It was a first quarter to remember for Stephenville, and one most certainly to forget for Austin LBJ.

Stephenville forced four fumbles in the first quarter to jump out to a 17-0 lead en route to a 38-14 victory over the Jaguars in the Class 4A Division I UIL Football State Championship at AT&T Stadium on Friday.

Coy Eakin was named the game’s offensive MVP, but it was a play he made on defense that may have stolen the show when, after a Jaguars interception near the endzone, he popped the ball out of an LBJ defender’s hands and into those of his teammate, Kallan Kimbrough, who worked his way in from a few yards out for a touchdown to give the Yellowjackets a 30-7 lead early in the third quarter.

Eakin scored the first three Stephenville touchdowns, the first coming on a nifty one-handed grab that is good enough for the top play on any Top 10 list you’ll find tonight.

Stephenville claimed their sixth state championship.

Eakin capped off his game with 187 receiving yards and four total touchdowns. He came just shy of the UIL 4A State Championship record for receiving yards held by Mekhi Colbert of Carthage in 2017 with 191.

It wasn’t all the Eakin show for Stephenville (16-0) as QB Ryder Lambert passed for 258 yards and three touchdowns. DL Reese Young led the team in tackles with 14 and also recovered a fumble, which earned his defensive MVP honors. Camden McKinney backed him up with six solo tackles and a tackle for loss.

Austin LBJ (15-1) never gave up the fight. The Jaguars tried to make a fourth quarter comeback after DB Kaleb Brown forced an interception. But they failed to capitalize the rest of the game.

WR Noah Baker had 78 yards and two touchdowns through the air while securing an interception. QB Oscar Gordon was 30 of 48 for 372 yards and three touchdowns and 30 rushing yards. WRs Trent Leary, Keilan Rogers, and Sedrick Alexander all had 80-plus yards for LBJ with Alexander grabbing a touchdown.

DL Christopher Coleman tried to slow down the Yellow Jackets with his team leading 10 tackles and a TFL.