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THE FINAL 48: UIL Football 2025 State Championship Preview -- North Shore vs. Duncanville (6A-D1)
WHERE: AT&T Stadium -- Arlington, TX
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NORTH SHORE MUSTANGS
In just his third season back at his alma mater, head coach Willie Gaston has once again guided North Shore to a familiar destination. Arlington awaits, as the Mustangs prepare for yet another bid for the UIL banner — a stage they’ve come to know better than most.
North Shore’s 28–6 semifinal victory over Lake Travis at W.W. Thorne Stadium did more than punch a ticket to the title game. It marked the program’s seventh championship appearance since 2015 (eighth overall) and reaffirmed a simple truth across the state: Eastside is still Eastside.
True to form, the 6A-Division I crown will be decided by North Shore (13–2) and Duncanville (12–1), as Saturday amounts to the sixth showdown between the bitter rivals.
While Duncanville has won the last two championship clashes, North Shore still holds a 3–2 edge at State — a layer of familiarity that adds weight to an already loaded rematch. A victory would secure the Mustangs’ first ring since 2021 and the sixth overall in program history.
North Shore Sr. DL Za'Qwaun Nunn (#99) & Sr. QB Kaleb Maryland (#7)Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Offensively, everything begins with senior quarterback Kaleb Maryland. The Utah State-signee has been the picture of efficiency, compiling 3,266 passing yards and 34 touchdowns while adding 549 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Maryland has thrived with a balanced receiver room led by senior Jaylen Bocard (1,160 yards, 12 TDs), alongside juniors Aubrey Johnson (720 yds, 6 TDs) and La’Damian Defreeze (444 yds, 6 TDs), as well as senior Dorian Barnes (516 yds, 7 TDs), giving the Mustangs flexibility at every level of the field.
That attack is complemented by senior running back Hezekiah Johnson, who has embraced a starring role behind a sturdy offensive line, eclipsing 1,100 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, on defense, senior linemen Za’Qwaun Nunn (LA Tech) and Xavier Waters (Louisiana-Lafayette) anchor a unit that has helped limit opponents to fewer than 16 points per game.
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DUNCANVILLE PANTHERS
The Panthers have rendered last year’s Round 5 loss to eventual 6A-D1 champion North Crowley little more than a footnote in the broader context of their dominance over the past decade. That reset has been evident throughout the postseason, most notably during the Panthers’ recent two-week stretch.
Two weeks ago, Duncanville earned the final say in a heated Region I Final against district counterpart Waxahachie, pulling away late for a 35–27 victory. The Panthers followed that performance with an emphatic statement, dispatching fellow Dallas heavyweight Allen, 31–9, to punch their ticket to the State stage.
Mirroring the storied tenure of North Shore, this weekend signifies the seventh occasion Duncanville (12–1) will be vying for the State crown. The Panthers now chase their fourth title overall — and their first since 2023 — with momentum and balance firmly on their side.
In terms of the weaponry that the Duncanville offense wields, the explosive potential of junior wideout Trenton Yancey cannot be overstated.
The four-star prospect is the definition of versatility, piling up 780 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while adding 388 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground. Senior athlete Ayson Theus, a TCU-signee, provides a similar spark, eclipsing 1,000 yards from scrimmage with 10 touchdowns of his own.
Senior quarterback J’Coryon Rivers also deserves significant credit. Thrust into the starting role late in the regular season, Rivers has operated seamlessly under center, throwing for nearly 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns against just one interception.
With reliable targets like SMU-bound tight end Zachery Turner and a productive run game led by Robert Singleton and Brayden Arnold, Duncanville’s offense has averaged more than 36 points per game.
Defensively, the Panthers have been just as suffocating, allowing fewer than 14 points per contest.
Ole Miss-signee Landon Barnes (10.5 sacks, 23.5 TFL) headlines a disorienting front-seven, supported by Jakohri Johnson and a tackling machine in Jaylyn Manning (120 tackles). On the back end, senior cornerbacks Braylon Edwards (Colorado) and Victor Lincoln (Ole Miss) have turned the secondary into an island unit.
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THE FINAL 48: UIL Football 2025 State Championship Preview -- Randle vs. South Oak Cliff (5A-D2)
WHERE: AT&T Stadium -- Arlington, TX
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The 2024 UIL 5A-D2 State Champions: Randle LionsBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
RANDLE LIONS
Randle has made dominance feel routine, and the Lions arrive in Arlington riding a wave that shows no signs of slowing. Boasting a 15–0 record, head coach Brian Randle’s squad has now won 31 consecutive games dating back to last season’s undefeated 5A Division II state title, placing the program squarely back on the sport’s biggest stage with championship expectations firmly intact.
That run hasn’t come without resistance. District rival Iowa Colony pushed Randle to the limit in a Region III Final rematch, forcing a 45–35 shootout that tested the Lions’ composure. Randle answered the following week with authority, dispatching Boerne 40–16 to punch its ticket to Jerry World.
Those performances underscored what has defined this team all season: an offense averaging 56 points per game paired with a defense that has consistently held opponents under 15 — a balance that has made reaching this stage feel inevitable.
The engine of it all is junior running back Landen Williams-Callis, whose supremacy has become the standard. The five-star tailback and newly crowned Texas Gatorade Player of the Year has compiled nearly 3,600 yards from scrimmage and 59 touchdowns this season alone, numbers that match his growing list of accolades. Williams-Callis’ presence warps defensive game plans, yet Randle has proven it’s far from a one-man show.
Randle Jr. RB Landen Williams-CallisBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Senior quarterback Tyler Skrabanek has been steady and efficient as a pocket passer, throwing for more than 3,200 yards and 29 touchdowns while distributing the ball to a deep group of weapons. Ashton Johnson has flourished in an expanded role, nearing 1,000 receiving yards, while Kamar Chavez-Brown and Cedrick McClintock Jr. provide additional explosiveness on the perimeter.
Defensively, the Lions bring just as much bite. Linebacker Noriel “Pac-Man” Dominguez leads the unit with 103 tackles and a knack for game-changing plays, while Ryan Mallory, last year’s State Defensive MVP, anchors the second level. A disruptive front led by LJ Gonzales and Camron Hypolite complements a secondary highlighted by Jalyn Burton’s surprising pass-rush production.
Poised, powerful, and relentless, Randle now stands one win away from turning sustained excellence into another state championship statement.
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SOUTH OAK CLIFF GOLDEN BEARS
Few programs are as comfortable under the bright lights as South Oak Cliff. The Golden Bears return to the UIL State Championship stage for a fifth consecutive season, once again taking over AT&T Stadium with unfinished business firmly in mind.
At 14–1, coach Jason Todd and company arrive in Arlington riding momentum after commanding postseason victories over Port Neches-Groves (28–0) and Melissa (35–17).
Those performances only reinforced the group’s resolve to rewrite last year’s ending, when the Golden Bears fell 38–35 in the title game to Randle. A victory this time around would deliver the program its first championship since completing a back-to-back run in 2022.
Offensively, SOC has shown it can trade punches with anyone. That begins up front, where a stout offensive line anchored by four-star junior Brian Swanson and Arizona State-signee Cortavious Tisaby on the book-end. Their protection has allowed junior quarterback Jayden "Dunnie" Williams to operate with confidence, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Balance has been equally important. Senior Mikail Trotter, the reigning District 5-5A Division II Offensive MVP, is nearing 1,300 rushing yards while finding the end zone 24 times. Alongside him, fellow senior Levon Morton has added more than 1,200 yards and 15 scores, forming a punishing one-two punch. In the passing game, Williams has leaned on senior targets Torrin Teague (823 yards, 7 TDs) and Jaylen Moore (545 yards, 6 TDs), who headline a reliable receiving corps.
On the other side of the ball, South Oak Cliff remains disruptive and physical. Syracuse-bound defensive lineman Kordae Houston leads the charge up front, backed by junior Jaderian “JD” Jones and senior Leighton Henderson. Behind them, Cody Smith and Jamari Stewart anchor the second level, while West Virginia-signee Rickey Giles locks down the secondary.
Seasoned, motivated, and built for this moment, South Oak Cliff now looks to turn familiarity into redemption — and reclaim its place atop the UIL landscape.