The dream for
Duncanville to get back to the state title game – but this time win – is still alive. The nation's No. 7 team reached the Texas Class 6A Division 1 semifinals with a convincing 56-28 victory over No. 21
DeSoto on Saturday at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Waiting on the other side of the bracket is the nation's No. 2 team North Shore (Houston), which dashed Duncanville's dreams of a state crown the last two seasons, beating the Panthers 31-17 and 41-36.
Duncanville, under fourth-year head coach Reggie Samples, is on a mission to turn around those results, having outscored its first three playoff opponents 165-28.
Duncanville senior quarterback Grayson James threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
In DeSoto, the level of competition was raised significantly but the Eagles (10-2) were no match as the Panthers (10-1) used their speed and big-play prowess to drive up and down the field. They finished with 520 yards to just 258 for DeSoto.
By halftime they had 300 yards and James had completed 13 of 15 attempts for 285 yards and three scores to three different receivers — 30 yards to
Lontrell Turner, 29 yards to Chris Hicks and 44 yards to Roderick Daniels Jr., who finished with eight catches for 267 yards.
The Panthers had just 16 first downs because yardage came in such big chunks. They had nine plays go 30 yards or longer.
If not for two interceptions — one in the end zone by DeSoto's Ashton Levells — the game would have been more lopsided, instead Duncanville had a 28-7 halftime lead.
A 71-yard catch and run by Daniels set up Medlock's second TD run, a five-yarder, making at 35-7 with 9:19 left in the third. DeSoto showed some grit, converting a fourth-down play to key a 14-play, 60-yard scoring drive capped with a 2-yard TD run by Robert Richardson, making it 35-14 with 5:12 left in the third.
A third Duncanville turnover on a bad shotgun snap wasted a drive inside the DeSoto 10-yard line. After a couple of possessions, Adonis Scott closed the gap to 35-21 early in the fourth quarter with a 58-yard punt return for touchdown.
But James completed a 51-yard pass to Turner (six catches, 92 yards), who fumbled at the 1 into the end zone, where Hicks (five catches, 100) recovered, making it 42-21 with 5:57 left.
Malachi Medlock, Duncanville running back
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Before Samples arrived, Duncanville had been to just one other state title game, winning the 1998 5A-1 championship, 24-21 over Judson (Converse).
Since 2004, the teams have now played 13 times, with DeSoto winning 10 of them, though Duncaville captured the previous meeting, 24-14, in a 2017 regular season contest. The teams were supposed to meet earlier this season but it was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Duncanville's only defeat was 41-14 to the nation's No. 1 squad, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) on Oct. 10. It was the Panthers' second game of the season which was delayed six weeks because of the pandemic.
Game statistics from the Dallas Morning News.
Roderick Daniels Jr., Duncanville receiver
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Adonis Scott returned a punt 58 yards for a DeSoto touchdown.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Lontrell Turner, Duncanville receiver
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
