3 takeaways from the Duncanville vs DeSoto Texas high school football showdown

In what was billed as the Texas high school football game of the year, the No. 4 Duncanville Panthers made a statement with a dominant 42-20 victory over No. 17 DeSoto Eagles on Friday. Fans packed Eagle Stadium for the highly anticipated matchup between state champions and district rivals.

3 takeaways from the Duncanville vs DeSoto Texas high school matchup

#1. Duncanville takes control of the district title race

The rivalry between these two schools, located just 10 miles apart in the southern suburbs of Dallas, has grown more intense with each meeting. In 2023, DeSoto had bested Duncanville en route to a District 11-6A title. But this time, Duncanville emerged as the district favorite after avenging last year’s loss.

Duncanville improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in district play. Linebacker Jaylyn Manning's fourth-quarter interception sealed the deal for Duncanville, snuffing out DeSoto’s comeback attempt and securing the win.

#2. Dakorien Moore and Keelon Russell's electrifying connection

Senior wide receiver Dakorien Moore and senior quarterback Keelon Russell were unstoppable in this game, leading Duncanville’s high-powered offense. Moore, an Oregon commit, had a career night with nine receptions for 231 yards and four touchdowns.

Russell, an Alabama commit, completed 27 of 36 of his passes for 427 yards and six touchdowns. The Russell-Moore connection was on full display, starting with a 66-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Moore added three more scores in the first half, including a 19-yard grab in the corner of the end zone and a pair of deep strikes from 38 and 44 yards.

“The offense has been grinding since the summer,” Russell said. “We’ve been building relationships and chemistry, especially with Dakorien Moore. It’s electric. The duo is electric. The offense is electric.”

Despite Duncanville’s passing-heavy approach, which totaled 475 yards through the air but only 29 rushing yards, the Panthers executed their game plan perfectly.

“This is a dog fight,” Duncanville coach Reginald Samples said. “We’ve got a great group of receivers. We just do what we have to do to win. Sometimes we run good. Sometimes we don’t run so good.”

#3. DeSoto struggles early, but special teams and defense keep them in it

While Duncanville controlled much of the first half, DeSoto’s special teams provided a spark with an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by SMU commit Daylon Singleton. However, DeSoto missed the extra point, leaving them trailing 28-6 at halftime.

DeSoto’s offense, led by quarterback Kelden Ryan, couldn’t find its rhythm early. Ryan completed 24 of 32 passes for 147 yards with one interception and added 53 rushing yards on 15 carries.

The Eagles did show signs of life in the second half with two consecutive touchdowns, one on a 47-yard run by Myson Johnson-Cook and the other on a 1-yard plunge by Texas A&M commit Deondrae Riden Jr.

Despite the momentum shift, a costly mistake on a botched snap pushed DeSoto back 26 yards, and Jaylyn Manning's interception on the ensuing drive ended any hopes of a full comeback. Ryan had the chance to throw the ball away but hesitated, leading to the Eagles’ final turnover.

DeSoto finished with 381 yards of offense, including 79 rushing yards from Johnson-Cook.