Celina 42, Anna 40, 4 OT

September 15, 2023

Bobcat Stadium

Celina, TX

Celina for multiple decades had been the small school power of record in the northern reaches of the DFW Metroplex, while Anna to be frank was an after-thought, in a good year the Coyotes were a middle of the road program and most years they were out of playoff contention. The paradigm shifted in 2022 for Anna as under second year head coach Seth Parr, the Coyotes not only beat Celina for the first time in 50 years in 2022, but they repeated the feat in the playoffs handing Celina their only two losses of the season. So Celina at home faced the unfamiliar feeling of not only being a home underdog, but an underdog to Anna and the sting of last year’s defeats were still fresh on a motivated Bobcats squad for this Week 4 showdown.

Favored Anna controlled the action for much of the first half at one point holding a 20-3 edge after Anna LB Abram Greer blocked a Celina field goal and Jadun Mason-Davis raced 62 yards for the score. Anna had staked that lead on the strength of two touchdown passes by sophomore signal caller Ziondre Williams. The first a 16-yard pass to Bo Brown and the second an 80-yard strike to Erik Bowen.

With Celina appearing on the ropes and getting blown out, the Bobcats special teams got them right back in the game on the ensuing kickoff as Bowe Bentley raced 78-yards for the score and after a failed PAT Celina had cut the Anna deficit to 20-9. Anna would tack on a field goal right before halftime as Camden Schlicht was true from 27-yards out and at halftime Anna held a two touchdown lead at 23-9.

Celina would dominate the third quarter tying the game up at 23-23 with 1:16 left in the third quarter, scoring on runs of 2 yards by RB Logan Gutierrez and twelve yards by junior Harrison Williams. Celina’s defense made some adjustments at halftime throwing different looks at Anna’s young quarterback. A key in this emotional game was penalties as Anna had four personal fouls called on them during Celina’s third quarter rally. Celina would also have a key personal foul called on them as Anna would regain the lead midway through in the fourth quarter on a 27-yard scoring connection between QB Williams and WR Sean Steens.

Celina appeared to be in trouble as after a three and out Anna would march into the Celina red zone and after using their final timeout, Anna lined up for a possible game clinching field goal, but the kick sailed wide and Celina had a chance to tie the game, but they needed to march 80-yards with just 1:31 left in the game.

The Bobcats wouldn’t need much time to answer as just two plays later QB Knox Porter found WR Kaleb Hill behind the Anna defense for a game-tying 71-yard touchdown pass to send the Celina side into a frenzy as the game would head into overtime tied at 30-30.

In overtime neither team could get any points in the first series as Celina DB Tyler Vincent would pick off Anna QB Williams setting up the Bobcats for a chance to win it, but a 42-yard field goal sailed wide and the game would head to a second overtime tied at 30.

Celina would open with the ball in the second overtime and this time the Bobcats would find the end zone as Gutierrez would score on an 18-yard touchdown run to make it 36-30, overtime rules dictate you must go for two in the second overtime and Celina converted as Porter hit Jacob Henry for the PAT and Celina held a 38-30 lead with Anna looking to tie the game.

 After Celina appeared to have Anna facing a 4th and 8, Anna was given new left as the Bobcats were flagged for roughing the passer on third down. Anna would score on the next play as Edward Chumley would find the end zone from six-yards out. Williams then barely scored on the two-point try to even the count at 38-38, leaving the game to be decided by alternating two point conversions starting in the third overtime.

Anna would take a 40-38 lead in the third overtime as Williams connected with Aidan Palmer and Celina held serve as Porter connected with Gutierrez on a beautiful misdirection play to square the game up at 40-40 going into the fourth overtime.

Celina in the fourth overtime series would regain the lead at 42-40 as Porter found Colton Rodriguez in the end zone, while Anna on their try would be stopped as Williams was brought down just short of the goal line by LB Jaimsen Driver and two other Bobcats to end the game there and give Celina a measure of revenge in the 42-40 win.

Anna would go on to have the last laugh as the Coyotes would win their next twelve games and take home their first state title in school history winning the 4A-Division I title with a 26-0 shutout win over Tyler Chapel Hill. Celina’s season would end in the third round of the playoffs, one game shy of a rematch with Anna as the Bobcats would finish the year at 12-1 after a regional semifinal loss to Stephenville.