Stepp's Top 10 Texas High School Football Games of 2019: No. 6 Alvin Shadow Creek 28, Denton Ryan 22

Alvin Shadow Creek vs. Denton Ryan (Photo by Russell Wilburn)

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December 20, 2019

Alvin Shadow Creek 28, Denton Ryan 22: In a battle of unbeaten teams loaded with star power, the depth and team speed of the Alvin Shadow Creek Sharks proved to be the difference as Brad Butler’s squad earned the Class 5A-Division I state title in just their second varsity season.

Shadow Creek’s defensive line dominated the game from the outset and gave a Denton Ryan team that had won its first 15 games by 26 points or more all kinds of problems. SC opened up the game forcing a Denton Ryan three and out and stopping Alabama commit Drew Sanders on a third and short run, which completely set the tone for the night. The Sharks then marched 10 plays on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run by junior QB Kyron Drones.

Denton Ryan would take the lead on the ensuing kickoff, utilizing the “starburst” kickoff return that saw Tra Smith return the kick 91-yards for a touchdown. It would be the No. 1 play on Sportscenter's Top Plays. Ryan took the lead after Drew Sanders' two-point run.

Both defenses settled in with the next score coming on one of the more bizarre plays you'll see as Randy Masters returned a punt 37-yards for a touchdown putting SCHS up 14-8. Denton Ryan lined up to punt and the snap went over the punters head and toward the end zone. Ryan’s punter kicked the ball off the ground (resulting in a flag for illegal kick). Players on both teams stopped for a moment except for Masters, who scooped up the ball and sprinted down the sideline for the touchdown untouched. Shadow Creek declined the penalty, which would have resulted in a safety, and took the result of the play for a touchdown.

Shadow Creek’s lead could have been larger at halftime if not for a pair of interceptions to stop scoring drives by Denton Ryan DB Billy Bowman, Jr., who is a Texas commit. The Sharks opened the second half in much the same way as the first half, marching 92 yards in 10 plays with Drones again scoring on a short run to give the Sharks control of the game at 21-8.

Ryan, which had just 59 yards of offense in the first half, finally got the offense going in the third quarter cutting the lead to 21-15 on a two-yard run from Drew Sanders capping an 11-play 73-yard drive.

Shadow Creek looked to lock the game up with 3:08 left in the game as sophomore RB Kelvon Brown scored on an eight yard run to give the Sharks a two score lead at 28-15. Denton Ryan was able to cut the lead to 28-22 as Seth Henigan hooked up with Ja’Tavion Sanders for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The Denton Ryan onside kick failed, but the Raiders quickly used their three timeouts and got the ball back on their own 18 with 47 seconds left after forcing a Shadow Creek three and out.

The Raiders would move 57 yards in six plays, aided by a personal foul penalty to give themselves a chance to throw into the end zone on the game’s final play for a potential game winning score. The pass fell incomplete, thoiugh, barely missing the outstretched hands of Sanders, which allowed Shadow Creek to escape with a thrilling state championship victory.

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