The 2023 Cedar Hill High School football season was a special one. You could say it was not once, not twice, but three times as nice for one set of players.
Triplets Jordan Coleman, Devin Coleman, and Isaiah Coleman shared the joy of a turnaround for the Longhorns, who went 2-8 in 2022. As starting members of the team, they played a key role in the team advancing to the Class 5A Division II Region championship game.
All three are juniors. Jordan is an offensive lineman with the most varsity experience, three years. Devin plays on both the offensive and defensive line, and Isaiah is on the defensive line. Both now have two years of varsity experience.
“This Season has been a 180. From 2-8 to 8-6 and being in the regional final has been one to remember,” Devin said. “Coach (Nicholas) Ward has been an amazing coach by getting us to believe in ourselves and be dogs.”
Behind the blocking of Jordan and Devin, the Longhorns averaged almost 300 yards of offense per game. On defense, Devin and Isaiah were often an impenetrable force.
The Longhorns ended the regular season with a 5-5 record and in fourth place in the very tough District 11-6A with a 4-3 record. The district includes nationally ranked Duncanville (13th) and DeSoto (7th), the defensive Class 6A Division I and II state champions.
The Longhorns were 1-4 five games into the season. Then, they caught fire and won seven of their next nine, with the two losses coming to DeSoto, who eliminated them in the regional final.
Once in the postseason, after missing in 2022, they made their deepest run since reaching the state final in 2020 under former coach Carlos Lynn, who led them to the third round in 2021.
“The season was extremely special. From starting the season 1-4 to flipping it around and being in the fourth round was really special,” Jordan said. “Knowing we have everyone back next year is what I’m looking forward to.”
The brothers have been competing alongside each other since their father got them involved in peewee football, and they fell in love with the sport. They also compete together in powerlifting and track and field.
They also have taken many classes together. And yes, they hope to attend college together, though they are still determining where that will be. They understand they could receive scholarship offers from different schools because of their talents, but that’s not a topic they choose to consider currently.
Devin and Isaiah plan to study business in college, while Jordan is undecided.
In the meantime, they are already looking forward to next season and helping the Longhorns advance another couple of rounds, perhaps even walking away with another state championship trophy. The program won state titles in 2006, 2013, and 2014 while finishing second in 20012, all under coach Joey McGuire, now the head coach at Texas Tech University.
“My goal for my senior season is just like many others, to win state,” Isaiah said matter of factly.
Jordan elaborated, “Being able to win state with my real brothers and my football brothers is what I’m mostly looking forward to in my senior year. “