Canadian scores game's final five touchdowns in 34-7 victory over Mason; 21-point fourth-quarter rally sends Bremond past Albany, 28-21.
Canadian was in control for the entire game in its Class 2A Division I championship win over Mason on Thursday.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
completed 22 of 28 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns to guide
Canadian to a 34-7 victory over
Mason in the Texas championship game for Class 2A Division I (enrollment 158-219) Thursday afternoon at AT&T Stadium.
Schafer, a junior, connected on a 19-yard tying touchdown pass to
Cameron Copley early in the second quarter and went to
Ryan Royse for a 9-yard score and a 21-7 lead just after halftime. Schafer was named the game's offensive MVP.
Chance Cook (12 carries, 80 yards) capped the scoring with second-half touchdown runs of 11 and six yards.
Canadian (15-0) reeled off the game's final 34 points after Mason (14-1) jumped to an early 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run by
Miguel Castillo.
Third downs were a big reason for the Wildcats' success. Canadian converted 8 of 15 to Mason's 1 of 11.
Canadian linebacker
Andrew Ezzell, the Class 2A defensive player of the year, finished with 10 tackles and a forced fumble on the way to game defensive MVP honors.
Sawyer Cook and
Braiden Galla intercepted passes for Canadian. Copley had a fumble recovery.
Castillo led Mason on the ground with 73 yards and threw for 45.
The state title is the third for Canadian. The Wildcats won back-to-back titles in 2007-08 and lost in the finals in 2009.
"It's been a special day, period,'' said Canadian coach Chris Koetting.
Albany came up just short in Thursday's championship game.
File photo by Kip Garner
: Sophomores
Roshauud Paul and
Joe Williams led a 21-point fourth quarter comeback to send the Tigers to their second state championship in Thursday's Class 2A Division II (enrollment 105-157) title game.
Bremond (15-0) won its previous state title in 1981 and finished state runner-up four times between championships.
Paul scored the game-tying touchdown on a 35-yard run with 4:19 remaining and the winner with 1:17 to play on a 23-yard keeper.
The go-ahead score was set up by Williams' second interception of the day. He took the game's defensive MVP honors.
Paul finished with 149 rushing yards to go with 79 passing yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to
Joshua White in the second quarter, and was named offensive MVP.
Albany (14-1) scored the game's initial 14 points and led 21-7 after three quarters. Junior quarterback
Drew Neece threw for one touchdown and ran for another. Junior
Alex Faith accounted for all 108 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Bremond lost two fumbles in the first half and another in the opening five minutes of the second half, prompting coach Jeff Kasowski to insert
Rayandre Browning for a series. The Tigers' drive did not result in points, but seemed to steady the team when Paul returned in the next series.
Roman Fuentes,
Levi Britting and Neece had fumble recoveries for Albany. White accounted for Bremond's third interception.
