Takeaways help Stephenville claim sixth state title
ARLINGTON — Ryder Lambert threw three touchdown passes to Coy Eakin, and Stephenville scored 24 points off turnovers to beat Austin LBJ 38-21 for the Class 4A Division I state championship Friday, its sixth title in program history.
LBJ trailed 24-0 in the second quarter and never got closer than 17 points the rest of the way.
Eakin finished with a game-high nine catches for 187 yards, also scoring on a 7-yard run in the first quarter. He finished the season with 2,140 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns.
“So proud of our football team and the way they prepared all season,” said Stephenville coach Sterling Doty, who previously was at Magnolia and brings a state title back to his alma mater. “In the first half, the war dogs went out and put a ton of pressure on the quarterback and their running attack. We were able to execute the game plan perfectly.
“… We wanted to play so well and to be able to finish and bring back this sixth state title.”
LBJ quarterback Oscar Gordon, a Texas Southern signee, finished 30 of 48 passing for 372 yards and three touchdowns. Stephenville recovered five fumbles and had a plus-4 turnover margin.
LBJ receiver Noah Baker caught two touchdowns, including one from 33 yards late in the first half, from Oscar Gordon. Gordon later threw a 29-yard pass to Sedrick Alexander.
LBJ is the first school from the Austin school district to reach a state football championship since 1973 and was trying to give the district its first championship since 1970. Last year, the Jaguars reached the 4A Divison I state semifinals.
CHINA SPRING 31, GILMER 7
Quarterback Major Bowden powered the Cougars to their first state title since 1978 in a rout of the Buckeyes in the Class 4A Division II final.
Bowden rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns and outdueled Gilmer QB Brandon Tennison, who threw for just 136 yards and no touchdowns.
The game was billed as a battle between two star quarterbacks who were both among the 10 finalists for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s Mr. Texas Football player of the year award. But the running attack carried China Spring’s offense.
Despite the final score, neither team could gain much ground in the first half until Gilmore set up to take a field goal in the waning moments before halftime. Instead of Gilmer taking a lead, China Spring blocked the field goal and Gabe Watkins picked up the loose ball and took it to the house. The touchdown gave the Cougars a halftime lead they would never relinquish.
FRANKLIN 49, GUNTER 35
Malcolm Murphy rushed for 278 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Lions over the Tigers in the Class 3A Division II state final Thursday night.
Murphy’s biggest play was an 86-yard touchdown run to give Franklin its final touchdown with 9:35 remaining. Murphy also had two interceptions on defense. Bryson Washington added 171 yards and three touchdowns while Bobby Washington had 102 yards as Franklin set a Class 3A state title game record with 523 rushing yards, breaking the previous mark of 512 set by East Bernard in 2012. Franklin did not complete a pass.
Franklin (16-0) picked up its first state title after two previous title-game losses, including a 35-34 defeat to Canadian in 2020. Gunter (15-1) was denied its third state title since 2016. Gunter QB Hudson “Hut” Graham passed for 149 yards and three touchdowns.