DeSoto football’s run game overpowers Southlake Carroll in Class 6A D2 State Semifinal
DeSoto is heading back to the Class 6A D2 State Championship to defend its crown.
DeSoto, powered by a near unstoppable ground game, defeated Southlake Carroll 45-38 at Allen Eagle Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles totaled 442 rushing yards, averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
“Our offensive line was unbelievable,” DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis said. “The whole game. ... I can’t say enough about those guys right there. They took over the ballgame.”
Running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden Jr. led the charge with 254 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mathis said he “unleashed” the junior running back with him being fully healthy.
“He just took over,” Mathis said. “All the running backs did great, and DJ (Bailey) is such a great leader.”
Quarterback DJ Bailey passed for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 81 yards and a score on his legs. Southlake Carroll quarterback Graham Knowles threw for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Southlake Carroll forced four turnovers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Eagles. A few more inches on a couple plays could’ve helped the Dragons seize the momentum, but the team and head coach Riley Dodge fell just short in a loss that “hurt.”
“We have them everything we wanted and more,” Dodge said. “We had some opportunities in the second half and got into the red zone and just couldn’t capitalize.”
Southlake Carroll’s last state championship appearance was in 2020, when the team lost to Austin Westlake. Dodge said he was proud of the Dragons’ effort and said the team “never gave up.”
“We don’t have all the five stars and all the cat daddies running around,” Dodge said. “We’ve got to be about our work.”
The Dragons scratched and clawed for every takeaway, but the Eagles kept finding ways to counter the impact plays. Mathis said overcoming Carroll’s takeaways took “a lot of grit.”
“Our kids were really tough,” Mathis said. “We fought through everything, a lot of adversity. We’re not used to turning the ball over. … And we turned it over today but they overcame that. And so that will tell you a lot about this football team.”
Mathis said he was talking to his team about getting back to the state championship all season. The Eagles are back at the grandest stage of Texas high school football and Mathis said he couldn’t be more proud.
“We’re defending champions until someone knocks us off,” Mathis said. “Now we have a chance to win it back to back.”
Dragons set the tone, DeSoto pulls away
DeSoto received to started the game and marched to the Carroll 37 with five consecutive runs. The Dragon defense then set the tone with an impact play; running back Deondrae Ridden Jr. fumbled and it was recovered by Carroll defensive back Trey Ferri recovered at the 50 yard line.
The Carroll offense immediately capitalized with a 49 yard touchdown by running back Riley Wormley. Southlake Carroll got off to a near perfect start in a back and forth battle.
DeSoto got the ball back and the ground game went to work. The Eagles finished a nine play, 75 yard drive that consisted of all running plays and was culminated by a 6 yard touchdown by Ridden Jr.
The Dragons put together a promising drive but Knowles was sacked by DeSoto defensive back Aundre Wisner. Dragon kicker Kyle Lemmermann, a TCU commit, was able to put points on the board with a 51 yard field goal.
DeSoto’s offense got right back where they left off with a flurry of runs in a four play, 75 yard drive. The Eagles took the lead with a breakaway 46 yard touchdown by Jaden Trawick.
The Dragons were unsuccessful in responding, and Lemmermann punted a high arching ball from the Carroll 28 to the DeSoto 22 yard line. It was muffed and recovered by Carroll’s Drew Davis.
The offense couldn’t capitalize with the good field position but Lemmermann continued his valuable play with a successful 39 yard field goal to cut the DeSoto lead to 14-13 with 7:39 remaining in the first half.
Southlake Carroll continued to have no answer for the Eagle ground attack. On 4th-and-1, Bailey pushed through contact en route to a 24 yard touchdown.
Carroll was able to seize the momentum with a 75 yard, 11 play touchdown drive that was finished with a 37 yard touchdown strike from Knowles to Clayton Wayland, who made the contested catch. The Dragon defense then stopped a DeSoto offense looking to score before the half.
In the third quarter, Wormley put the Dragons in the red zone with a 55 yard gain and hit a nasty juke to create separation. The Dragon offense settled for successful 34 yard field goal from Lemmermann and took a 23-21 lead.
The Eagle ground attack kept soaring. DeSoto put together a five play, 75 yard drive that was capped by an 18 yard run by Riden Jr. The series only took a minute, and Carroll found itself facing a deficit once again.
The Carroll ground game matched DeSoto’s energy with a 75-yard touchdown. This time, it was sophomore running back Davis Penn’s turn.
The Dragon lead was shortlived. Southlake Carroll’s defense commit to stopping the run and a successful play action pass from Bailey to wide receiver Tristan Bailey resulted in a 40 yard touchdown.
With the game going back and forth, Southlake Carroll put together a 12 play, 74 yard drive highlighted by Knowles rolling right and throwing left to Penn for a 42 yard gain. The Dragos faced 4th-and-goal 3 yards shy from the end zone and Knowles, with a 6-foot-7 frame, leaped toward the goal; he was ruled down at the 1 yard line.
DeSoto took over but Carroll took it right back when senior defensive back Eric Garza recovered a fumble by Bailey.
This time Southlake Carroll decided to take the 3-points, but the kick was blocked by Wisner.
After a long, 12 play drive from DeSoto, Southlake Carroll defensive back Eric Garza leaped a few yards away from the line of scrimmage and picked off Bailey. The Dragon offense, however, couldn’t capitalize and punted.
DeSoto added a 50 yard touchdown from Bailey to wide receiver Antonio Pride Jr. and notched the games’ next score, a 25 yard field goal, to extend the lead to 42-31 with seven minutes remaining.
Knowles, a Georgia Tech commit, was able to cut the lead with his last touchdown of his high school career. He found Wayland in the end zone for a 12 yard score but DeSoto recovered the onside kick attempt with 1:18 remaining and ran out the clock.
Wormley led the Carroll ground game with 134 yards and a touchdown while receivers Brock Boyd and Wayland led the receiver room with 122 and 114 yarsds, respectively.
DeSoto will face Houston Summer Creek in the Class 6A D2 State Championship at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. The game will kickoff at 7 p.m. CT.
This story was originally published December 9, 2023 at 5:44 PM.
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