Note: This article will be updated as the week progresses.
This week, a plethora of Longhorns targets and commits are vying for a state championship at AT&T Stadium. Below, I will detail this week’s UIL championship action.
6AD1: Duncanville vs North Shore
On Saturday, Texas signees 2024 five-star EDGE Colin Simmons and 2024 three-star defensive tackle Alex January were looking to lead Duncanville to a second consecutive state title victory over North Shore.
Against North Shore, Simmons tallied three sacks, including a game-sealing forced fumble strip sack in the fourth quarter. While Simmons will have to prove himself at the next level, he was considered one of the guys that the Longhorns must land in this year’s recruiting cycle. The 6’3″ edge rusher has the tools to be a future high-end NFL Draft pick, and will be a fun player to pair with current Longhorn, Anthony Hill Jr., in the near future.
Similar to Simmons, January also tallied a sack in Saturday’s contest. Additionally, January continued to showcase his high motor, chasing ball carriers sideline-to-sideline. While January is not one of Texas’ higher-rated signees, he is one that I am really looking forward to seeing in the burnt orange. With a couple of years of development under defensive line coach Bo Davis, January will be a name to watch in the coming years.
On the offensive side of the ball, Texas target 2026 tight end Zachery Turner looked like a stud in the UIL 6AD1 championship game. Despite only being targeted three times, Turner made a massive impact with 103 receiving yards and two touchdowns on two receptions. For the most part, Duncanville’s game plan was predicated on the running game, with 2024 four-star running back Caden Durham amassing an impressive 231 yards rushing and three touchdowns. As a result, when the team elected to catch North Shore off guard, Turner’s skillset made the Mustangs pay in a big way.
Turner’s recruitment will be an interesting one, with the Longhorns recently offering the sophomore in October. The young tight end already has 13 college offers, from schools such as LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. However, Steve Sarkisian’s system has proven to be friendly to talented tight ends, evident by Ja’Tavion Sanders’ current success for the Longhorns.
Lastly, 2025 five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, currently an LSU commit, had another solid game under the bright lights. Seemingly, Moore has at least one incredible grab over the middle in every game, and Saturday’s championship bout was no different. When it was all said and done, the junior wideout finished the game with five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.
While he is committed to LSU, Moore would be a perfect fit in Steve Sarkisian’s system. The Duncanville wideout has the potential to be a high-end NFL Draft pick and will certainly be one to watch on the recruiting trail, with a year left in his recruitment.
Eventually, Duncanville was able to out-physical the North Shore Mustangs, leading to a 49-33 state title win.
6AD2: DeSoto vs Summer Creek
Arguably the best team in the state, the DeSoto Eagles, were looking to finish off the perfect season against the Summer Creek Bulldogs. Led by Texas targets 2025 four-star running back Deondrae ‘Tiger’ Riden and 2025 three-star offensive lineman Byron Washington, the Eagles – similar to Duncanville – were also seeking their second straight state championship.
Behind big 6’7.5″ right guard Byron Washington, Riden was able to amass a quick 73 yards and a touchdown rush on 12 carries. In fact, overall, DeSoto was able to tally 260 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, with a big push from Washington and a talented Eagles offensive line.
It will be fun to see where Washington ends up, but Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood will surely be vying hard for the the DeSoto product’s services. Numbers cannot successfully illustrate how large the 6’7.5″ and 380 pound lineman appears in person. On the field, Washington literally towers over and engulfs opposing defensive linemen and linebackers.
Meanwhile, Deondrae Riden has once again played his part in a championship-winning running back rotation. After suffering an injury early on in the season, Riden returned and continued to produce – eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark on the season.
The last piece of the DeSoto offense that I wanted to mention today was freshman wide receiver Ethan ‘Boobie’ Feaster. The young wideout may very well be the next great wide receiver out of the Dallas-area, already possessing a whopping 33 college offers. Along with Texas, several schools such as LSU, Oregon and Oklahoma have thrown themselves into the race for Feaster.
On Saturday, Feaster accounted for 37 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. Overall this season, Feaster was responsible for 32 receptions for 634 yards and nine touchdowns. Behind several talented upperclassmen, Feaster was still able to have a solid season in his first year on the varsity roster.
In a game that was over within the first couple of minutes, DeSoto dismantled Summer Creek in a 74-14 championship victory.
5AD2: South Oak Cliff vs Port-Neches Groves:
In a low-scoring affair, South Oak Cliff senior three-star running back Danny Green had an impressive game with 104 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.
Currently, Green only possesses two offers, from Grambling State and Texas Southern, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the senior running back finds a good destination in the next couple of months.
Despite holding a lead late in the game, the Golden Bears of South Oak Cliff ended up surrendering a lead late, with PNG being aided by a couple of penalties late in the game. However, the Golden Bears still had the chance to answer the bell but ultimately fell short, 20-17.
5AD1: Aledo vs Smithson Valley
On Friday, 2024 four-star wide receiver Freddie Dubose, a Texas commit, was set to round out his high school football career for the Smithson Valley Rangers. On the other sideline, the Aledo Bearcats, filled with Division 1 football talent, was looking to win their record-extending 12th UIL state football championship.
Lined up against 2024 three-star cornerback Jaden Allen, an Arkansas commit, Dubose was targeted early and often. However, other than a few ball-hawking grabs, Dubose was kept quiet with just seven catches for 31 yards (which was roughly half of his team’s total offense on the night).
For Aledo, talent has never been an issue. At quarterback, the Bearcats are led by 2024 four-star quarterback Hauss Hejny, a TCU commit who passed for 202 yards and two touchdowns in Friday’s contest. One of his passing touchdowns was to 2026 four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley, the son of former Longhorns tight end Jermichael Finley. Kaydon, a Texas target, finished the night with three receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, 2024 four-star linebacker Davhon Keys, an LSU commit, was flying all over the field with 12 tackles and a sack. The Aledo senior linebacker has been one of the brightest stars at the position in the state of Texas, routinely showing up when the lights are bright. While he does not possess a Texas offer, Keys has offers from programs such as Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Ultimately, with a Smithson Valley team that only had 69 yards of total offense, Aledo was able to run away to a sizable 51-8 victory, capturing their 12th state championship.
4AD2: Gilmer vs Bellville
Earlier on Friday, Texas target 2025 four-star defensive lineman DJ Sanders was looking to push Bellville to a championship at the 4AD2 level against Gilmer. Against Gilmer, Sanders showcased athleticism – tallying a whopping 10 tackles from the defensive tackle position. Like most defensive tackles, Sanders was facing instant double-teams from Gilmer all day and still found a way to cause havoc.
Currently, Sanders has offers from 15 teams such as Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M. As a result, it will be interesting to see how Sanders’ recruitment with Longhorns defensive line coach Bo Davis shakes out. Right now, it is hard to ignore Davis’ ability to develop players on the defensive line, with T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy and Alfred Collins all having big seasons.
Unfortunately for Bellville, Gilmer harnessed and weaponized their speed on offense, led by 2024 three-star running back Will Henderson. The UIL track star carried the ball 27 times for 234 yards and a touchdown, also putting his hands on display with six catches for 53 yards.
Henderson, the winner of the UIL’s 100-meter dash in the state’s 4A Classification, currently holds 10 offers from schools such as Arkansas and Oklahoma State. At a minimum, I think that Henderson could be a tremendous complementary back on a Power Five football program.
In a back and forth game, Gilmer was able to hold onto a 28-26 victory for a state championship.
2AD1: Tolar vs Timpson
My first game of the week was Wednesday’s 2AD1 UIL state championship game between the Tolar Rattlers and the Timpson Bears. All year, Timpson has been a team to watch in the realm of high school football. Why? Well, 2024 five-star athlete Terry Bussey is, to quote Larry David, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
On Wednesday, Bussey, who lines up at quarterback on offense, tallied both the longest touchdown pass (97-yards to Dacorian Johnson) and touchdown rush (93-yards) in the history of the UIL state championships. In total, Bussey amounted a total of 469 all-purpose yards, with six touchdowns (four passing, two rushing). Additionally, the Timpson star also gained seven tackles on defense at the safety position.
Currently, Bussey is committed to Texas A&M but LSU and Texas are other schools to watch. Against Tolar, Bussey was actually wearing LSU gloves (if you subscribe to glove science), with LSU and Texas A&M representatives on the sidelines.
Lastly, another guy that impressed me was Timpson wide receiver Dacorian Johnson, who looked like DeSean Jackson against the Cowboys. On the night, the sophomore wideout tallied six receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. While it does not appear as if the underclassmen possesses any offers at the moment, I would not be surprised if that changes soon.
On Wednesday, Timpson exploded for a 49-7 victory over Tolar – winning their first state championship.
Miles Logged:
508 (total).