Exclusive: What’s next for Claude Mathis and DeSoto football after back-to-back titles?
DeSoto football is looking to win a third consecutive Class 6A D2 state championship.
Even in a lower division, the Eagles were the undisputed best team in Texas last year with a 49-35 district win over Duncanville, the eventual Class 6A D1 state champion. The Eagles and head coach Claude Mathis, after a perfect season, are at the top of the Texas high school football mountain.
Where does DeSoto go from here? How does DeSoto raise the bar?
“People might be hunting us,” Mathis said. “But we’re hunting too.”
DeSoto, with a three-peat, can further establish itself as one of the greatest high school programs of all time. Mathis and the Eagles aren’t afraid of a challenge too; DeSoto turned in a Class 5A enrollment of 2127 but elected to stay in Class 6A to face the best competition.
Mathis said the decision wasn’t an easy one to make, but is confident the Eagles can compete at the highest level. If things change, they can revisit the classification status in two years.
“We want to put our kids first,” Mathis said. “We thought that was best for our kids and our superintendent.”
Staying in Class 6A isn’t the only way DeSoto is running after a challenge. On Aug. 31, the Eagles will host Creekside, a state championship runner up from Georgia.
Mathis has struggled to schedule games, given his team’s dominance. Take the Class 6A D1 State Championship as an example, when DeSoto throttled Summer Creek 74-14.
North Crowley, a Class 6A D1 State Semifinalist, is up for the challenge. DeSoto will face the Panthers on Sept. 6 at Eagle Stadium in a non-district game.
Facing the best competition will mold DeSoto into a better football team. The team’s goals and culture, however, stay consistent regardless of opponent according to Mathis.
Winning state and going undefeated in Texas’ toughest district isn’t a newfound achievement for DeSoto.
It’s an expectation.
“We expect to win district,” Mathis said. “We expect to win state.”
To win district, DeSoto will likely have to defeat Duncanville again. After a 49-35 loss last season, the Panthers will be hungry. To Mathis, it’s just another game for his team to go out and execute.
“It’s not just Duncanville,” Mathis said. “It’s everybody. And they just happen to be on our schedule for district play. They have to go through us.”
That District 11-6A title is arguably the most important in Texas football. The loser, even with a state title win, can’t claim to be undefeated, undisputed champions.
Mathis said failing to win the district title won’t make or break the season. He added people don’t realize just how difficult it is to maintain high school football excellence in the district of doom.
“You have to have some great coaches,” Mathis said. “You have to have some great kids. And things have to bounce your way. But just keeping the kids ready to play every single week, and take it on — everything everybody’s throwing at you. Luckily, we’ve got some great people in this program.”
A wide array of talent
DeSoto is a back-to-back state champion for a reason, and they are loaded with talent once again and a favorite to win another.
They have one of the most dynamic running backs in the state with senior Deondrae “Tiger” Riden Jr., a Texas A&M commit. He was out with an injury most of last season, but still managed to rush for over 1,000 yards; in the state semifinal against Southlake Carroll, he tallied 254 yards and two touchdowns.
Mathis said Riden will force opponents to stack the box to attempt to stop him at the line of scrimmage. DeSoto arguably had the best offensive line in Texas in 2023, and Mathis said it will be fantastic once again. Riden Jr. will have plenty of opportunity to showcase his skills.
“I expect Tiger to be that leader that he’s been,” Mathis said. “He is going to take it to a whole new level this year. I’ve got a good feeling you will see a whole different Tiger. That’s just scary, right there.”
Another player to watch is wide receiver Daylon Singleton, who Mathis said can be an all-time great receiver for DeSoto and a Biletnikoff level receiver in college. Singleton, an SMU commit, tallied 1,225 yards and 17 touchdowns in his junior season.
One offensive question mark for the Eagles is at quarterback. Fort Worth All Saints Transfer Kelden Ryan, a senior Virginia Tech commit, is competing with Bishop Lynch transfer Legend Howell, a junior, for the starting spot.
Both threw for over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Another area of focus for DeSoto in August is special teams, given the Eagles had to replace their kicker and punter. Perfecting the special teams’ unit is a top priority for Mathis, given its importance at high-level 6A games.
“If you look at last year, all three phases – we were dominating them,” Mathis said. “That’s something that we’ll have to do again.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Mathis said senior linebacker Keylan Abrams, a TCU commit and three-star prospect, stands out as a vocal leader. He was a productive player last year with 90 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 18 sacks.
“He is stepping up to the plate,” Mathis said.
Mathis also mentioned cornerbacks Canden Mathis, Caleb Holmes and Jai Trawick as well as senior safety Sael Reyes as productive returners and leaders.
“They are being very vocal right now and trying to lead this football team,” Mathis said.
DeSoto’s gamechanger
With DeSoto being a heavy favorite to repeat as Class 6A D2 State Champions, you would think there is a lot of outside pressure on athletes to deliver. According to Mathis, it’s not a problem; the team puts more pressure on themselves than they could ever face from the outside world.
Mathis said the difference maker is how you handle the pressure when it comes, and added he emphasizes his team will have to earn and work for every inch of success.
“That’s the thing – we’re going to fight every single day,” Mathis said. “Just making sure our kids are humble. Making sure our kids understand we play one game at a time. … We’ve got to go, and we’ve got to take it.”
