ARLINGTON -- DJ Bailey's first half in the 6A DII State Championship was the encapsulation of his Desoto career - a quarterbacking clinic.

Desoto repeating its title wasn't in doubt for a single second with Bailey at the helm. AT&T Stadium started clearing out about midway through the second quarter as Bailey zapped away any notion of a Humble Summer Creek upset. The senior finished the first half 13-of-16 for 241 yards and three touchdowns, all of those scores to his No.1 wide receiver Daylon Singleton.

Long before the final buzzer sounded, Bailey had etched his name into Desoto lore as one of the school's all-time greats.

In two stints with Desoto from 2008-14 and 2019-present, head coach Claude Mathis elevated the program into a perennial state contender. But it wasn't until Bailey's two-year tenure as the starting quarterback that the program reached the pinnacle of Class 6A under Mathis. In two seasons before entering Saturday night's game, Bailey threw for 6,858 yards on 67 percent percent completion rate, 85 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

His play on the field this season was only possible with the long hours he put in the film room with his receivers in the offseason.

"DJ's a great leader," Mathis said. "He expected it. I told him in order for him to be the quarterback we needed him to be this year, he had to get those young receivers straight, and he did. He worked with them for a long time. Plus, guys, DJ's a junkie. He looks at some serious video."

The 2023 season saw Desoto conquer all its previously established foes. The 2020 and 2021 teams lost to Duncanville in the playoffs. Desoto established themselves as linear state champions this season after beating Duncanville, the 6A DI champ, 49-35 during the regular season. Some of Mathis' best teams of the past were bounced in three consecutive seasons to the Kyler Murray-led Allen Eagles. Desoto throttled Allen in Week 1 of this season, 39-7. Southlake Carroll was the only opponent other than Duncanville to have beaten Desoto in the playoffs over the last eight seasons. The Eagles toppled the Dragons, 49-35, in the semifinals. Oh, and Desoto demolished South Oak Cliff, who made its third-straight Class 5A DII state championship, 54-14, in non-district play.

As impressive as the numbers were, Bailey's biggest impact lies in how he became the focal point of the new era of Desoto. Gone are the days of critics chalking up playoff exits to undisciplined play or being shaky of the moment. Bailey was always even-keel, and Mathis became moreso that way in recent years. The program has followed suit, morphing completely into DesotoU. They're a machine. They don't make mistakes. They're the best team in Texas.

And they aren't on this throne without DJ Bailey.

"We all came in as freshman, and Coach Mathis and the other coaches brought us in just like family," Bailey said. "We work hard. And now we're at this point: two-time state champions."