Army Strong Teams of Week 16
Class 5A: Abilene
Abilene won its seventh state title but its first since 1956 with an impressive 28-17 win over two-time defending champion Katy in the Class 5A-Division II state championship game. QB Ronnell Sims rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries as the Eagles completed an undefeated season at 15-0. Abilene's previous titles came in 1923, 1928, 1931, 1954, 1955 and 1956.
Class 4A: Lake Travis
Lake Travis normally relies on a high-powered offense, but in the Class 4A-Division II state title game against Longview, it was Lake Travis' defense that made the difference. Longview had scored 99 points in its previous two games, but Lake Travis held Longview to three first-half points en route to a 24-17 victory. Lake Travis QB Michael Brewer threw for 194 yards as Lake Travis won its third consecutive state championship and finished a perfect 16-0.
Class 3A: Carthage
In perhaps the most exciting game of the day, Carthage jumped out to a 13-0 lead, then had to make a key stop on a two-point conversion to hold on for a 13-12 win over Graham in the Class 3A-Division II state title game. Graham scored a touchdown with 1:22 left but faked the extra point, and Carthage's DeShun Williams made the tackle to preserve the victory. Carthage went 16-0 for the first time in school history and won its second state title.
Class 2A: Daingerfield
It was a big day for East Texas football, and no one came up bigger than Daingerfield. The Tigers left no doubt about who was the best team in Class 2A-Division II with a 62-14 rout of Bushland in the state championship game. QB Tyler Boyd passed for 175 yards and 5 TDs and rushed for another touchdown as Daingerfield won its fifth state title. Daingerfield's KoKo Smith completed a fantastic playoff run with 293 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Class 1A: Cayuga
Cayuga fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, but the Wildcats' outstanding offense took over from there and ran away with a 38-24 win over Albany to claim the Class 1A-Division II state championship. Cayuga QB Malcome Kennedy rushed for 241 yards and two TDs and RB Traylon Shead added 144 yards and two TD runs despite suffering a pulled hamstring during pregame warmups. Cayuga finished its season 14-1 and earned its first state championship after losing to Stratford in last year's title game.
