It takes double overtime but Navasota wins a Texas state title.
Navasota coach Lee Fedora gets an ice bath after his team's state title victory.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Record-setting
quarterback
Shelton Eppler threw for 493 yards and four touchdowns to
lead
Navasota to a 42-35 double-overtime victory for the state
title over
Argyle in Class 4A Division I (enrollment 686-1,059) Friday evening
before a crowd of 20,853 at AT&T Stadium.
Eppler established a
record for touchdown passes in a season with 71. The record he surpassed, 68 by
Travis Quintanilla of Refugio, was set last year.
The junior saved
two touchdown throws for overtime, hitting
Tren'Davian Dickson on a
3-yarder to force a second overtime and a 13-yarder that stood up as the
game-winner.
Tren'Davian Dickson, Navasota
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Even though Navasota's closest previous victory
margin was 18 points, coach Lee Fedora made overtime simulation a
regular part of practice each Thursday. Said Fedora: "Fifteen weeks of
doing it got our kids prepared.''
The biggest play of the game
occurred in the first overtime. Trailing 35-28, the Rattlers faced
fourth-and-10 at the Eagles 25 when Eppler connected with Dickson for 18
yards and first down.
Navasota (16-0) forced overtime on
Eppler's 1-yard touchdown run in the final minute of regulation. An
interception by Navasota's
Jerbrell Lipscomb at the Argyle 37 with 1:39
remaining set up the equalizer.
Argyle (15-1), the defending
state champion, saw its 31-game winning streak end despite a heroic
performance from senior running back
Nick Ralston: 54 carries for 221
yards and three touchdowns, including the first score of overtime.
Ralston is verbally committed to Arizona State.
The Eagles fought
out of an early 14-point hole and finally went ahead for the first time,
28-21, on
Cooper Rodgers' 36-yard touchdown pass to
Hunter Markwardt in
the final minute of the third quarter.
Argyle's defense sacked Eppler eight times, three courtesy of
Taylor Sweatt, voted the game's outstanding defender.
Dickson
was chosen offensive MVP with 12 catches for 177 yards and four
touchdowns. Fellow receiver
Sammy Blair made nine catches for 170 yards.
The state title is the second for Navasota. The Rattlers' previous championship came in 2012.
Navasota quarterback Shelton Eppler set a Texas state record Friday.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Navasota finished with a perfect record.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
