Smithson Valley earns Hill his first state title

ARLINGTON – Smithson Valley’s defense shut out Highland Park in the second half, while Julian Colunga had a Pick-6 to spark the Rangers to a 32-20 victory over the Scots and claim the 5A-DI state championship.

The Rangers, who are in District 13-5A DI with Boerne Champion, ended the San Antonio area’s 14-year drought without a public- school football state title after Saturday’s win at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

It’s also Larry Hill’s first championship in his fifth attempt after 34 years as a head coach.

The fireworks started early on Saturday after Highland Park scored first and drove down the field quickly on its opening drive that ended with a Cannon Bozman 49-yard touchdown catch from Buck Randall.

The Rangers kicked field goals of 27 and 35 yards from Trent Amaya in the first quarter to make it 7-6, but the Scots answered with a 73-yard pass and catch from Randall to Benton Owens to make it 14-6 after the PAT.

Things changed on the next Scots’ drive as Randall’s slant pass was picked off by Colunga and returned 23 yards for a touchdown for the Rangers’ first lead at 14-13, with the game still in the first quarter.

In the second period, the Rangers added to their lead after Cade Spradling threw a touchdown pass to Brody Day to put the Rangers up 20-14.

It was field goals the rest of the way in the first half with Amaya knocking in a 24 yarder and Highland Park’s Sutton Stock making kicks of 40 and 42 yards to give the Rangers a 23-20 halftime lead.

Smithson Valley’s defense was masterful in the second half and pitched a shutout.

Amaya, who had a great day for the Rangers, drilled his fourth field goal of the game, a 30-yarder, for the only points of the third quarter to put SV up, 26-20.

Spradling added to the lead with a 3-yard run late in the fourth quarter to make it 32-20 with 3:39 left.

It was basically over with PK Moeller’s interception of a Scots’ pass with 2:28 remaining in the title tilt.

NOTES: Larry Hill had 323 wins entering Saturday’s game, the most victories by a head coach without a state title. His 34-year wait is the second longest wait for a Texas high school football head coach before earning his first title, one year short of the record.