2016 UIL Football State Championship Games Recap, Saturday, 12-17
Today, the college bowl season kicked off, and admittedly, that divided my attention a bit--among other events. Not so much, however, that I can't at least give a quick rundown of the final Texas State Championship games.
5A Division I: Temple Wildcats vs. Highland Park Scots
All of you have probably heard this to death, but Jerry Jones' grandson, John Stephen Jones, is the starting quarterback for Highland Park. Of course, lineage alone doesn't guarantee anything, and that was proven by Temple going up 7-0 in the first quarter. In fact, the Scots were held scoreless until late in the second quarter, where Jones got loose for a 30-yard rushing touchdown. When the PAT was converted, the game was tied 7-7. That would be the last score of any kind until the midway point of the third period. Highland Park struck with a touchdown, and went up 14-7 after the extra point was successful. The game was clinched with five minutes left in the game, thanks to Highland Park getting a safety to put them up 16-7. After that, the clock was run down to two minutes left, and the defense did the rest. The Scots had earned themselves a state championship.
6A Division II: Cibolo Steele Knights vs. DeSoto Eagles
DeSoto entirely controlled the first half, and went into the locker room up 28-10. Steele chipped away throughout the second half, and got it down to a 29-35 score. Unfortunately for the Knights, they turned the ball over around their own 30-yard line with less than five minutes to go in the game. The Eagles ran the clock down to nearly two minutes left in the game, and successfully made a field goal. That put DeSoto up 38-29, and the defense kept it that way until the clock expired. The Eagles were winners of the 6A Division II title.
6A Division I: Austin Lake Travis Cavaliers vs. The Woodlands Highlanders
Like the previous game, one side dominated the other, and in this affair, the dominator was Lake Travis. The Cavaliers were up 27-0 with only a minute left in the first half, and all looked well. However, the Highlanders scored a touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Woodlands couldn't maximize their points, though, because they had the extra point blocked. Thanks to the blocked PAT, Lake Travis took a 27-6 lead into halftime. Unlike the Steele Knights, the Highlanders couldn't make the game close. Lake Travis was able to maintain their offensive attack, while the defense only gave up one score in the second half. The Cavaliers would win the game with a score of 41-13, having secured their state title early in the second half.
