ARLINGTON, Texas — If the 2025 DeSoto Eagles football season were made into a Championship DVD, the feature film would start in the Creekside High School gymnasium in Georgia, after DeSoto was humiliated 70-28.

Losing to one of the best teams in the nation was one thing. But Coach Claude Mathis was hyper-aware that the way DeSoto lost would ignite a firestorm of speculation that not only was DeSoto down - they were done. 

 “This season can either be a DeSoto laughing stock, or we can go down in history for fighting back and winning the state championship,” Mathis told his team.

After Saturday night’s 55-27 win over Sheldon C.E. King in the Class 6A DII State Championship, Mathis got his answer. He sat at the championship podium for the third time in four years, like a king back on his throne after a one-year absence. 

“Man, it feels good to do this again,” Mathis says.

Not just winning a state championship, but using it as a platform to talk about DeSoto. A chance to talk about SaRod Baker, who went from the fourth-leading rusher on last year’s team to the story of the TXHSFB playoffs, rushing for 1,628 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns in six games.

Or to shine more spotlight on Ethan “Boobie” Feaster, who capped his DeSoto career with 10 catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, earning the game’s Offensive MVP honors. Feaster, who reclassified to enter college a year early, only needed three years to place his name in DeSoto lore forever.

But don’t mistake Feaster as being eager to leave. Because, for all the on-field accolades, Mathis will remember him most for pushing his signing day ceremony to the day after the state championships. It was a signal to the entire team that his mind was solely on AT&T Stadium.

“You sure you don’t wanna come back?” Mathis said. “This guy has been the best receiver to come through DeSoto, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

DeSoto dominating the state championship has become an event to set the calendar to. In their three victories over the past four years, the Eagles have outscored their opponents 171-58. And with every touchdown, this program has taken on more of Mathis’s personality.

“If you ever notice, I don’t ever say this is a football team,” Mathis said. “I’ve always said this is our program. That’s how I treat it, and I’m always going to treat it that way.”

Mathis insists this is what he envisioned when he returned to DeSoto for a second stint in 2019. He could describe his master plan, but for now, a Lebron James impersonation will suffice.

“Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five,” Mathis counts off.

DeSoto and Sheldon C.E. King eventually got into the track-meet-style game many predicted would come. The problem for Sheldon C.E. King - they spotted DeSoto 27 points. But for 4:24 of game time in the second quarter, when the two teams combined for five touchdowns, the 31,578 fans in AT&T Stadium saw what this game could’ve been at its best. 

It was highlight-for-highlight: DeSoto wide receiver Courtly’on Jackson’s 70-yard touchdown, where he went sideline-to-sideline twice, was followed up by Sheldon C.E. King running back Dionne Simms’s 27-yard rushing touchdown, which was then outdone by Feaster’s second touchdown catch of the day, which was immediately answered by Dillon Mitchell’s kickoff return touchdown. I know, it’s exhausting just to read that. 

Sheldon C.E. King put enough pressure on DeSoto that Mathis elected to go for a 4th-and-2 from his own 38-yard line with 2:32 left in the first half. After Baker was stuffed by Xavier Williams and Damien Broussard, Sheldon C.E. King had a golden opportunity to cut the game within two scores - and put a seed of doubt in the outcome. But DeSoto’s Damarion Ross made the defensive play of the game with a 94-yard pick-six, slamming the door shut on any comeback attempt. Ross earned Defensive MVP honors.

Since that season-opening loss to Creekside, Mathis has heard all of the noise about his program.  Saturday night was his team’s final response. 

“Three out of four years, call it what you want to call it,” Mathis said. “But they are state championships. I know that much.”

BOX SCORE

DeSoto Passing

DeSoto Rushing

DeSoto Receiving

DeSoto Defense

DeSoto Fumble Recoveries

Sheldon King Passing

Sheldon King Rushing

Sheldon King Receiving

Sheldon King Defense