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2025 District 11-6A Season Preview

11-6A football teams

Austin Roof Inspection


The District of Doom continues to live up to its name. Last year, three out of its four teams reached the third round of playoffs or better.

Duncanville and DeSoto are always in the state title conversation and continue to exchange blows at the top of the district standings.

Can someone else crash the party this year?

Here’s what to watch for in District 11-6A.

Cedar Hill Longhorns

Head Coach: Nick Ward (3rd season; 11-13 record)

Last Season: 3-7; 2-5 in district

Returning Lettermen: 17 (6 returning starters on offense; 5 on defense)

Cedar Hill Key Players and Storylines

Nick Ward expects the Longhorns to be “much better this year” after having a very young football team in 2024.

Omowale Muhammid will be stepping into the starting quarterback role. He brings the leadership you’d need at that position and “lifts them team with positivity.”

He’ll have help around him. Offensive lineman Bryan Johnson “holds everyone accountable including himself” and tight end Dillen Johnson “is one of the hardest workers on the team.”

Keep an eye on Braylon Caston at receiver. He’s got great speed and is ready to step up for the Longhorns this season.

Opposing offensive lines will have their work cut out when they go up against Cedar Hill. Defensive tackle Desman Manuel is a three-year starter and he’ll have four-star prospect defensive end Jalen Brewster coming off the edge beside him.

In the secondary, safety Jeremiah Hobbs is one of the hardest workers on the team.

Ward said there will still be plenty of first year varsity players on Cedar Hill’s who will need to prove themselves this season. However, with the leadership the Longhorns have in their locker room, he has belief they can break back into the top four in the district standings this season.

Dallas Skyline Raiders

Head Coach: Jason Garrett (1st season)

Last Season: 4-6; 2-5 in district

Skyline Key Players and Storylines

Jason Garrett is the new head coach at Skyline.

No, not that Jason Garrett. Garrett was most recently the head coach at Dallas Roosevelt, and he was Skyline’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2021.

He comes in at a good time. The Raiders are coming off their winningest season since 2020.

However, they were gutted by transfers this offseason. Their quarterback from last year is now at Mesquite Horn, and their top two receivers both transferred to South Oak Cliff.

So the offense will be almost a total rebuild, but the defense does have some talent coming back.

Senior defensive ends Dominique Gamble and Nickie Lewis both have great length coming off the edge. Safety Lemond Smith is the player to watch in the secondary.

The Raiders are going to be young this year with several underclassmen set to play key roles after a number of key transfers and graduates departed the program. Garrett and his staff will have their work cut out as they look to have success in a loaded District 11-6A.

DeSoto Eagles

Head Coach: Claude Mathis (14th season across two stints; 144-31 record)

Last Season: 11-3; 6-1 in district (Lost to Longview in regional final)

DeSoto Key Players and Storylines

The Eagles have to replace their starting quarterback, a 2,000-yard rusher, and their top receiver from last year.

However, a program like DeSoto always reloads. Senior Legend Howell is next up at quarterback. He has great chemistry with USC commit receiver Ethan Feaster (824 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns). They have been playing together since they were just 12 years old.

Powerful junior running back Myson Johnson-Cook had 900 yards rushing last year while splitting time. Now, he’s ready to headline the backfield along with fellow junior SaRod Baker (526 rushing yards and nine touchdowns).

The Eagles were hard hit by graduation defensively too. Defensive back Jace Hill Douglas (60 tackles, six TFLs) is their leading returning tackler. 6’4″, 300-pound junior defensive tackle K’Adrian Redmond (32 tackles, five TFLs) will bring a big boost in the trenches after moving in from Lake Dallas. Fellow junior defensive end DJ Rumph will be a pass rushing threat with his high motor off the edge.

A strong junior class is ready to fill in the gaps left by last year’s graduates. The Eagles have been at least in the regional final the past four years, so expect them to be in the mix again come November into December.

Duncanville Panthers

Head Coach: Reginald Samples (11th season; 118-20 record)

Last Season: 13-1; 7-0 in district (Lost to North Crowley in state semifinals)

Duncanville Key Players and Storylines

Duncanville has remarkably made at least the state semifinals the past seven years.

This year, the Panthers have to replace their starting quarterback and running back. Senior quarterback J’Coryon Rivers looks next in line to take over behind center.

His receiving corps will make any quarterback jealous. Among his weapons are TCU commit receiver Ayson Theus (1,081 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns), SMU commit tight end Zachery Turner (933 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns), and four-star junior receiver Trenton Yancey (446 receiving yards and seven touchdowns).

Opposing quarterbacks won’t be comfortable at all in the pocket. The Panthers have both Florida commit defensive end KJ Ford (57 tackles, 16 TFLs) and Ole Miss commit defensive end Landon Barnes (43 tackles, 12.5 TFLs) to lead their pass rush. Linebacker Jaylyn Manning (134 tackles) tackled everything in sight a year ago, while SMU commit cornerback Braylon Edwards (43 tackles) is heading into his fourth year as a starter. He’ll be trusted to go against the top receivers in this district.

Duncanville is Duncanville. After falling short 36-34 to North Crowley in the semifinals a year ago, the Panthers will come back hungry this fall as they look for their sixth state title game appearance in the last eight seasons.

Lancaster Tigers

Head Coach: Leon Paul (5th season; 32-18 record)

Last Season: 5-7; 4-3 (Lost to Longview in area round)

Lancaster Key Players and Storylines

Lancaster’s 5-7 record from 2024 may not jump out on paper, but the Tigers were within a touchdown of 2024 state semifinalist Longview in the area round last fall.

The Tigers will be on the prowl with their ground game this fall. Vanderbilt commit senior Izayah Lee (1,294 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns) and three-star junior Victor Scott are quite the potential two-headed monster. Kani Hicks is being recruited as a Division I defensive back, but he also played some running back a year ago too.

Joseph Hairston was an impact receiver last year as a sophomore, but he is set to bring that athleticism to the quarterback position this season. He’ll compete with Mesquite Horn transfer CJ Daughtry for the starting role.

Defensively, opposing teams will have a tough time throwing the football with Arkansas commit cornerback Victor Lincoln and sophomore safety James Foster III, who was the defense’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year last season. Linebacker Kenneth Youngblood is another Division I prospect. He earned second team all-district honors last season. Fellow linebacker Amir Adkinson is just a sophomore, but he should play a key role for the Tigers this season.

Lancaster’s backfield will believe it can go blow-for-blow with the cream of the crop in the district. The Tigers were competitive with some of the best programs in the state last season, so they’ll be looking for a playoff run again this fall.

Mesquite Skeeters

Head Coach: Rafael Thomas (1st season)

Last Season: 2-8; 1-6 in district

Returning Lettermen: 30 (5 returning starters on offense; 5 on defense)

Mesquite Key Players and Storylines

After a successful three-year stint at Houston Yates, Rafael Thomas makes the jump to lead the Skeeters. Mesquite will be looking for improvement after back-to-back 2-8 campaigns.

The Skeeters will be settling in a new quarterback, but they do have promising skill talent. Trysten Shaw has great quickness and led Mesquite in receiving yards a year ago. He’s getting looks from a number of Division I schools. The ground game will rest on the shoulders of powerful running back Antoine Smith.

On the other side of the ball, it’s all about the linebacking corps. Dakarai Spencer (54 tackles and five TFLs), Giancarlo Needum (74 tackles, five TFLs), and Haven Garrett are all great leaders. Needum was Mesquite’s leading tackler last year and is a true field general for this Skeeter defense.

At Yates, Thomas relied on the motto “Us versus Us.” He wants to see his Skeeters compete and improve day in and day out as they look to start making progress on the field on Friday nights.

Mesquite Horn Jaguars

Head Coach: Vernon Hughes (1st season)

Last Season: 2-8; 1-6 in district

Horn Key Players and Storylines

Vernon Hughes led Pflugerville Weiss to the playoffs in both years he was in charge. Now, he takes over at Mesquite Horn following Courtney Allen’s departure.

The Jaguar offense put up nearly 27 points per game a year ago, but they were hit hard by graduation and transfers. One big boost they did get was the addition of senior quarterback Donta Ware from Skyline. However, there’s no one at the skill positions that returns that accounted for over 100 yards a year ago.

Their leading tackler from last year does return though in linebacker Kam Williams (100 tackles, 12 TFLs). He’s joined by a number of impact seniors in the secondary with Tulsa commit safety Alonzo Welch, fellow safety Malachi Youngblood (63 tackles, three TFLs), and defensive back/linebacker hybrid Donnie Durham (26 tackles).

Horn is another team that has had a ton of turnover this offseason from transfers departing to a new coaching staff coming in. That means the Jaguars are pretty much working with a clean slate. Hughes has been marketing this year’s group as a “New Horn” as they look to write a new page of Jaguar football history by punching their first playoff ticket in three years.

Waxahachie Indians

Head Coach: Shane Tolleson (5th season; 34-15 record)

Last Season: 9-4; 5-2 in district (Lost to Bridgeland in regional semifinals)

Returning Lettermen: 18 (5 returning starters on offense; 4 on defense)

Waxahachie Key Players and Storylines

In the past four years, 52 Waxahachie football players have gone onto play at the college level. This year’s team is just as talented.

Junior quarterback Jerry Meyer III (3,308 passing yards and 29 touchdowns) has an “elite arm” and was last year’s 11-6A Newcomer of the Year. He’s got workhorse running back Taylen Strange alongside him to help keep the offense balanced.

Waxahachie’s passing attack will be fun to watch. Texas commit receiver Kohen Brown (1,084 receiving yards and 11 TDs) has “elite physicality” while receiver/running back Jordan Smith is a “speed demon.”

It’s not all just flashy skill talent either. 6’3″, 285-pound tackle Malik Dismuke and 6’4″, 275-pound tackle Elijah Mendoza are both back on the offensive line.

On the other side of the ball, Waxahachie has one of the highest touted safeties in the nation with Jayquan Snell (86 tackles). He’ll get the headlines, but the front seven is stacked.

Linebacker Damarion Cooper (142 tackles, 8.5 TFLs) can play sideline to sideline, while fellow linebacker Kade Tolleson (130 tackles, five TFLs) is Waxahachie’s second-leading returning tackler behind Cooper.

Defensive end Sedrick Marsh Jr. is a “physical freak” while fellow defensive end Carmelo Clawson (77 tackles, 14 TFLs) racked up the sacks in 2024. Between them, defensive tackle Talyn Pierce (18 tackles, three TFLs) is an “interior disruptor.”

Waxahachie is always looking to build upon the season before. Their coaching staff said they’re aiming to make an even deeper playoff run this fall after going three rounds deep in 2024.


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