Duncanville and Waxahachie kick off at 7 p.m. Friday with the top seed in District 11-6A Division I hanging in the balance, a high-stakes rematch between two Class 6A programs that split a pair of dramatic games last season. No. 23 Duncanville travels to No. 11 Waxahachie for the showdown, and the winner is positioned to claim the district's top playoff seed heading into the postseason.
The rankings attached to Friday's matchup come from Dave Campbell's Texas Football, which placed Waxahachie at No. 11 and Duncanville at No. 23 in its Week 9 Class 6A state rankings, with the winner positioned to take the district's top seed for the Division I playoffs.
A District Reshaped by Realignment
This year's showdown looks different than it used to, thanks to the University Interscholastic League's 2026–2028 district realignment announced in February. According to High School Football America, longtime district power DeSoto dropped down to Class 5A, while 2024 6A Division I state champion North Crowley joined District 11-6A alongside Duncanville and Waxahachie, reshuffling the local championship picture.
That shakeup makes Friday's top-seed stakes even sharper for both programs as they navigate a newly formed district.
Last Year's Split Still Fuels the Rivalry
The two programs have unfinished business dating back to last season. Waxahachie stunned Duncanville 28-27 on September 19, 2025, snapping the Panthers' 11-game regular-season win streak, as reported by WFAA. Duncanville answered back, however, avenging that loss with a 35-27 win over Waxahachie in the regional finals that December.
Waxahachie's 2026 offense is led by TCU quarterback commit Jerry Meyer III, who threw for 2,754 yards and 33 touchdowns last season, according to Texas HS Football. He's joined on the roster by Texas A&M safety commit JayQuan Snell on defense, giving the Indians a pair of high-profile college prospects on the field Friday.
Veteran Leadership on Both Sidelines
Duncanville enters the matchup under head coach Reginald Samples.
Waxahachie, meanwhile, is under new leadership this season. The program promoted defensive coordinator Lawrence Williams to head coach in February. Williams inherited 14 returning starters from Waxahachie's 2025 regional finalist team.
A Program That Shapes the Community
Hoodline recently reported that Dallas-born chain Zalat Pizza was scheduled to open its 30th location in Duncanville on October 12, with company leadership citing strong local enthusiasm and game-night orders tied to Panthers football as a key factor in choosing the market.
With kickoff set for 7 p.m. Friday and the top seed in District 11-6A Division I on the line, both programs are treating this rematch as a measuring stick for their postseason ambitions in a district reshaped by realignment and defined by two of the state's most storied programs.
