Claude Mathis passes final test in state championship game

Photo by Tommy Hays

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ARLINGTON – Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. And definitely not in coaching. That was the book on Claude Mathis – a head coach capable of arriving to the horizon, but never over it. 

That changed Saturday afternoon when his Eagles knocked off Vandegrift to claim the Class 6A Division II championship – the second in DeSoto history. Mathis reached the promise land in his 17th season as a head coach. His record is now 159-57. He’s made the playoffs in 16 of 17 seasons. The only time his team missed the postseason was back in 2004 at Somerville – his first year as a head coach. 

“I can’t describe the feeling. It hasn’t hit me yet,” Mathis said through a big smile in the postgame press conference. “I’m so excited for our players. We were doubted all year.” 

Mathis was the head man at DeSoto from 2008 through 2014 before taking a sabbatical from Texas high school football as an assistant coach at SMU. He returned to the prep ranks in 2017 at Marshall before returning to DeSoto in 2019. His Eagles have won more games in each year since his return. They won nine in 2019, 10 in 2020, and 11 in 2021. The team finished 14-2 in 2022 with a state championship. 

“Kyler Murray took a couple from me,” Mathis said. “I always said that if I made it back to the semifinals, we’d get it done. I saw a lot of guys I look up to as coaches raise one of these trophies.” 

The win wasn’t only important for Mathis. He became the ninth Black head coach to win a Texas high school football championship, and the first at the Class 6A level. South Oak Cliff’s Jason Todd won on Friday night when the Golden Bears beat Port Neches-Groves. Duncanville and Reginald Samples can make it three Black head coaches to win a state title in the same year – a feat never accomplished in state history. 

“Having two African American coaches win both division of Class 6A would be history,” Mathis said. I’m pulling for him. Add coach Todd into the mix, and there are three of us. I’m happy for our kids. They wanted this for me.” 

DeSoto, Duncanville, and South Oak Cliff are virtual neighbors. The three schools are separated by 20 total miles. DeSoto and Duncanville were in the same district, and both teams reached the Class 6A championship game. Only one other time has two teams from one district claimed state titles in the same year – La Marque and Texas City last century. 

“It says a lot about our communities and our district,” Mathis said. “We came into the playoffs battle-tested.” 

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