Longhorn Sports Report
April 27, 2025
Manuel Aiming For Shot Put State Championship
The Cedar Hill-Katy rivalry is heading to a new playing field this Saturday.
The Longhorns and Tigers are tied 2-2 over four State Football Championship Games between 2012 and 2020.
Now, the top two UIL Class 6A throwers, from those two schools, will face each other on Saturday morning at the 6A State Championships at The University of Texas at Austin.
Cedar Hill junior Desman Manuel has the second-best throw with 65-feet. Katy senior Adam Carter, a Texas State Track & Field signee, has a 70-4.5 throw.
It will be the first and last meeting between the two, as Manuel – making his state track debut in just his second season in the sport – is graduating from CHHS at semester to enroll in college for football drills.
Manuel is confident he can match Carter’s distance.
“There are little things I can do to make the shot put go farther,” Manuel said.
Manuel broke a 16-year-old CHHS Shot Put record earlier this spring. Earlier this month, he broke his own record, exceeding 60-feet for the first time with a 65-foot throw to win the gold medal at the regionals in Waco.
“It’s got to be the perfect balance between speed and power,” Manuel said. “If you spin too fast, you’ll throw yourself off balance. If you don’t throw hard enough, it won’t go far enough. It has to be equal.”
Manuel went to regionals in the shot put last year, closely missing out on state.
He’s entering his third year as a starting defensive lineman for the CHHS Football Team. Manuel enjoyed his share of success, starting six games as a sophomore when the Longhorns reached the fourth round of the playoffs.
He started nine of 10 games last season and is considering offers from Houston, Colorado State, Sacramento State and Jacksonville State, among others. Manuel hopes to compete in both football and track in college.
Before then, he and the Class of 2026 football players have unfinished business.
“My class is ready to step up,” Manuel said.
Manuel arrived at CHHS as a freshman after previously attending a charter school. He said it was a quick adjustment to the 6A school.
Manuel is grateful to his mother for helping him become the scholar-athlete he is today.
“She’s made so many sacrifices -- time, money and everything,” Manuel said.
Bui Qualifies for Tennis Regionals
Cedar Hill senior Tessa Bui will compete at the UIL Regional Tennis Tournament, May 7-8, in Waco.
Cedar Hill Baseball Wins A Share of District 6A-11 Championship
The Cedar Hill High School Baseball Team won a share of a district championship for the first time in seven years when the Longhorns (20-6-1, 11-3) tied Mesquite for the District 6A-11 Championship.
The Skeeters defeated the Longhorns, 8-1, on Saturday to earn the top seed in the playoffs.
Cedar Hill will face Harker Heights (20-7-1), the runner-up in District 6A-12, on Thursday at Harker Heights in Game 1. The Longhorns will host the Knights on Friday in Game 2. Game 3, if necessary, will be played at a site to be determined on Saturday.
This is Cedar Hill's first trip to the playoffs since 2018 and its first 20-win season since 2013.
The Longhorns and Knights met in the first round of the 2017 playoffs with Harker Heights winning, 5-4.
The Longhorns defeated Duncanville, 9-1, on Friday for their first win over the Panthers since 2019. Monte Dismuke had 12 strikeouts in the victory.
Cedar Hill lost at Duncanville, 2-1, on April 22. Here's the photo gallery from that game. Julian Gonzalez struck out 13 batters in a no decision start.
Cedar Hill Baseball Schedule (20-6-1, 11-3)
February 22 vs. Ennis at Joshua, W 5-0
February 22 at Joshua, W 6-0
February 24 at Mansfield, L 3-0
February 27 vs. Fort Worth South Hills, W 6-5, @ South Grand Prairie
February 27 vs. Dallas WT White, T 3-3, @ South Grand Prairie
February 28 vs. Garland, W 4-0, @ Irving MacArthur
February 28 vs. Arlington Sam Houston, W 4-2, @ Irving MacArthur
March 1 at South Grand Prairie, L 4-1
March 6 vs. Crandall, W 6-4 (Forney Tournament)
March 6 vs. China Spring, W 2-1 (Forney Tournament)
March 7 vs. Wylie, W 1-0 (Forney Tournament)
March 8 at Forney, W 12-0 (five innings) (Forney Tournament)
March 11 at Dallas Skyline, (District Opener), W 15-1
March 14 vs. Dallas Skyline, (Home Opener), W 15-1
March 18 vs. Lancaster, W 23-2
March 21 at Lancaster, W 16-4
March 25 at Mesquite, W 5-1
March 28 vs. Mesquite, L 12-10
April 1 vs. Waxahachie, W 8-7 (nine innings)
April 4 at Waxahachie, L 5-4
April 8 at DeSoto, W 23-0
April 11 vs. DeSoto, W 8-0
April 15 vs. Mesquite Horn, W 3-2
April 18 at Mesquite Horn, W 5-1
April 22 at Duncanville, L 2-1
April 25 vs. Duncanville, W 9-1
April 26 vs. Mesquite at Forney, L 8-1
May 1 at Harker Heights (First Round Playoff Series, Game 1)
May 2 vs. Harker Heights (First Round Playoff Series, Game 2)
May 3 vs. Harker Heights at TBA (First Round Playoff Series, Game 3 - if necessary)
Photo Courtesy of University of Illinois
Cedar Hill Graduate Signs Free Agent Contract with Las Vegas Raiders
Zakhari Franklin, a 2019 Cedar Hill High School Graduate, signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Franklin, who played for UT San Antonio, Mississippi and Illinois, caught 321 passes for 4,038 yards and 42 touchdowns.