6A State Quarterfinals: Another District 13 Season Ended By DeSoto As Willis Comes Up Short Against A Heated Rival

WILLIS, TX – The Willis Wildkats saw their season end this Saturday against the DeSoto Eagles, losing 60-41. It was a lively game for both sides as emotions and tempers flared throughout. Down 14 at halftime, Willis showed some fight, battling back to cut the lead to 40-34, but DeSoto ultimately pulled away in the end. The Wildkats once again see their season end to the Eagles, falling to them for the third straight year, proving DeSoto is somewhat of a bracket demon for this program. Still, Willis finished the season with their best finish ever, reaching the fourth round for the first time in school history, with plenty to look forward to next season.

Willis vs. DeSoto: An Emotional Rollercoaster Throughout

As previously mentioned, tempers flared in this game because these teams have a long-standing rivalry from the past few years. DeSoto was called for so many personal fouls that it was difficult to keep track, with late hits and pass interference penalties being frequent throughout the night. Willis was also guilty of some hot-headed actions, criticizing DeSoto on some penalties that ultimately resulted in many offset fouls during the game. Some coaches even got involved in some “friendly” exchanges, leading to one of the more chaotic games we’ve seen all season. Despite all the chaos, the game itself was a tough battle, with both teams showcasing high-powered offenses and plenty of scoring.

For Willis, the game plan was simple: get the ball into your playmaker's hands and score as much as possible. The offense itself played like it always does, utilizing electric playmakers and being able to run up the score on anyone; it’s just this time, they faced a similar team in DeSoto. It looked like the game was over going into the half, as Willis was down 40-20 before they even played a down in the 3rd quarter. Still, they battled back, pulling the score to 40-34 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, thanks to the heroics of Lincoln Frazier and Jermaine Bishop Jr. Ultimately, DeSoto responded quickly, taking back the lead 46-34 on the next drive, before then blowing the game open with another 14 unanswered points.

Willis’s Offense Still As Elite As Ever

QB Lincoln Frazier ended up throwing 51 passes in this game, completing 28 of them for 393 yards and 2 TDs. He still couldn’t quite shake the interception problems, though, throwing another 2 in this game. Still, the freshman QB had a promising night and even got to showcase his rushing ability, scoring a 20-yard TD run at a critical moment. Frazier looks like a star in the making and stepped up big for Willis in this playoff run; he will certainly be a QB to watch next season. Superstar Jermaine Bishop Jr. once again stole the show and did his best to carry his team over the line. Bishop recorded 12 catches for 210 yards and 2 TDs, while also rushing and passing for 3 more TDs. He was lockdown on defense too, shadowing star USC commit WR Ethan Feaster all night and limiting Feaster to just 3 catches for 30 yards. One of his best plays came on a 50-yard run off a screen pass, where he used his incredible speed and agility to weave past multiple defenders and score Willis’s first touchdown. It’s a play we’re used to seeing him make, but it will definitely be missed next season. Bishop ends his senior year as one of the best players in Willis history, and his impact will be greatly missed next year. Javion Martin was another key contributor, catching 11 passes for 119 yards and a TD. Martin was Frazier’s go-to target on opening drives, connecting with him several times over the middle for crucial first downs. Martin finished his season on a high note, catching the final TD pass from Bishop late in the game to cap off both players’ spectacular 2025 season. Other WRs Jayden Lane and Daylen Wilkerson also made some splash plays, with Wilkerson finding the end zone off Bishop’s first passing touchdown of the night. Willis will likely miss some of the firepower they had this season next year, but young guys like Frazier, Lane, and Wilkerson will be back to try and make another playoff run.

DeSoto Eagles: A Buzzsaw of Talent
The DeSoto offense outmatched the Willis defense, as they scored 60 points in this game, showing why talent is such a crucial factor. The standout for this game was DeSoto’s Sarod Baker, their junior RB and one of the most effective runners in 6A. Baker rushed for an incredible 381 yards and 7 TDs on 35 carries, breaking the school record for scoring in a single game. He was an unstoppable force, breaking tackles left and right, and displaying some of the best patience I’ve seen from a high school RB. His offensive line certainly helped him, executing key blocks and opening plenty of holes for Baker to run through. It seemed like he gained 5+ yards on every carry, making him the main reason DeSoto was effective offensively. One play that exemplifies how exceptional he was during the game occurred on DeSoto’s 6th drive of the second quarter, when Baker literally went from sideline to sideline to avoid tackles, yet still outran everyone to bring DeSoto into the red zone. Aside from Baker, the DeSoto offense was relatively quiet, with Ethan Feaster recording just 3 catches for 30 yards and no TDs, while QB Legend Howell threw for only 147 yards. Still, with Baker running so hot, it's no surprise they relied heavily on that part of their offense. They will need to clean up some of the penalties, though, as several drives were extended for Willis due to foolish pass interference calls that saw DeSoto players practically tackle Willis receivers and numerous late hits — I lost track. They lost their composure on multiple plays, engaging in scuffles and crossing the line with personal foul penalties, clocking in at probably over 20. It’s a miracle no one was ejected, and if they want to succeed in the future, they need to tighten up their play. Next week, they face Southlake Carroll, arguably the best team in the state right now.

Favorite Plays of The Night:

Since this was such an offensive game, there were plenty of awesome plays I wanted to highlight before we wrap things up. First was the Jermaine Bishop Jr. run mentioned earlier, where he went for 50 yards on a screen pass to score Willis’s first points of the night. It showcased Bishop’s elite speed and made everyone realize why Bishop is one of the top players in the state. Second was Lincoln Frazier’s run on a QB draw that resulted in a huge touchdown, bringing the score to 20-14 in the first quarter. It was one of his few big rushing plays this season and was an excellent call for the freshman quarterback. Third were all the spectacular catches Jaivion Martin made throughout the night, including a heavily contested jumping catch in the third quarter for a critical first down that led to a score later. Another impressive play was Jayden Lane’s massive 30-yard catch at the start of the fourth quarter, setting up Bishop to run in for a touchdown and pulling the game within six points for Willis. This drive was one of the most electric, capped off by heroic plays from Frazier, Lane, and Bishop, which made the game feel alive again and led some to believe Willis could come back and steal the win. Finally, Bishop’s two passing touchdowns were remarkable—one using the jet sweep to hand the ball to Bishop, who then threw a pass to Wilkerson early on to cut the lead to 34-20; and another ending the game with a score to Martin. Both plays were great calls, and although one was in garbage time, it was still impressive for Willis to execute. Overall, Willis had many outstanding moments, and it’s a shame they couldn’t get the win despite all these highlight-worthy plays. They at least have something to be proud of to end the season and can leave the playoffs knowing they did everything possible to try and win this game. Also, shoutout to Lincoln Frazier again, who took a pounding all night in the backfield and kept going despite some painful hits. He showed a toughness that’s rare at such a young age, which speaks to his promise as Willis’s quarterback moving forward.

Final Thoughts:

In the end, it's unfortunate that Willis couldn’t pull this one out, but DeSoto was just too dominant. Baker having one of the best games ever didn’t help their chances, and they fell to the Eagles for the third year in a row. A fourth-round exit is still a big achievement for this team, as even though they had some tough losses in the regular season, they learned from those and made the best playoff run in school history. They will lose some key seniors in the offseason, but they will still be a strong team next season and will aim to get back and face DeSoto in next year’s playoffs. It’s been a blast to follow them this season, and it will be exciting to see how players like Bishop and Martin perform at the next level in the 2026 college football season. District 13 is now completely eliminated from the playoffs, and that wraps up our season here at Woodlands Online. To watch the highlights from this game, check out the links here, as this is a game sure to entertain you if you have a moment to watch.