Over the last 15 years, you can essentially tell the story of D-FW’s highest classification through the lens of two football programs, Allen and Duncanville. One program (Allen) defined the mid 2010s and the other defined the late 2010s and early 2020s (Duncanville).
Both programs clash for the first time since 2018 when Duncanville essentially usurped the Eagles as the premier program in North Texas. We broke down the things to watch in this year’s matchup between the two.
Class 6A Division I state semifinal
Who: Allen (13-0) and Duncanville (11-1)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Mesquite Memorial Stadium
Here are things to watch from the 6A Division I state semifinal between Allen (13-0) and Duncanville (11-1):
Duncanville’s revamped offense
With starting quarterback Maximum The Great Denson out since the start of the Texas high school football playoffs, Duncanville’s shuffled multiple players in the backfield. Senior J’Coryon Rivers has been the usual point man taking the snaps and has thrown the ball at least 18 times in every game, so the Panthers aren’t afraid to let him air it out, but they’ve also lined up TCU-signee Ayson Theus and 2026 four-star wideout Trenton Yancey at quarterback to bring more rushing threats to the offense.
High School Sports
Related
Theus has averaged over 80 yards per game and Yancey’s contributed 72 yards per game on the ground and have combined for 10 touchdowns on the ground. It’s no secret that they’re lining up to run the ball as neither player has attempted a pass but that hasn’t led to defenses figuring out how to stop the dynamic playmakers.
Another shot at revenge
Last week, Allen finally got the better of North Crowley in a regional final, the team who’d ended its season in the exact same round the previous two years. This week, Allen has a chance to avenge another Boogeyman of its recent history in Duncanville. The Panthers are the team who beat Allen in 2018, the last time the Eagles made the state semifinals and, in a sense, the result represented a modern changing of the guard when it came to Class 6A superiority at the highest level in the D-FW area.
Prior to that loss, Allen had won three consecutive state championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Then in 2017, Terry Gambill took the Eagles back to the top, winning the Class 6A Division I crown. But since the 2018 state semifinal, head coach Reginald Samples has led Duncanville to five state championship appearances and two titles. Is Duncanville set to continue its modern run of dominance or is Lee Wiginton the man to help Allen reclaim its status and return the program back to AT&T Stadium?
Strength vs Strength
Duncanville’s only been held below 4.5 yards per carry once this season and it’s been the only game they’ve lost, Waxahachie in Week 2. The Panthers only generated 59 yards on the ground with 3.3 yards per carry that game but have crossed the 300-yard mark twice since the playoffs began.
Allen’s defense is powered by its vaunted front and shutting down the run with the likes of three-star defensive linemen Devin Palmer and UTEP signees Joshua Shaw and Ja’Prei Wafer. Whichever team’s strength wins out from this specific battle will likely determine the winner.
Playing from ahead
Both teams have been incredibly consistent at starting fast and seizing control of games in the playoffs. Allen’s opened a two-score lead at some point during the first half every single game of the playoffs so far, and Duncanville’s only trailed in a single quarter of play against Rockwall-Heath in the area final, in which they eventually won 43-6. Both defenses have been stingy enough to where an early commanding lead has spelled goodnight for opponents.
What happens when one of these teams face their first deficit of their playoff runs?
Potential history for Allen’s Wiginton
Lee Wiginton is closing in on numerous historical achievements. He’s one win shy of career win number 200, a milestone that, prior to this season, only 110 head coaches in Texas high school football history have achieved. It’s also a chance for the former THSCA president to make his first-ever state championship appearance as a head coach.
Lastly, this is the first-ever matchup between Duncanville head coach Reginald Samples and Wiginton, two of the current winningest current head coaches in Texas.
William “Caleb” Elliott is accused of recording middle school boys in a locker room.
Quarterback Brett Holloway came up big Friday night for the team he embraced after transferring from Allen.
Lone Star scored 21 unanswered points in the final five minutes of an unbelievable comeback victory.
Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Sign up for our FREE HS newsletter
