ARLINGTON, Texas — Back in 1998, the best offense in America could be found in Stephenville, Texas.

Long before the veer-and-shoot scheme revolutionized college football, Stephenville High School head coach Art Briles used it to win back-to-back state championships. In 1998, the Yellow Jackets set the national record for yards in a season with 8,664 behind the rocket right arm of Kelan Luker. 

Those days are long gone, but current Stephenville head coach Sterling Doty remembers them vividly. He was an offensive lineman on those teams. But he also remembers how overlooked his defensive teammates were by the media. They huddled in the locker room and decided they needed a new mentality and, more importantly, a slogan to go along with it. The Stephenville English classes must’ve been studying Shakespeare, because somebody suggested a famous line from Julius Caesar.

‘Let slip the dogs of war.’

From that day forward, Stephenville’s defense has been known as the “War Dogs”. They were unleashed 27 years later in the 4A Division I State Championship on a Friday afternoon in AT&T Stadium as the Yellow Jackets beat Kilgore 10-0, the lowest scoring state championship game since 1991.

“That’s our ‘War Dog’ mentality,” senior defensive tackle Kolton Dearth said. “We’re going to be meaner than you and more violent than you are. That’s just how we’re gonna play the game.”

Stephenville allowed just 150 yards of total offense against a Kilgore team that came into the game averaging 40.6 points per game. Kilgore completed 14-of-21 passes for 40 yards, an average of 2.86 yards per completion, as Stephenville’s sure tackling on the perimeter disrupted a normally dynamic screen game. The Yellow Jackets also forced four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble).

The game was a perfect testament to Stephenville’s senior class. Most of the key players on defense, such as linebackers Hudson Butchee and Caleb Taylor, defensive tackle Dearth and defensive end CJ Spellmeier, have started in 44 football games since their sophomore years.

Butchee, the game’s Defensive MVP, set the tone with an interception on Kilgore’s first drive, then a forced fumble on the very next defensive play. Spellmeier slammed the door shut with a 13-yard sack on a Kilgore 4th-and-4 with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs’ final opportunity to close the gap.

Stephenville’s offense had its hands full against a vaunted Kilgore defense. Both teams went scoreless in the first half for the first time in a UIL State Championship Game since 2004. But a textbook opening drive of the third quarter proved the difference in the game.

After ripping off a couple of chunk plays with RB Zyler McClendon, who finished with 85 yards on 20 carries, Kilgore’s safeties crept down just enough for QB Trot Jordan to take a deep shot. Jordan, the Game’s Offensive MVP, threw a 40-yard dime to WR Adan Jergins for the game’s only touchdown. Trot also lived up to his name by leading Stephenville with 86 rushing yards.

Stephenville’s victory honored the original War Dogs of 1998. Now, they’ve joined them as a team that’ll be forever remembered in program lore. 

“This is a special, special group,” Doty said. “I challenged them at the beginning of the year about legacy. Their picture is going up in our green room. That's legacy.”

BOX SCORE

Stephenville Passing

Stephenville Rushing

Stephenville Receiving

Stephenville Defense

Stephenville Fumble Recoveries

Kilgore Passing

Kilgore Rushing

Kilgore Receiving

Kilgore Defense

Kilgore Fumble Recoveries