COLLEGE STATION - - A year after falling in the Division III championship game at the Texas 7-on-7 State Tournament, Tidehaven took it one step further Friday morning by knocking off Ganado, 34-21, in an all-Crossroads region showdown.

Tidehaven WR/DB Bryce Sliva had an interception and a touchdown reception in the second half, which were key for the Tigers in the win, while QB Kale Russell tossed five scoring passes.

Ganado sophomore QB Landyn Arriaga looked very comfortable leading the Indians to a 7-1 mark on the weekend; his connection with WR Austen Pena and RB Logan Bures were vital for Ganado all day long.

“It’s a blessing to be out here grinding with my brothers and win this championship, but at the end of the day it’s about winning that state championship at AT&T Stadium," said Tidehaven QB Kale Russell, who is entering his fourth season as a starter. "Our linemen are at home and we believe we have a great group so we can’t wait to come together and start the season."

Tidehaven’s defense opened the game with a big stop of Ganado on 4th-and-goal at the two-yard line. The Tigers answered quickly on their opening series as Russell connected with TJ Galvan from nine yards out to give Tidehaven a 7-0 lead.

Ganado answered back on the ensuing drive as Arriaga threw the first of his three touchdown passes to make it 7-7.

Tidehaven answered on the next series as Boogie Galvan hauled in a 10-yard scoring strike to put the Tigers up 14-7, but Ganado would strike back right before halftime as Arriaga tossed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Sean Willis to tie the game at 14-14.

The Tigers would take a 21-14 lead on the first drive of the second half as on 3rd-and-1 Russell executed a perfect out and up with Boogie Galvan for a 31-yard touchdown pass. Ganado would answer again as Arriaga connected with Austin Pena for a touchdown. After Ganado interception it looked like the Indians were ready to seize control of the game, but Tidehaven’s defense locked down and forced a turnover on downs.

With 5:30 left in the game, Tidehaven would strike the decisive blow as Russell connected with Sliva for a 45-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 27-21. The next series, Saliva would strike again this time on defense with an interception to basically seal the state title for Tidehaven. The Tigers put any doubts about the game to rest on the next series as Russell and Boogie Galvan connected for a late touchdown to put the game out of reach at 34-21.

“I’ve been playing with a lot of these guys for a long time, so we have great chemistry and I know where they’ll be and they’ll know I’m going to put the ball where it needs to go," Russell said. "We have confidence in our defense as well, they made some plays and Bryce Sliva with the game winning pick, he’s a baller."