Carthage Wins 3A Div II Title, Downs Celina In 49-37 Shootout

Dwight Smith rambled for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading the Carthage Bulldogs to their first State Title.

In the last high school football game ever to be played in Texas Stadium, Carthage brought home the 2008 Class 3A Division II State Championship tonight, following the same pattern they've used all year: Give the ball to Dwight.

Celina came into the game 12-3, with a record 8 state titles in their trophy case, and looking for their 9th.

Carthage, at 13-2, and never having won a title, had the firepower it took to deny them.

Celina took the first possession, but punted after Carthage LB Kendall Thompson sacked Celina QB Cody Worrell for a 12 yard loss on third down.

Carthage got the ball on their 23, but went three and out, losing 8 yards on the series.

Celina's announced game plan was to run a grinding, clock burning offense designed to keep the Bulldog offense off the field, and their next drive proved it was a workable plan.

The Bobcats took over on their own 32, 8:00 remaining in the 1st quarter. On a 14 play drive that burned 7 minutes of game time, they marched the ball down to the Carthage 20. They were stopped there by a hard-nosed Bulldog defense, and had to settle for a field goal.

Celina's Alex Juarez booted 31 yard field goal, and the Bobcats led 3-0 with 42 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Carthage then worked a little ball control of their own. After the kickoff, the took over on their 36. Calling on RB Dwight Smith five times, they drove 63 yards to score the first touchdown of the game. Smith punched in from three yards out, and Carthage owned a 7-3 lead with just under 11:00 minutes left in the half.

Celina's next possession resulted in an interception when Carthage LB Kyle Deaton stepped in front of a Worrell pass with 8:44 minutes left in the half.

Carthage went three plays, and was left short of the first down. Carthage Head Coach Scott Surratt decided to gamble, calling on Smith again. Smith took a pitchout, slipped a tackle, and turned on the jets down the left sideline for a 50 yard touchdown run. The point after was good, and Carthage led 14-3, with 7:00 yet to play before the half.

With less than two quarters played, Smith had racked up eight carries, 89 yards and two touchdowns.

But Celina, with a school history of 100 playoff games, wasn't about to fold their tents and go home.

They took their next drive down field, and capped it with a 4 yard run into the end zone. A controversial fumble call on the scoring run went Celina's way, and the score stood at 14-9. Going for broke, Celina QB Garrett Stephenson hit RB Charley Waldrep on the 2 point conversion pass, the game tightened up to 14-11, Cartage leading with 3:00 left in the half.

The next Bulldog drive ended when RB Smith fumbled on the Celina 31, and the Bobcats quickly covered it up. They still had 2:00 minutes of first half to work with.

The Bobcats used every bit of the remaining time, grinding out 10 plays for 64 yards to end up with a 4th down on Carthage's 5 yard line, with 4 seconds left in the half. On the next play, QB Cody Worrell, forced out of the pocket, found RB Troy McCartney in the end zone, and a 5 yard touchdown pass gave Celina the lead back. The point after was good, and the half ended with Carthage trailing 18-14.

Dwight Smith had 112 yards rushing in the first half, scoring twice.

Celina RB Troy McCartney paced him well, with 110 rushing yards, scoring on a run and a reception.

Smith would strike again midway through the third quarter. Finding a huge opening on the left side, he cruised 25 yards for a touchdown, giving Carthage back the lead. After the PAT, the score was Carthage 21, Celina 18.

Celina answered back on their next drive, marching 68 yards on seven consecutive rushing plays. McCartney found paydirt for his third time, banging in from 4 yards out. The kick was true, and Celina led 25-21 with about 6:00 minutes left.

Not to be outdone, the Bulldogs took the kickoff and marched down for a touchdown in less than two minutes. Smith finished the drive with a 9 yard touchdown. After the PAT, Carthage again owned the lead 28-25 with just over 4:00 minutes left in the third.

Celina's next drive ended in disaster. RB McCartney fumbled, and Carthage recovered the ball on the Bobcat 33 yard line.

Carthage wasted little time capitalizing on the error. With all eyes on Dwight Smith, the Bulldogs ran a pitchback play from RB Jarvin Robinson to QB Si'Darius Blackshire. Blackshire rambled for 33 yards, giving Cartage a first and goal on the one. On a second down QB keeper, Blackshire scored to give Carthage a little breathing room.

Yet again, Carthage's PAT was good, and they held a 10 point lead, 35-25 at the end of the third quarter.

Celina's next drive burnt some time, but they were forced to punt with 9:00 left in the fourth quarter. Troy McCartney, who also handles punting duties for Celina, nailed a beauty, leaving Carthage with the ball on their own 4 yard line.

The Celina defense lined up smelling a safety, or at least a quick stop in good position. What they got was more of the Dwight Smith shuffle.

On second down, Smith broke free for an 89 yard touchdown run, his fifth on the night, that left Celina stunned. It also left Carthage with a 42-25 lead, and more than a few big grins on the Bulldog sidelines.

But Celina still wasn't done. The mark of all great teams is how they play under pressure, and the Bobcats are indeed a great team.

They turned their next possession into 6 points, with QB Garrett Stephenson wrapping up the drive with a short touchdown pass to Celina's Austin Carey. Celina failed in a conversion attempt, and Carthage still led 42-31 with 5:00 left in the game.

Suddenly, Celina, who had been so good at burning time all night, found the clock working against them.

A predictable onside kick followed and failed, and Carthage had the ball with good field position on their own 35.

What followed was not predictable. Not at all. Rather than running the clock out on the ground, Carthage went aerial, in a big way.

With under 3:00 minutes left in the game, Blackshire found Bulldog TE Trevor Murphy for a 54 touchdown strike. The Carthage kicker continued his streak, and the Bulldogs opened the score back up, leading 49-31, with 2:37 left to play.

The Bobcat motto must be "never say die".

Celina would score once more, driving 54 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Fittingly, it was Troy McCartney, on a two yard run, who would score Celina's last points. With the score at 49-37, The Bobcats tried another two point conversion that failed with 39 seconds to play.

Carthage was waiting for the ensuing onside kick, and Celina watched the season end as Bulldogs smothered the ball on the Carthage 35.

The Advocate congratulates Carthage on their title win, and the season that got them here. We also congratulate Celina on the game they played, making this last State Title game in Texas Stadium something to remember.