ARLINGTON, Texas — For how difficult it was to win his first state championship, a 32-year span that included four title game losses, Smithson Valley head coach Larry Hill assures you that defending the crown was much harder. 

But, honestly, he gets a little uncomfortable with all the talk about ‘Larry Hill’s long-awaited championships.’ When he took over Smithson Valley in 1993, the program’s all-time record was 45-120-5. Over the past 33 years, as the Rangers morphed into a perennial state championship contender, he’s watched the community’s pride swell with it. He has helped build this program into something that represents far more than himself.  

“Anybody that’s been around our school knows that there’s no town of Smithson Valley,” Hill said. “There’s just a school out in the middle of somebody’s old ranch. But our school and its activities, including our football program, have kind of become that town.”

Besides, he’s not the only coach on staff who’s been with Smithson Valley for 33 years. Defensive coordinator Craig Wersterfer shares that honor, and Hill didn’t hire him! So give that man most of the credit for the defensive masterclass his Smithson Valley Rangers put up in a 28-6 win over Frisco Lone Star in the Class 5A DI State Championship.

Lone Star came into the night averaging 50.4 points per game in the playoffs against blue-blood programs like Aledo and Highland Park. On Friday night, it took a last-minute drive down 28-0 to finish with more offensive yards (230) than punt yards (226). 

Of course, Lone Star’s sophomore sensation, Trey Wright III, was hobbled most of the second half, limiting his scrambling ability. Lone Star had three total second-half yards midway through the fourth quarter. But Smithson Valley’s defense had put up a goose egg for the entirety of the first half when Wright was healthy. 

Lone Star wanted to run a track meet with its high-powered offense, but Smithson Valley’s defensive dominance slowed the game’s pace and kept the ball on Lone Star’s side of the field for the majority of the game. Smithson Valley’s offense broke through at the start of the third quarter when QB Ty Knutson threw a 39-yard bomb to Hunter Haug. The senior wide receiver earned the game’s Offensive MVP with five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, but he was just as vital on defense, covering Lone Star’s Power Four skill players.

Haug, who has one Division I offer to Cornell, embodies a Smithson Valley program where many players may fly under the radar because the team is so balanced. 

“Even in our area, we don’t lead in a lot of statistical categories,” Hill said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who run and catch. Defensively, we’ve got a lot of guys that pressure and cover.”

But Smithson Valley did have a P4 recruit show out. The defensive line, led by SMU signee Hudson Woods’s two sacks and two pass breakups on screen passes, harassed Wright all night and prevented any sort of offensive rhythm. Woods was rewarded for his efforts in the fourth quarter on the weekend’s wildest fumble recovery. Haug forced a fumble that was scooped up by Jake Stover, only for Stover to get blindsided by a Lone Star offensive lineman and have the ball fly into Woods’ hands. 

“I told my guys at the beginning of the season that if I were to ever touch the ball, I’m going for the end zone,” Woods said. “Sadly, I didn’t get there.”

“That’s why we’re getting rid of him,” Hill chimed in. “We’re sending him to SMU starting two weeks from now.”

But Smithson Valley did get their defensive touchdown on the next drive when Defensive MVP Colton Hornsby took an interception to the house, pointing to his ring finger in celebration. It was a perfect cap to his career, which included leading the team in tackles during his junior and senior seasons. 

It was also a signal of the standard that had been set for future Smithson Valley players. 

“There are some guys coming behind these guys that are waiting their turn,” Hill said. “Well, they’ve got an awfully high standard to live up to. But they come up watching these guys, wanting to be them. They drink the Kool-Aid, so to speak. We’ve got a couple of guys that’ll be really hard to replace. But we will have a football team next year.”

BOX SCORE

Frisco Lone Star Passing

Frisco Lone Star Rushing

Frisco Lone Star Receiving

Frisco Lone Star Defense

Frisco Lone Star Fumble Recoveries

Comal Smithson Valley Passing

Comal Smithson Valley Rushing

Comal Smithson Valley Receiving

Comal Smithson Valley Defense

Comal Smithson Valley Fumble Recoveries