This standout Mansfield Lake Ridge athlete led his team on the field and court

Whether it’s turning things around or keeping the success going, junior DeShawn Edwards has proven himself to be the guy for the job at Mansfield Lake Ridge.

He did the former, leading the Eagles’ football team this past fall at quarterback, and he recently helped lead Lake Ridge basketball to the playoffs as the starting point guard.

“My mindset in leading both teams is block out all the distractions and just go play the game you love,” Edwards said. “Everyone is going to make mistakes, but what really counts is what you do after your mistake has been made, because none of us are perfect. So we need to believe in each other and be together as a team, and everything else will go our way.”

That has certainly been the case so far, as he led rejuvenations in both sports with a football team that was downtrodden for two seasons and a basketball team looking for a way to bounce back after a devastating end to one of the greatest seasons in program history.

Leading a football turnaround

Edwards, a junior, took over at quarterback in 2024 as a sophomore following an injury to the starter. Granted, it was a rough initiation, but a year later, he returned to lead the Eagles to one of their best seasons ever as they reached the third round of the Class 6A Division II playoffs.

The 9-3 overall record and 5-1 in District 3-6A (second behind perennial power North Crowley) came on the heels of the program having not won a district game in the previous two seasons. In fact, they were 1-19 overall during that span.

“DeShawn has shown tremendous growth, maturity, and leadership this year. His willingness to learn, eagerness to be coached, and most importantly, the ability to take instruction and apply it on the field is next level,” Eagles quarterback coach Deric Davis said.

“These things, aside from his natural talent, separate him from others. His improvement this year was a key factor in leading our team to a playoff berth. With his work ethic, playmaking ability, and high football IQ, Deshawn has a very bright future and will be a valuable asset to any college program.”

In addition to his football IQ, Edwards is just plain smart. He was named all-academic in district the past two seasons.

Individually, Edwards received a slew of awards for his performance at quarterback, including District 3-6A Offensive Player of the Year.

“We all come together during the offseason and just said to ourselves that we don’t wanna feel that same feeling that we felt last year [2024], so that means we have to come to work, because I am tired of losing, and I know we are all tired of losing as well,” Edwards said. “The atmosphere was like nobody was with us. It felt like all we had was ourselves and that nobody believed in us, so we just wanted to show them differently and prove everybody wrong.”

A leader on the court

In addition to having a 2025 season with championship potential end with a 33-4 record and a pair of forfeits due to an ineligible player, the Eagles graduated a plethora of seniors who had led them to 65 wins in two seasons. Edwards, a non-starter last season, wasted no time in applying the same attitude he did in football — no looking back, just forward and finding ways to win.

The Eagles (23-9) once again advanced to the UIL playoffs, where they fell to Eaton in the bi-district round. It was a tough loss, but still a good season for the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ No. 16 ranked team in Class 6A.

“Losing all those seniors changed the way we play because we are very guard-heavy,” he said. “It just changes our style of play, which helps us because we can score the ball. Rebounds are kinda tricky, but we just have to want the ball more.

“Just playing as a team also plays a factor.”

Looking forward to college

While he has another school year ahead of him, Edwards is already thinking about college. His main focus is football.

He said he plans to study kinesiology at the encouragement of Eagles head coach Kirk Thor and Davis.

“They inspired me to still be involved with the sport I love most,” Edwards said. “They lift me up every day, before games and practice — and even when I’m playing another sport, those two coaches are always checking on me. Just two great human beings overall, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

“Coach Davis has helped me grow so much since I was on the freshman team. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself, and whenever I didn’t think I could make a throw or even be put in the position to take Lake Ridge football to the playoffs, he was there talking me up and keeping me humble.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 11:03 AM.