Slone Stultz, Punchers shut down high-powered New Deal

After falling to Refugio in the Class 2A Division I playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2015-2017, Mason coach Kade Burns knew the Punchers were going to have to make a change in order to have a shot at advancing out of the wildly competitive bracket Region IV bracket. 

Burns paid close attention to how much of a strength advantage the Bobcats had, and in turn vowed last summer to ensure Mason developed into the team with the physical edge. 

The Punchers got past Refugio 28-14 in the regional semifinals and finally put their evolved brute strength on display for the entire state to see against New Deal in Thursday afternoon’s state championship game at AT&T Stadium. 

Mason held New Deal to just 172 yards and had a clear advantage in the trenches while rolling to a 44-6 win, claiming the program’s second-ever state title.

“It’s hard for kids, especially teenagers, to see what they’re working for when it’s so far away,” Burns said. “When you’re in there in January trying to hammer home why, and using that time to get yourself ready to be in this position, it’s hard sometimes for them to see that far down the line.

“We take it a day at a time and I stay on these guys 24/7 for the most part to try to make sure they do everything they can in the prep work to get themselves ready.”

Defensive end Slone Stultz was a perfect representation of just how dominant the Punchers were against the Lions, who entered the game averaging more than 46 points per game. Stultz set the tone right away in the first half, recording 6.5 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, a blocked extra point and a forced fumble. 

The junior also drilled New Deal quarterback Jett Whitfeld just as he released a pass late in the second quarter, forcing an errant throw that was intercepted by Mason defensive back Tyson Keller.

Stultz was named the game’s Defensive MVP as the Punchers held New Deal to its lowest scoring output since the 2016 area round, when Forsan knocked off the Lions 51-8. DK Blaylock, the Lions' one-time Iowa State commit, had just one catch for 15 yards.

“I credit it all to the weight room and these seniors pushing us all summer and through two-a-days,” Stultz said. “The seniors pushed us one last time to get the dub.”

With its defense holding New Deal scoreless aside from a 15-yard TD pass from Whitfeld to Kendell Dunn in the first quarter, Mason executed its ball-control, run-heavy offense to perfection after forcing a turnover on downs inside the red zone on the first play of the second. 

The Punchers, who led 14-6 at the time after a 1-yard touchdown run from Wofford and an 11-yard TD run from Klaerner, proceeded to chew up 8:47 of the clock with a brutally methodical and demoralizing drive that covered 84 yards and featured 14 running plays and just one pass. 

Cockerham – the game’s Offensive MVP – finally capped off the masterful effort with a 2-yard TD run to make it 21-6 with 3:05 to go in the second, and a Tyson Keller interception gave the Punchers a chance to make it 24-6 on a 28-yard field goal just before the half. 

“We pride ourselves on physicality, so when we have those long drawn out drives where we’re just pounding it – shoving it down their throat basically – and they can’t stop it, it’s just a lot of fun for us,” Cockerham said. “It starts building momentum. We make them quit. That’s our goal, to make every team we play quit. 

“It started to show later on. They were physically outmatched and got tired.”

Mason continued to pile it on in the second half as Cockerham broke off a 55-yard TD run on the Punchers’ first possession of the third quarter. Klaerner scored on a 10-yard TD run around the right side with 2:27 left in the third and Chandler Buntyn added the final score of the game on a 6-yard TD run early in the fourth. 

Cockerham finished with 11 carries for 105 yards and 2 TDs while Klaerner added 13 carries for 103 yards and two scores. Otto Wofford was 13-of-16 passing for 159 yards and had nine carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. 

The win gave Burns, who took over in 2011, his 100th win with the Punchers. Mason is 100-9 under Burns over the last eight years. 

“It means we have a lot of really good players,” Burns said. “We can line them up and draw up the X’s and O’s and tell them where to go, but at the end of the day they have to go do it. That’s what we feel like we have – guys that understand the game. 

“It’s a special place in Mason because of the tremendous amount of support, and you saw that today. That’s what I told somebody after the game. This isn’t a win for the Mason football team, it’s a win for the entire community.”

- Brady Keane
 

VIDEO RECAP

 

Wofford finds retribution in state championship win

Otto Wofford left the field at the Alamodome in a state of dejection and frustration after a second-quarter ejection for a targeting penalty signaled an end to his day in a state quarterfinal matchup against a Refugio squad that had ended his Mason teams’ seasons the previous three years.

On Thursday afternoon at AT&T Stadium, Wofford left the field under much different circumstances.

While his backup, Whitt Bierschwale was leading the Punchers on one final drive in the Class 2A Division I state title game against New Deal, Wofford was taking congratulatory high fives and hugs from his teammates and coaches while the clock ticked closer to zeroes.

After thinking his high school career ended with an ejection less than two weeks ago, he’ll now be getting sized for a state championship ring after leading the Punchers to a resounding win behind a 13-of-16 passing day for 159 yards and 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

“As soon as (the ejection) happened against Refugio, and I was walking off the field, that’s all that was going through my mind was that this is it, this is my senior year and this is how I’m gonna go out,” Wofford said. “After I calmed myself down, I realized my team had it and I needed to help them.”

So that’s what Wofford did. Whether it was simply keeping spirits high on the sidelines in a tight game against a team that had the Punchers’ number in recent years or giving one-on-one tutoring sessions to his backup quarterback or his backup safety, Wofford tried to find every way possible to help his team.

“Our motto is ‘We’ve got your six,’” Mason coach Kade Burns said, referring to an old military saying that originated with World War I pilots having another pilot’s back. “When Otto went down, just the feel of the team was way different than what I anticipated. It was absolutely perfect. We went in at halftime, I remember talking to the kids and looking in their eyes and seeing smiles, and I did not see that coming. It was a very mature way to handle it.

“It was one of those deals where it was next guy up. We knew the other guys probably had to take more of a load but at the end of the day, they’re all great teammates and never out of it.”

Bierschwale threw a key touchdown pass in that game against Refugio to extend the Punchers’ lead to 28-14, which ended up being the final margin to secure a state semifinal berth and shake the Refugio demon.

“He played amazing. He couldn’t have done better as a backup QB stepping into the job,” Wofford said. “It helped boost his confidence for next year since he’s coming back. It’ll be his team next year and it was good for him to get playing time and get into a big game like that and get some good playing time. He played really good.”

- Adam Boedeker
 

BOX SCORE

Mason 44, New Deal 6

Mason	14	10	13	7	-	44
New Deal	6	0	0	0	-	6

Scoring Summary

1st Qtr. 9:30

Mason – Otto Wofford 1-yard run (Kyle Montoya kick)

1st Qtr. 3:43

New Deal – Kendell Dunn 15-yard pass from Jett Whitfeld (Kick blocked)

1st Qtr. 2:47 

Mason – Klay Klaerner 11-yard run (Montoya kick)

2nd Qtr. 3:05

Mason – Jake Cockerham 2-yard run (Montoya kick)

2nd Qtr. 0:03

Mason – Montoya 28-yard field goal 

3rd Qtr. 9:16

Mason – Cockerham 55-yard run (Montoya kick)

3rd Qtr. 2:27

Mason – Klaerner 10-yard run 

4th Qtr. 11:14

Mason – Chandler Buntyn 6-yard run (Montoya kick)

Team Stats

	Mason	New Deal
First downs	21	9
Rushing yards	42 – 276	25 – 81
Passing yards	159	91
Passing	13-17-0	6-16-2
Punts – Avg.	0 – 0	3 – 26.3
Penalties – Yards	6 – 45	1 – 10
Fumbles – Lost	2 – 0	3 – 0
Third-Down Conversions	4-of-9	2-of-9
Possession Time	28:13	19:47

 

Mason Individual Leaders

Rushing – Jake Cockerham 11-105, Klay Klaerner 13-103, Otto Wofford 9-71, Chandler Buntyn 4-17, Jose Valdez 2-5, Jase Eckert 1-2, Josh Fluhmann 1-0, TEAM 1-(-27). 

Passing – Otto Wofford 13-16-0-159, TEAM 0-1-0-0. 

Receiving – Ethan Powell 4-54, Zach Norman 2-48, Klay Klaerner 2-25, Jake Cockerham 1-10, Roman Coe 1-9, Tyson Keller 1-9, Tad Kirby 1-5, Chandler Buntyn 1-(-1). 

New Deal Individual Leaders

Rushing –Jett Whitfeld 20-47, Kendell Dunn 2-25, Haden Caudill 1-6, David Morgan 1-3, Deandre Nelson 1-0. 

Passing – Jett Whitfeld 6-16-2-91.

Receiving – Kendell Dunn 4-75, DK Blaylock 1-15, David Morgan 1-1. 

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