Duncanville senior quarterback J’Coryon Rivers didn’t get much playing time in the first six games of the season and threw only 16 passes in that span while backing up junior Maximus The Great Denson.
Denson was having a tremendous season in his first year as the starter, accounting for 20 touchdowns and only one interception, and he tied the school record for most touchdown passes in a game when he threw seven in a 48-28 win over three-time state champion DeSoto on Oct. 10.
But Duncanville suddenly made a change after beating Mesquite Horn on Oct. 23 — even though the three-time state champion was averaging 39.2 points per game — and Denson hasn’t played since.
“He’s got some personal issues,” Duncanville coach Reginald Samples said Monday. “I’ve been instructed to not talk about it.”
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Rivers took over as the starter against Mesquite High on Oct. 31 and is 4-0 since. It looks like he will continue in that role as Duncanville (9-1) prepares to play Klein Collins (11-1) in a Class 6A Division I Region II semifinal at 4 p.m. Saturday at Hutto’s Memorial Stadium.
When asked if it looks like Rivers will be the starter going forward, Samples would only say, “It looks like it.”
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In the last four games, Rivers has completed 64% of his passes and thrown for 775 yards and eight touchdowns, with only one interception, as Duncanville has averaged 35.3 points. Duncanville has opened the playoffs with wins over Temple and Rockwall-Heath as it tries to win its third state title in four years.
The one thing Duncanville loses with Rivers starting in place of Denson is the threat of a running quarterback. Denson ran for 263 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.4 yards on 28 carries, while Rivers has seven carries for no yards on the season.
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