We’re three Fridays away from Week 1 of the TXHSFB season, which is simultaneously right around the corner and an eternity away. To help ease fans through the last dog days of summer, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football walked down memory lane with eight head coaches reminiscing about their favorite play calls in their career.

Scott Surratt, Carthage

Carthage head coach Scott Surratt’s favorite play call in his career came directly after what should’ve been his favorite touchdown call was brought back because of a penalty.

The Bulldogs were in a track meet with the 14-0 Brownwood Lions in the 2010 state semifinals. Brownwood’s offense, headlined by future Texas Longhorns wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, was attempting to set a state record for points scored (they’d finish with 801 points in 15 games, a 53.4 points per game average). At one point that year, the Lions had scored on 19 consecutive possessions. 

Carthage’s offense had to keep the ball away from Brownwood. Running back Hunter Holland rushed for over 300 yards, while quarterback Anthony Morgan threw for over 300. But the game was still in doubt even with those heroic efforts. Shipley, who finished the 2010 season with 87 catches for 1,653 yards and 27 touchdowns, couldn’t be stopped by Carthage’s DI safety, corner and linebacker all playing bracket coverage.

“We went for it on fourth-and-13 from our own 20 and fourth-and-10 from our own 30 because we said, ‘We’re not punting it to Shipley. We’re going for it every time,’” Surratt said.

Surratt had to dig deep in his bag of tricks with four minutes remaining in the game and the score tied 28-28. He dialed up a reverse pass where wide receiver Courtlyn Ware took a jet sweep, then threw the ball back to Morgan at QB, who then threw a jump-ball touchdown to wide receiver Edward Pope. Carthage had taken a critical lead for all of five seconds before the official called the touchdown back because Ware had thrown a forward pass to Morgan. 

Surratt was livid, and he let the line judge know it. He’d stood directly down the line of scrimmage and swore Ware’s pass had gone three yards backward. 

“I’d bet you $1,000 that it wasn't a forward pass,” Surratt said.

“How about a steak dinner?” the line judge said.

As Surratt gave the official an earful, Carthage’s coaches in the booth alerted him that the play clock was winding down. They had to stop worrying about the play that would’ve been and instead focus on the play that was about to be.

Surratt called Jack Right Pap 9 Has 9 Go/Leak.

Morgan took the snap and threw a 29-yard touchdown strike on a go route to Courtlyn Ware with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter. The touchdown ended up being the game-winner - Brownwood drove the ball all the way to Carthage’s 5-yard line before an incomplete pass ended the game.

Surratt didn’t win the bet, but his Bulldogs did win their third consecutive state championship the following week.