Football Game Preview: Horn Jaguars vs. DeSoto Eagles

The Horn Jaguars will face off against the DeSoto Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Horn is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Waxahachie on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Jaguars had to suffer through a 56-20 loss at the hands of the Indians. The Jaguars were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-7.

Despite the loss, Horn had strong showings from Kai Furtch, who picked up 161 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Donta Ware, who threw for 207 yards and two TDs on only 17 passes.

Meanwhile, DeSoto faced Duncanville in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Eagles lost 48-28 to the Panthers and Pantherettes. The Eagles' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Loss or not, DeSoto got some senior leadership from Ethan Feaster and Legend Howell. Feaster picked up 147 receiving yards and two scores, while Howell threw for 236 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Howell's passing game has become a key predictor of the Eagles' success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise.

DeSoto's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3. As for Horn, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.

Horn was taken down by DeSoto 65-24 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Jaguars, Deondrae Riden Jr. (who rushed for 124 yards and three TDs on only 15 carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.