Stepp's 2022 Top 10 Games: No. 2

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Franklin 17, Brock 14

Class 3A Division I State Championship

AT&T Stadium, Arlington

December 15, 2022

 

In what many thought would be the best game of UIL State weekend, the 3A-Division I state title game between Brock and Franklin more than lived up to the hype in what became an epic slugfest in front of  a Thursday night crowd of 13,721.

Franklin would open up the game in typical fashion marching 15 plays and taking over eight minutes off the clock, but the Lions drive would stall and they’d be forced to attempt a field goal, which was no good and the score remained 0-0 with under four minutes left in the first quarter. The rest of the first quarter remained a defensive struggle and after one quarter we had yet to see a team find the scoreboard.

Brock on the opening drive of the second quarter would finally get something going as the Eagles would march 77-yards in thirteen plays and get into the Franklin red zone, but the drive ended as QB Tyler Moody was picked off by Franklin DB Brayden Youree at the four-yard line ending the Brock threat. After a Franklin three and out, Brock would again threaten to score as the Eagles drove to the Franklin seventeen-yard line, but this time the Lions defense would hold and force a Brock field goal attempt which was missed and with 3:14 left in the first half we were tied at 0-0. Franklin after the missed field goal would finally get some offense going as sophomore RB Jayden Jackson would rip off a 45-yard run into the Brock red zone, a few plays later Jackson would punch it in from four-yards out and Franklin struck out to a 7-0 lead with 0:15 left in the half.

After an exchange of three and out’s to open the third quarter, again Brock would move the football and threaten to score as the Eagles marched ten plays down to the Franklin thirteen-yard line, this time a fumble by RB Brett Tutter, recovered by Bryson Washington would end the Brock threat. Franklin would then get into a giving mood of their own as two plays later Jayden Jackson fumbled, with Brock’s Hyatt Dunaway falling on the loose football. Brock would then tie the game up on their first play of the next drive as Reid Watkins would score on a 22-yard run to make it 7-7 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

Franklin would go three and out on their next drive and heading into the fourth quarter momentum was squarely with Brock who had the ball looking to take the lead. Brock would have the ball for eight plays and move into Franklin territory and then Franklin’s defense would make a massive play to turn the game on its head. After QB Tyler Moody completed a short pass to Zachary Brewster, while Brewster was fighting for extra yards, Franklin DB Fragiel Owens would rip the ball from Brewster and race 64-yards the other way for a touchdown to give Franklin a 14-7 lead with 8:22 left in the game. Brock would waste little time answering back needing just four plays to drive 69-yards to tie the game up at 14-14 as Moody connected with Brett Tutter for a 34-yard touchdown pass as Tutter made an outstanding leaping catch.

Franklin would get the ball back with 5:54 left in the game and the Lions and their Slot-T offense had zero desire to give the ball back to Brock. Franklin would march 65-yards on sixteen plays to move the ball inside the Brock one-yard line. The key play in the game was on third and eight from the Brock 30-yard line, Franklin threw their first pass of the game as QB Cort Lowrey connected with Devyn Hidrogo for a fourteen-yard pass to keep the Franklin drive alive, setting up a few plays later Lowrey’s twenty-yard game and state title winning field goal which would split the uprights giving Franklin their second straight state title in the 17-14 win, sending Brock home as state runner-up for the second straight year.

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