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District 11-6A Season Preview

insoles to jump higher

 

 

People don’t call District 11-6A the “District of Doom” for nothing.

Last year it produced not one but two state champions. Duncanville took home the 6A Division I state title and DeSoto won the crown in 6A Division II. Waxahachie, meanwhile, went three rounds deep in the playoffs for the first time in three years.

However, Mansfield provides hope to the rest of the teams in the district after the Tigers snapped a five-year playoff drought last year. Will another team snap a playoff drought this fall or can Cedar Hill get back among the district’s elite?

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

Cedar Hill Longhorns

Head Coach: Nicholas Ward (1st Season)

Last Season: 2-8; 2-5 in district

Cedar Hill Key Players and Storylines

After a run of successful seasons, including an appearance in the 2020 6A Division II State Title Game, last year did not go to plan for the Longhorns as they finished 2-8.

This year, following the departure of Carlos Lynn to Crowley, Nicholas Ward takes over the program. Ward was most recently the defensive backs coach at Midlothian. However, before that, he had served as Cedar Hill’s defensive backs coach from 2020-2021.

Ward, a Seagoville high graduate, said it’s good to be back in familiar territory.

“It means a lot to return to Cedar Hill,” Ward said. “There are around 40 players in the program whose families I know or one of my brothers know from growing up on the southern side of Dallas. It is like returning home.”

Despite last year’s disappointment, there’s no shortage of talent at Cedar Hill. Eight starters return on offense and five are back on defense.

That offensive experience will be crucial as the Longhorns look to improve on a season where they averaged just 18 points per game.

Quarterback Anthony Edwards (886 passing yards and three touchdowns) is back for his second year under center, and he’ll have plenty of weapons at his disposal. The receiver room has some promising talent and will be led by senior Le’Keldrick Bridges (335 receiving yards and two touchdowns), who has been receiving looks from the Division I level.

Up front, Ward expects Leroy Wooldridge to lead the offensive line after earning second team all-district honors last season.

Defensively, edge Zhaiylen Scott will lead the Longhorns in the trenches alongside defensive tackle Robert Young. Scott already has double digit Division I offers. The secondary will have no shortage of talent either with second team all-district cornerback Dante Wesley, and SMU commit Alexander Rodgers leading the way. Rodgers just transferred in from Dallas Kimball.

After last season’s down year, there is plenty of work to be done. However, Ward said his players won’t be caught dwelling on last fall. The goal for his team in 2023 is to turn the lessons learned last season into wins on the field this year.

Dallas Skyline Raiders

Head Coach: Jacody Coleman (2nd Season)

Last Season: 0-10; 0-7 in district

Dallas Skyline Key Players and Storylines

Last year was one to forget for the Raiders as they finished winless with just 52 points scored all season long.

However, the Raiders faced an uphill climb from the very beginning. They had just 11 seniors on their entire roster a year ago and played several sophomores in key positions.

Coleman believes those lumps they took a year ago could pay off in the long run with the experience his players gained. He’s expecting his team to perform at a much higher level this season.

Eight starters return on offense and five are back on defense.

There’s no shortage of potential at the skill positions where Coleman believes sophomore receiver/running back Tramell Minter (350 receiving yards and 275 rushing yards) and running back Eriyon Ford should play big roles this year.

Junior Rod Harper (25 catches, two touchdowns) will be another player to watch at wide receiver along with senior Brandon Barnes (32 catches, two touchdowns), who will also play at defensive back for the Raiders (43 tackles, two interceptions). Barnes committed to Arkansas State back in late June.

But despite all the promising young talent on the offensive side of the ball this year for the Raiders, there’s no doubt Brandon’s younger brother linebacker Elijah Barnes is Skyline’s standout player. A four-star prospect, he burst onto the scene a year ago, earning the district’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year (131 tackles, 15 TFLs). In addition to the Barnes brothers, Coleman said to keep an eye on safety Jacorey York, who finished last season with three interceptions.

Skyline will still be young in some positions this year, but the potential talent the Raiders have at their disposal can’t be underestimated. Coleman said the Skyline community needs something to celebrate and he hopes his Skyline team can deliver a few more wins on the field this year to provide just that.

DeSoto Eagles

Head Coach: Claude Mathis (5th Season in second stint at school; 12th overall)

Last Season: 14-2; 6-1 in district (Won 6A Division II State Championship)

DeSoto Key Players and Storylines

DeSoto came close to getting to the state championship in head coach Claude Mathis’ first stint at the school. Twice the Eagles finished 14-1, losing in the state semifinals.

But last year, the Eagles finally broke through and earned Mathis his first state championship as a head coach. It was DeSoto’s second state championship in school history.

Mathis said his expectations will remain just as high this year. He wants to win another state championship.

Six starters returning on each side of the ball are tasked with making that goal a reality.

It will start in the backfield offensively where quarterback Darius Bailey (3,871 passing yards and 45 touchdowns) and junior running back Deondrae Riden (1,339 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns) both return.

But in Mathis’ eyes, the strength of this DeSoto team will both literally and figuratively be in the trenches. That’s where the Eagles boast Houston commit Ronnell McLain on the offensive line and Marshall Kirven (56 tackles, 20 TFLs) and Jason Douglas (33 tackles, 12 TFLs) on the defensive line. And that’s not to mention Purdue commit edge Keylan Abrams (74 tackles, 15.5 TFLs).

Behind them, the Eagles are in good shape at linebacker as well as Stanford commit Brandon Booker (137 tackles), their leading tackler from last season, returns. They also have Nebraska commit cornerback Mario Buford to help lead the secondary.

With so many returning players and several players slated to play at the next level, Mathis said he expects plenty of veteran leadership out of his squad this year. With that maturity and experience, he believes they’ll be ready for the big games when they come their way again this fall.

Duncanville Panthers

Head Coach: Reginald Samples (9th Season)

Last Season: 15-0; 7-0 (Won 6A Division I State Championship)

Duncanville Key Players and Storylines

Fourth time was the charm as Duncanville finally knocked off North Shore to secure its first state championship since 1998. It was the first state championship for legendary coach Reginald Samples.

But now Samples and his squad will be aiming to maintain their perch atop 6A Division I this fall.

And it might not be wise to bet against them. Not when they boast an offense that has quarterback Keelon Russell (2,377 passing yards and 22 touchdowns), running back Caden Durham (1,960 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns), and wide receiver Dakorien Moore (764 receiving yards and six touchdowns) all returning.

But if you think their explosive offense is scary, how about the Panther defensive line? Texas commit Alex January will anchor Duncanville at defensive tackle while Colin Simmons (79 tackles and 33 TFLs) is one of the top edge rushers in the entire country.

And if you can escape the pass rush, good luck against a secondary that includes corners Ka’Davion Dotson, a SMU commit, and Javion Holiday and safety Tyren Polley.

Moral of the story, Duncanville is stacked again this year. Having finally broken through against its arch nemesis North Shore, look for Duncanville to mount a strong push in 2023 towards its second-straight state championship

Mansfield Tigers

Head Coach: Greg George (5th Season)

Last Season: 7-4; 4-3 in district (Lost to Harker Heights in bi-district)

Mansfield Key Players and Storylines

*Note: Mansfield’s individual stats are only from the regular season

The Tigers had a hugely successful year last season, securing their first playoff berth since 2017. However, head coach Greg George believes last year’s team didn’t get to show its full potential as seven starters were out in its playoff game against Harker Heights.

This year, the Tigers’ success will likely hinge on how far their offense can carry them. While seven starters are back on that side of the ball, just one starter returns on defense. George said as a whole, the defense lost 14 key players from last season’s team.

Luckily for them, that offense has the district’s leading rusher from a year ago in James Johnson (1,339 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns). Not only is the ground game in good shape, but junior receiver Jacobe Hayes (561 receiving yards and seven touchdowns) returns after leading the Tigers in receptions and receiving yards as well. Their experience will be crucial as Mansfield settles in a new quarterback.

On the offensive line, Connor Hardin was a second team all-district selection in 2022.

Defensively, the defensive line will be virtually a total rebuild as the Tigers must replace eight significant contributors. The secondary appears to be in the best possible spot as Chibu Ojirika (22 tackles) is back while George is expecting fellow senior TJ Mitchell to take on a larger role this year. At linebacker, Jerod Hyde is another player who will be tasked with helping fill the large void left by Mansfield’s graduating seniors.

George said his players still have a sour taste in their mouth from how last season ended. He’s hopeful an offense that was ranked third-best in the district a year ago can carry the load early on while the defense settles in as Mansfield looks to make it back to the playoffs for the second-straight season.

Mansfield Lake Ridge Eagles

Head Coach: Kirk Thor (12th season)

Last Season: 4-6; 3-4 in district

Lake Ridge Key Players and Storylines

Last season, Lake Ridge came up just a game short of snapping a playoff drought that dates back to 2018.

This year, head coach Kirk Thor said the expectation will be for his Eagles to get over that hump and make it back to the postseason with six starters back on offense and five returning on defense.

Promising dual threat quarterback Kennen Miller (2,140 passing yards and 20 TDs; 605 rushing yards and 10 TDs) is back to give the offense a dynamic playmaker behind center.

However, the strength of this Lake Ridge team will be in the trenches. Seniors Joey Glendenning, Tharon Pitts, and Ndubuisi Wokocha are all back to lead the offensive line. Meanwhile, the defensive line boasts seniors Greg Bridges, Phillips Ojo, Tyson Hall, Isaiha Pena, and Ian Galan.

However, the talent isn’t just limited to the defensive line. Last year’s leading tackler nickel safety/linebacker Hunter Reeves is back (83 tackles), while Thor expects linebackers Jaden Jones, who can also play defensive end, and Owen Tipping to also be key contributors.

The Eagles have a great foundation to build off of this year with how strong they’ll be in the trenches. If the young skill talent delivers on offense like Thor hopes it will, he believes his Eagles have what it takes to return to the postseason for the first time in five years.

Mansfield Legacy Broncos

Head Coach: Jeff Hulme (3rd Season)

Last Season: 3-7; 1-6 in district

Mansfield Legacy Key Players and Storylines

Realignment did Midland Legacy no favors as the Broncos made the jump from 5A Division I into arguably 6A’s toughest district.

After last season’s lessons learned, head coach Jeff Hulme hopes his team can compete for a playoff spot with the improved toughness and depth it’ll have this season.

The Broncos will also have a good amount of experience with five starters back on offense and six on defense.

The skill positions will be the strength of the offense with junior running back Jaden Manning (333 rushing yards and four touchdowns), receiver Ashton Lott (373 receiving yards and four touchdowns), and North Texas commit tight end BJ Young (72 receiving yards) all expected to play key roles this season.

Center Jonah Pedroza is also back after earning second team all-district honors last season.

Defensively, Oklahoma State commit safety Landyn Cleveland is the player to watch. He led the Broncos in tackles and interceptions a year ago.

Cornerback Kyree Robertson (17 tackles, two interceptions) is another player opposing quarterbacks will have to be weary of in the passing game, while Hulme expects defensive tackle Jayson Smith (61 tackles, 7 TFLs) and linebacker Seth Ward (55 tackles) to be the leaders of the front seven.

Legacy hasn’t made the playoffs since 2019. Making it back this year won’t be easy, but the Broncos do have enough talent on paper, along with their aforementioned depth, to try and make some more noise in district play this year.

Waxahachie Indians

Head Coach: Shane Tolleson (3rd Season)

Last Season: 10-3; 5-2 in district (Lost to Spring Westfield in regional semifinals)

Waxahachie Key Players and Storylines

Waxahachie’s ten wins a year ago were the most in a single season for the Indians since 2009. It was also their first third round playoff appearance since 2017.

Head coach Shane Tolleson said that although his team will be younger this season, the Indians still possess plenty of talent.

Five starters are back on offense, but the Indians still have some work today after the graduation of their starting quarterback, two leading rushers, and two leading receivers.

Senior Ramon McKinney Jr. (334 passing yards and 6 TDs; 467 rushing yards and 3 TDs) is primed to take over the starting quarterback role and will give the Waxahachie offense a true dynamic threat. Alongside him, Tolleson is eyeing junior Wade Lemons as the player that could lead Waxahachie at running back this year.

Out at receiver, junior Trenton Kidd (237 receiving yards and three touchdowns) should see an increase in volume after a promising sophomore season.

On the other side of the ball, Tolleson is excited about what the Indians bring back on their defensive line. Jermy Jackson Jr. (95 tackles, 22 TFLs) already has double-digit Division I offers, while fellow defensive end Garren Mason Jr. and defensive tackle Jacob Ervin were both all-district selections last year.

With some younger players stepping up into key roles, Tolleson said it will be important for his team to grow throughout the year in order to peak at the right time. But at a program that has produced NFL talent such as Jalen Reagor, Brian Waters, and Monte Reagor, expectations will remain high as the Indians seek another deep playoff run come November.

 

CLICK HERE to listen to the Texas HS Football Podcast, with Taylor Arenz

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