Time and time again, the DeSoto Eagles have proven that they are a team of destiny. Last week, the Eagles found themselves down to Klein Collins 31-21 with a mere seven minutes remaining. They retaliated by embarking on a 21-point run capped by two consecutive fumble recoveries.
They staved off a furious comeback attempt by Cedar Hill, in a last ditch Longhorn effort to win a title for Joey McGuire’s last year with the program. Even early in the postseason, the Eagles – finding themselves trailing 45-42 with time expiring – forced a turnover and ran the ball in for a score with time expiring against Abilene.
It’s no surprise that DeSoto faced a similarly even match with Steele, beating the Knights 38-29, despite a valiant comeback effort during the second half by their opponent. The Eagles were focused and propelled by the dual-threat running capabilities of TCU commit Shawn Robinson, who finished the game with 419 yards of total offense, including two rushing touchdowns and one passing score. The experience of 67 seniors showed in the game’s closing moments, where an oppressive defense forced a crucial fourth down block to kill the clock during a desperate Steele drive.
The moment of sports legerdemain came when Shawn Robinson threw an interception during the second quarter, only for Steele to bobble the ball into the hands of Antondre Smith, like a well practiced illusion. Shortly after, running back Kelan Walker rushed for the seven yard score.
Steele attempted a comeback by scoring a 45 yard bomb hurled by quarterback Xavier Martin to CJ Williams, but the Eagles answered with their own scoring driving, embarking on 93 yard drive that culminated in an 51 yard touchdown reception by Laviska Shenault Jr. The score began a back-and-forth, both teams engaged in a slugfest, battering each other with repeated progressions down the field.
Steele began clawing back into the game, willed on by a sea of fans brandished with black shirts, creating a swashes of roaring darkness in the audience.
“In the second half, there were some penalties that really hurt and Steele was able to capitalize off of them,” DeSoto coach Todd Peterman said.
Robinson left clutching his hip with 9:26 remaining in the fourth quarter and the defense was unable to halt a 20-yard Steele score by Martin. The DeSoto senior showed physical determination and heart by returning for the following possession, gingerly touching his injury following each snap. The Eagles relied completely on their run game, Robinson handing off the rock four of six times during the drive –all the passes were short lobs for little or no gain.
The Eagles finally turned the game around when defensive back Isaiah Stewart stripped Martin, and DB Caleb Ervin pounced on the ball. A field goal with 2:06 remaining made the point differential a two possession game.
“My heart rate didn’t get going tonight,” Coach Peterman said, in regards to the nail-biter finishes the game has endured throughout the playoffs. “We had the lead there towards the end. I said what it would feel like to sit in front of you guys and talk about how we lost an 18 point lead. At halftime, I told the kids, we played Steele before. We were up same way and they came back and did the same thing that happened tonight and made a heck of a game out of it. Our kids and our staff have the upmost respect for coach Lehnhoff and their group.”
The win marked the first DeSoto championship in program history. The school was well represented – a sizable portion of the 40,318 fans in attendance cheered for the Eagles and waved flags that read: “We bleed green and gold”. After a 6-6 season, coach Peterman was able to turn the Eagles around during the offseason, training his experienced unit for championship glory:
“I’m thankful the administration gave me another shot, first of all,” coach Peterman said, in regards to the evolution of learning from a losing year and improving from past competitive mistakes. “Allen beat us. We weren’t off the next week. These kids were all playing seven-on- seven on their own the next day. You knew right then, we got something special. We knew we were young last year and we were going to have sixty something kids come back. At a point, these guys took over. Their going to refuse to lose and they’ve done it multiple times this year.”
DeSoto finished with 525 to the 369 total yards had by Steele. The game was decided on the ground; the vast size of the DeSoto’s heralded offensive line looked unstoppable, creating seams and opportunities for the team to rush for nearly triple the Knights output, grinding for 303 to Steele’s 113 rushing yards.
The Eagles are only the sixth Texas high school team to finish this year without a blemish on their record.
“If you don’t think you’re going to lose, you have a chance to win,” coach Peterman said. “That’s these guys’ mindset right here.”
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