Our first game of our special Week 8 coverage comes from DeSoto, Texas where we have one of the biggest games of the week. DeSoto High School hosts the Cedar Hill Longhorns for the annual Battle of Beltline match up. Both teams have stars on both sides of the ball, and plenty of bad blood between them too. The Eagles have five-star wide receiver Johntay Cook, as well as Oregon commit Stephon Johnson. The Longhorns have four-star cornerback Jalon Peoples, along with Arizona State commit Syncere Massey.
Cedar Hill would start the game of on offense but it would be the defense was the main focus of the first quarter. The Longhorns defense came out looking very impressive, and even came up with a goal line stand. Neither team was able to really get anything going offensively however, and we went into the second quarter tied 0-0.
DeSoto would finally start to wake up in the second quarter. Senior running back Chris Henley Jr started off his big night 14-yard run putting the Eagles at the six-yard line. A few plays later Henley bounced a handoff outside to score the first touchdown of the night. With 8:28 left in the second quarter the Eagles would take a 7-0 lead.
The Longhorns were unable to get anything going outside of a questionable pass interference call. Senior quarterback Matthew Allen wouldn’t be able to find any open receivers nearly the whole night. Chris Henley Jr. and Jaden Trawick both helped DeSoto move down the field, but they would stall in the red zone. They would settle for a 20-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead with 3:07 left in the half.
On the ensuing kickoff the Longhorns muffed the ball and gave it right back to DeSoto. The Eagles would take over from their own 20-yard line, and continue to apply pressure to the Cedar Hill defense. Chris Henley Jr. quickly tacked on another seven points to the Eagles lead.
Cedric Harden Jr would try and get some points on the board before halftime, but the DeSoto defense was all over him all night long. His receivers were not doing him any favors either, dropping very catchable balls. To end the half Harden threw up a hail mary attempt but it would be intercepted by Jaden Milliner-Jones.
It was more of the same in the second half from both teams. DeSoto continued to run the ball down the Longhorn’s throat, and Cedar Hill continued to not be able to move the ball on offense. Allen wouldn’t throw the ball much more but he would find Johntay Cook II and Mike Murphy for touchdowns in the second half. Keshaun Jackson also got in on the action getting a bulk of carries during a drive that result in his lone touchdown of the game.
Even with a team that scored 45 points there really weren’t any impressive stat lines in this game. Matthew Allen finished the night with 105 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles rushed for over 330 yards and four touchdowns. Junior safety Jaden Milliner-Jones led the Eagles in tackles with 12 total tackles and one tackle for loss. As a whole the Eagles defense had six tackles for loss, and one sack.
Chris Henley Jr is pretty easily named the player of the game. On 26 carries he rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns. He set the tone for how DeSoto wanted to play, and Coach Mathis took advantage of the Longhorns inability to move the ball on offense.
Be sure to check out our other games covered during Week 8. Our first game of the week had us in Garland, Texas as Garland High School took on Sachse High School. We have special coverage in Houston this weekend for Cy-Park High School vs Bridgeland High School & Katy High School vs Cinco Ranch High School. Atascocita High School also faced off against C.E. King High School Saturday evening.
