles moved on to win a Class 6A D2 state championship.

Now, the two Texas football powerhouses are set to clash once again. Duncanville (4-0) will face DeSoto (4-1) at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Eagle Stadium in a District 11-6A game that is a battle of state champions.

Unlike last year, DeSoto will enter the “Best in Texas” clash with a loss on its record. On Sept. 6, North Crowley shocked the Texas football world, defeating the Eagles 57-51 in a non-district game.

North Crowley, a Class 6A D1 school, will not play DeSoto in the playoffs. A potential opponent for Ray Gates and company, however, is Duncanville, a team that routed them 52-10 in the 2023 state semifinals.

Duncanville defensive end Colin Simmons (8) pursues North Crowley quarterback Chris Jimerson (12) in the backfield during the first half of a UIL Conference 6A Division I state semifinal football playoff game at Mesquite Memorial Stadium in Mesquite, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 09, 2023. Duncanville led North Crowley 24-0 at the half.
Duncanville defensive end Colin Simmons (8) pursues North Crowley quarterback Chris Jimerson (12) in the backfield during the first half of a UIL Conference 6A Division I state semifinal football playoff game at Mesquite Memorial Stadium in Mesquite, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 09, 2023. Duncanville led North Crowley 24-0 at the half.

North Crowley’s win over DeSoto suggests the Fort Worth-based program has the necessary firepower to compete with any team in the state. DeSoto’s matchup with Duncanville will give Texas football fans a look into North Crowley’s state championship chances.

Although it is clear North Crowley took a step forward, the talent within Duncanville’s roster suggests Reginald Samples’ team has limitless potential.

DeSoto and Duncanville will both try for state championship three-peats in 2024. The Dallas-area powerhouses have led the charge, cementing Dallas-Fort Worth as the state’s best Texas high school football hotspot.

UIL realignment nearly split the two programs, with DeSoto turning in a Class 5A enrollment of 2,127. The program elected to play up against Texas’ best competition.

Even with the smaller talent pool, DeSoto and head coach Claude Mathis expect to compete at the highest level, and the results speak for themselves. DeSoto, in the Class 6A D1 title game, throttled Summer Creek 74-14.

Duncanville turned in an enrollment of 4,710.5, which is 2,583.5 more than DeSoto.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ranks Duncanville as the No. 1 team in Texas. DeSoto, the former top-ranked team, fell to No. 4 due to the loss to North Crowley.

Players to Watch

Both Duncanville and DeSoto are loaded with division-one talent. In a few years, it is likely that some of these names will be playing on Sundays in the NFL; DeSoto’s Von Miller and Duncanville’s Barry Foster are two of the best players to come out of the area, and these stars could follow in their footsteps.

Duncanville’s No. 1 player to watch is senior wide receiver Dakorien Moore, who is averaging 106 receiving yards per game this season. Moore, 247Sports’ No. 5 player in the nation, is committed to playing for the Oregon Ducks.

Moore was a member of Duncanville’s historic 4 x 100 relay team that battled with Atascosita for a national record.

Duncanville wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) is the No. 5 receiver in the nation.
Duncanville wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) is the No. 5 receiver in the nation.

DeSoto also has a star senior receiver: Four-star SMU commit Daylon Singleton. He averages 75 yards and has a team-high five touchdowns on the season. Singleton also has track speed, competing with the best in the 4 x 200 meter relay.

Another key player is senior running back Deondrae “Tiger” Ridden Jr., a Texas A&M commit. The Eagles’ star running back was injured during the Duncanville game last season. This year, he enters the matchup averaging a whopping 128 rushing yards per game.

DeSoto and running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden Jr. will face Humble Summer Creek in the Class 6A D2 State Championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
DeSoto and running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden Jr. will face Humble Summer Creek in the Class 6A D2 State Championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

Ridden Jr. isn’t the only new face Duncanville will need to contain. Senior quarterback Kelden Ryan, a Virginia Tech commit who can attack defenses efficiently through the air and on his legs, transferred to DeSoto from Fort Worth All Saints.

Duncanville’s quarterback, Keelon Russell, is arguably an even greater force to be reckoned with. Russell, a senior, is committed to play for Alabama and is 247Sports’ No. 3 signal caller in the nation.

One of his targets is junior tight end Zachery Turner, an uncommitted recruit with offers from LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M and more.

DeSoto’s Keylan Abrams, an outside linebacker committed to TCU, is a key player who will attempt to contain Russell, Turner and Moore. He was a tackle machine in 2023, finishing with 90.

Another fierce defensive competitor is Duncanville defensive end Kevin Ford Jr., an uncommitted junior with offers from LSU, Oklahoma, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and more.

The list of potential college football stars goes on and on, and both teams can play the highest level of football. Regardless of the winner, the game between Duncanville and DeSoto is set to be one of the most action-packed Texas football games of the year.