DeSoto defeats Southlake Carroll: Live Texas high school football semifinal updates recap

Nationally ranked DeSoto holds off Southlake Carroll for UIL 6A Division II title berth

ALLEN, TEXAS - DeSoto and Southlake Carroll meet Saturday with a berth to the Texas high school state championships in Arlington on the line. 

The UIL Class 6A Division II state semifinal matchup pits the nationally ranked Eagles (13-0) against the Texas powerhouse Dragons (13-1). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Allen ISD Stadium.

Deondrae Riden Jr.'s monster outing leads DeSoto back to Texas high school football title: 'They unleashed me'

The winner advances to the 6A Division II championship on Dec. 16, where it will face the Summer Creek/Cibolo-Steele winner.

Follow Texas reporter Cody Thorn (@CodyThorn) on Twitter/X for updates from the ground in Allen. Refresh this post for the latest updates and developments in the live game thread below. 

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FINAL: DESOTO 45, SOUTHLAKE CARROLL 38

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DeSoto junior safety Sael Reyes successfully contests a deep ball in one-on-one coverage in the first half of the 6A Division II playoffs on Saturday at Allen ISD Stadium / Photo by Michael Horbovetz

FINAL: That does it for the first 6A Division II semifinal. DeSoto holds off Southlake Carroll to advance to the state title next Saturday. The Eagles will look to repeat as state champs, and will face the Summer Creek-Steele winner. Follow that game live here:

Steele vs. Summer Creek: Live score, updates of Texas high school football state semifinals (12/9/2023)

FOURTH QUARTER

-- Graham Knowles hits Clayton Wayland again for a 12-yard TD — the second scoring connection betwixt the two — to pull the Dragons within a score with just over a minute left (45-38, DeSoto | 1:18)

-- DeSoto pulling away. Angel Diaz sends home a 25-yard field goal to make it a two-touchdown game with just over four minutes left. (45-31, DeSoto | 4:08)

-- Death blow? DJ Bailey hits his favorite receiving target Antonio Pride Jr. on a quick comeback route, and Pride Jr. plants, turns and burns his defender down the sideline for a 50-yard TD, and the DeSoto lead grows. (42-31, DeSoto | 7:00)

THIRD QUARTER

-- DeSoto stops Southlake Carroll on the goal line on fourth down. Keylan Abrams stuffs Graham Knowles on a QB keeper. Should it have counted? Turnover on downs. Take a closer look at multiple angles of the sequence and cast your vote here:

Should Southlake Carroll's near-TD have counted in Texas high school semifinal loss to DeSoto?

-- Touchdown, DeSoto. DJ Bailey hits Tristan Bailey for a 40-yard passing TD. Advantage DeSoto. (35-31, DeSoto | 8:17)

-- Why not? Southlake Carroll converts a two-point conversion to make it a three-point lead (31-28, Southlake Carroll | 9:00)

-- DeSoto's defense has been put on its heels. Davis Penn breaks free for a 75-yard touchdown run and these Texas high school football powers are trading scores on the (second) biggest stage. (29-28, Southlake Carroll | 9:00)

-- DeSoto responds. Deondrae Riden Jr. gets loose for an 18-yard touchdown run. Lead change. DeSoto back on top. (28-23, DeSoto | 9:12)

-- The golden boot returns. Lemmerman sends a 29-yard field goal through for three and Southlake Carroll regains the lead early in the third quarter. (23-21, Southlake Carroll | 9:12)

SECOND QUARTER

-- Touchdown Southlake Carroll, and what a grown-man snag in the endzone. Clayton Wayland hauls in a 37-yard catch to pull the Dragons within a point. Every time DeSoto tries to pull away, Southlake Carroll has had an answer. (21-20, DeSoto | 1:52)

Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns football staff, appear on sideline at UIL high school football semifinals: Look

-- Touchdown DeSoto. Sure, the Eagles have backfield depth in terms of running backs. But dare we forget about the cool-headed quarterback, who takes a QB keeper 24 yards for his first score. (21-13, DeSoto | 3:26)

FIRST QUARTER

-- DeSoto regains possession inside Dragon territory after pouncing on a bobbled punt on the final play of the half. A mistake that could prove costly against an Eagle defense that leaves little margin for error. 

-- Fireworks. Senior running back Jaden Trawick runs 54 yards for a score to put DeSoto back on top. One must wonder how many high school teams have comparable level of backfield depth, with Riden (a 4-star) and Marvin Duffey. (14-10, DeSoto | 3:00)

-- Southlake Carroll is back on top. After a third and long conversion attempt is foiled, senior kicker Kyle Lemmerman boots a 50-yarder through the uprights to retake the lead. The kick was a season high for Lemmerman. The TCU commit has hit a 48-yarder this fall. (10-7, Southlake Carroll | 4:23)

-- DeSoto responds. Eagles march down the field, DJ Bailey converts a 4th and 1 and Riden runs in six yards up the middle for a touchdown. (7-7 | 6:54)

-- Touchdown, Southlake Carroll. Dragons draw first blood. Riley Wormley scores on the ground after Southlake Carroll recovers a Deondrae Riden fumble. (7-0, Southlake Carroll | 9:55)

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PHOTO GALLERY

Photos by Michael Horbovetz and Cody Thorn.

Michael Horbovetz, SBLive Sports

Photo by Michael Horbovetz

Photo by Michael Horbovetz, SBLive Sports

Photo by Michael Horbovetz

Photo by Michael Horbovetz

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PREGAME READING

-- DeSoto is the No. 1 team in Texas thanks to it knocking off previous No. 1 Duncanville in a district matchup in late October. On how the Eagles found their defensive identity:

DeSoto defense stands tall in Duncanville football upset: 'Pressure busts pipes'

-- DeSoto downed DJ Lagway (Florida commit) and Willis in the regional semifinals — a statement that the defending 6A Division II champs are not going down easy:

Desoto downs DJ Lagway, Willis: 'They thought he could beat us by himself, and that was not happening'

-- Last week, Southlake Carroll looked the part of a contender in a thrashing of previously unbeaten Byron Nelson, which gave the Dragons their only loss of the season. 

Southlake Carroll gets revenge, dominates Byron Nelson to win 6A Division II regional title

-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx

Lead photo by Michael Horbovetz.