The Cooldown- Week 17
The Cooldown- Week 17
DFW was once again the most well represented region at the football state championships, though the results didn’t pan out like metroplex area fans would have hoped. Usually, DFW teams take home a lot of gold at the state championships, but just two metroplex teams came out on top this weekend. Congratulations to North Crowley and Celina on winning state championships! Southlake Carroll lost by a touchdown to Austin Vandegrift, Highland Park couldn’t pull off a come-from-behind win over Smithson Valley, and South Oak Cliff lost a heartbreaker against Richmond Randle. For Smithson Valley and Richmond Randle, each team brought home the first title in school history. North Crowley won its second state title to go with its championship from the 2003 season. Before we get to recapping the wins for North Crowley and Celina, I would like to thank everyone who read the Cooldown throughout the season. Have a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year! Now, let’s recap the last week of the 2024 football season.
North Crowley wins 6A D-I State Championship Game
North Crowley climbed the mountaintop for the first time in 21 years with a 50-21 win over Austin Westlake in the 6A D-I State Championship Game. Ultimately, North Crowley’s speed was just way too much for Austin Westlake to defend. After a long scoring drive to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter, this game was never really in doubt. When it was all said and done, North Crowley racked up 640 yards of total offense. Coach Ray Gates has done an excellent job at getting his team to buy into the program and has been able to completely change the culture in just a few seasons. The Panthers do graduate quite a bit of talent but, similarly to South Oak Cliff, I wouldn’t be surprised to see North Crowley continue to compete for championships.
North Crowley quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr. completed 14 of his 23 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns and also chipped in 73 yards and a score on the ground. Cornelius Warren led the ground game with 217 yards and a score on 23 carries and Daniel Bray added 45 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Quentin Gibson was named Offensive MVP of the game with seven receptions for 181 yards and three touchdowns while Bray contributed 48 yards and a score on two receptions.
Gibson was left wide open on a flea flicker on the opening play of the game and took it 75 yards for a score. When he got to the end zone, he started pointing at his ring finger, just 15 seconds into the game. When I remember this North Crowley team, I will remember the unwavering faith its players had that they would avenge last year’s playoff loss to Duncanville and win a state title. More than anything, North Crowley put the rest of DFW on notice this season. There’s now another program capable of challenging for a state title year in and year out with coach Gates at the helm.
Celina wins 4A D-I State Championship Game
Celina has plenty of state championship trophies in the trophy case, but none since 2007. That changed on Friday afternoon with a dominant 55-21 win over Kilgore in the 4A D-I State Championship Game. The Bobcats completely outclassed Kilgore, but the game especially got out of hand in the third quarter. Celina outscored Kilgore 28-0 in the frame thanks to two interceptions and a pick-six from Defensive MVP Luke Biagini. Celina racked up 456 total yards and suffocated Kilgore’s offense throughout much of the game.
Celina quarterback Bowe Bentley completed nine of his 14 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns and added 68 yards on the ground. Logan Gutierrez led the rushing attack with 77 yards on 13 carries and Harrison Williams chipped in 50 yards and a score on 13 attempts. Colton Rodriguez led the Celina receivers with five receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Ethan Rucked added three receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown and Wyatt Villarreal added a 21 yard touchdown reception.
It was a dominant showing from Celina from start to finish in this one to deliver another state championship. Being able to dominate a state title game like that from start to finish says a lot about the talent and makeup of a program, and it was the bow on top of a magical season in Celina, the first one in nearly two decades.
Offensive Player of the Week
My Offensive Player of the Week is Celina quarterback Bowe Bentley! Though Celina is a storied program, Bentley played a large part in delivering Celina’s first state title since 2007. It wasn’t just his performance in the state title game, but his performance all season long that was so impressive. In the state game, Bentley passed for 265 yards and five touchdowns and carried the ball 12 times for 68 yards, all without turning the ball over. For that performance, Bentley earned the Offensive MVP award of the state title game, and it was well deserved.
Defensive Player of the Week
My Defensive Player of the Week is North Crowley defensive back Draden Fullbright! To help deliver North Crowley its first title in 21 years and hold Austin Westlake’s offense to just 21 points, Fullbright chipped in three tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up. The fumble Fullbright recovered was forced by the Defensive MVP of the game, Derrick Gleason, who also deserves a shoutout here. Austin Westlake quarterback Rees Wise completed just 10 of his 23 passes, and Fullbright certainly played a role in the Chaps struggling to get anything going through the air.
The 2024 season was historic for North Crowley and Celina, who both won championships for the first time in around two decades. Southlake Carroll made it back to the state title game for the first time in four years, but ultimately fell to Austin Vandegrift, 24-17. Highland Park tried to add its first state title since 2018, but came up short against Smithson Valley, 32-20. South Oak Cliff nearly added a third title in four years, but instead lost a heartbreaker to Richmond Randle, 38-35. This season was a lot of fun, and I already can’t wait for football season to kick off again in August. Until then, we’ll have plenty of basketball coverage through the state championships in March!