by Cedar Hill, TX – In another edition of the historic Battle of Belt Line rivalry, the DeSoto Eagles went on the road and took down the Cedar Hill Longhorns 51-6 Friday night. The Eagles’ defense and special teams proved to be too much for the Longhorns as DeSoto scored three defensive and special teams touchdowns to remain undefeated in district play.
The Rundown
The game got off to a slow start as neither side was able to find the endzone early in the first quarter. Both teams exchanged punts while Cedar Hill’s defense came away with an interception to keep the Eagles off the board. However, DeSoto finally broke the scoreless tie late in the quarter as Quentin Billings busted through the Cedar Hill offensive line and blocked a punt recovered the ball and took it 27 yards for a touchdown. The score gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first.
DeSoto would continue to build on its lead in the second quarter as the Eagles began finding success on the ground. SaRod Baker helped lead the DeSoto offense down the field before breaking free for a 26-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0. The Longhorns would try to respond on their next possession, but the Eagles’ defense continued to hold strong forcing another punt. DeSoto then put together a long 80-yard drive before Wyatt Davis punched the ball in from 2 yards out to give the Eagles a 21-0 lead heading into halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, the Eagles wasted little time adding to their lead as Cedar Hill coughed up the football on a fumble in its opening possession. Dhillon McGee quickly capitalized on the turnover, scooping up the loose ball and taking it 57 yards for a touchdown to put DeSoto up 28-0 just 20 seconds into the third quarter. Things would only get worse for the Longhorns as DeSoto’s special teams unit came up with another big play midway through the quarter. Khing Thibodeaux would recover another blocked punt and return that one for a 53-yard touchdown to extend the Eagles’ lead to 35-0. The DeSoto offense would then get back into the action late in the third as Baker connected with Jacob Curry for a 26-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 42-0.
However, Cedar Hill refused to go down without a fight as quarterback Jaiden Mitchell helped lead the Longhorns down the field late in the quarter. Mitchell connected with Cayden Ethridge for a 26-yard touchdown pass with just 20 seconds remaining to put Cedar Hill on the board. The Longhorns’ extra-point attempt though would be just like their punts getting blocked and returned 93 yards by Landan Adams-Singleton for two points, giving DeSoto a 44-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Eagles would add one final touchdown in the fourth as Davis found the end zone for the second time on a 4-yard run to extend the lead to 51-6. The DeSoto defense would continue to hold Cedar Hill in check throughout the remainder of the quarter as the Eagles secured the 45-point victory.
Kee-On Players of the Game: Quentin Billings and the Desoto Special Teams Unit
Billings came up with one of the biggest plays of the night as his blocked punt and 27-yard touchdown return broke the scoreless tie in the first quarter. His performance helped set the tone for a DeSoto special teams unit that would account for multiple touchdowns in the victory.
What’s Next
DeSoto (6-2, 5-0) will look to continue its undefeated run through district play as the Eagles head into the final stretch of the regular season taking on Mansfield Legacy (1-7, 1-4) on Friday October 30, at 7:00 pm.
Cedar Hill (2-6, 2-3) will look to bounce back after dropping its second straight game as the Longhorns continue their District 8-5A Division I schedule on Friday against Cleburne (0-8, 0-5) at 7:00 pm.
