Franklin wins Class 3A Division II title

ARLINGTON — Malcolm Murphy rushed for 278 yards and four touchdowns to lead Franklin to a 49-35 win over Gunter in the Class 3A Division II state final Thursday at AT&T Stadium.

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.

Dallas Morning News

STRATFORD 39 FALLS CITY 27

Quiet and disappointed, the Falls City Beavers lined up and faced their fans as the postgame awards for the Class 2A Division II state championship were revealed.

When Falls City senior quarterback and safety Luke Shaffer’s name was announced as the defensive game MVP from the speakers at AT&T Stadium, a brief celebration ensued.

It was a highlight in an otherwise tough day for the Beavers, who fell to Stratford (15-1).

Although Falls City (14-2) lost, it was tough to ignore Shaffer, who recorded 16½ tackles.

It wasn’t enough. The Elks rode a strong second half that was sparked by recovering a pooch kick to open the third quarter as they erased a 21-13 halftime deficit.

David Hinojosa

LORENA 35, BROCK 18

Lorena (14-2) scored on its first two drives and never trailed to beat Brock (15-1) in the Class 3A Division I title game before a crowd of 13,337. The state title was Lorena’s first since 1987.

Rhett Hanson ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries, and was voted the game’s offensive MVP. Lorena’s Baxter Bankston was the defensive MVP with six tackles, three for loss, two sacks and one hurry.