Celina 21, China Spring 14

DCTF's Jake Shaw will be blogging live from the 2007 Class 3A Division II state championship between Celina (15-0) and China Spring (14-1) at Texas Stadium in Irving. Check in with Jake just before kickoff at 6 p.m. Question or comment? Send Jake an email.

Miss the 4A Div. II game? Read the recap here.CELINA 21, CHINA SPRING 14(8:39 p.m.)China Spring tried a hook-and-lateral on its first play. The pass was complete, but the pitch back was fumbled and Celina recovered.One knee was all it took -- Celina is now celebrating its 8th state championship in school history, setting the new state record.It's a sea of orange on the field. I'm going down there and will post more when I return.Congratulations to both teams for a very well-played game an incredible seasons.China Spring gets stop, has ball at own 26-yard line with 12 seconds left(8:37 p.m.) The headline says it all -- China Spring needs to go 74 yards in that amount of time to tie the game that Celina leads 21-14.China Spring burns final timeout(8:33 p.m.) China Spring is now out of timeouts. Celina has a third-and-5 at its own 42-yard line with 1:07 left.Simply put: if Celina converts, it's game over (Celina leads 21-14). If they don't, China Spring might be able to get the ball back with a little time on the clock with no timeouts left.Celina picks up first down(8:29 p.m.) Facing 3rd-and3 at its own 34, Celina picked up a first down after the China Spring interception.China Spring immediately called a timeout and has two left, but it doesn't look good. Celina is probably one first down from running out the clock. There's 1:18 left wth Celina up 21-14.Tall pass leads to Celina INT(8:28 p.m.) Celina now has the chance to burn the clock and go for its 8th state title.How'd it happen?CHina Spring drove all the way to the Celina 20, but QB Dustin Eskew threw a pass slightly high for his receiver. It went through his out-stretched hands and into Celina DB Josh Lavey's hands.Celina now has the ball at its own 27 after the return, there's just above 3 minutes to go, and Celina leads 21-14.CS moving again(8:23 p.m.) China Spring has needed just two plays to move from its own 32 to the Celina 40. This QB Dustin Eskew is the real deal. A lot of DI programs are overlooking this talent -- he has as good an arm of any HS QB I've seen this year.Waldrep punches it in for Celina(8:21 p.m.) Celina RB Charley Waldrep -- who entered the game with 31 rushing TDs -- just added to his total with a three-yard run. Celina has taken a 21-14 lead with 5:56 left in the game.China Spring responded the first time it trailed -- we'll see if the Cougars can do it again.Timeout for injury(8:18 p.m.) There's been a long delay for an injury to a China Spring player, not sure on who the player is, but the stadium is quiet and all the players on both teams have taken a knee.The player who is being carted off just gave a big THUMBS UP to the China Spring sideline, which erupted in approval for their player.Play will resume with Celina facing first-and-goal at the China Spring 8-yard line. The game is tied at 14 with 7:10 left in the game.Unbelievable Celina conversion(8:07 p.m.) Facing third-and-long, Celina tried a trick play -- a halfback pass.China Spring looked like it had RB Charley Waldred sutffed -- three different times. But Waldrep dodged three would-be sacks, then had the presence of mind to look upfield and find teammate Austin Carry wide open for a first-down play.Celina now is in China Spring territory at the 39. There's 8:10 left in a game tied at 14.Celina calls T.O. facing 3rd-and-13(8:05 p.m.) This is a big down for Celina -- they need to convert, or China Spring will get the ball right back after tying the game at 14 on its last drive.A false start hurt this current Celina drive. Let's see if Celina's passing game can come through one more time.END OF THIRD: Celina 14, China Spring 14(8:01 p.m.) Three quarters of this championship game are in the books, and nobody has any separation.Celina will start the fourth quarter with a second-and-5 at its own 25.China Spring responds, ties game at 14(7:59 p.m.) While driving up from the 4A DII title game to this game, I listened to the China Spring radio broadcast. The color guy on the station called China Spring QB Dustin Eskew the "best QB in 3A."One quarter watching China Spring -- it's hard to argue.Eskew led his team to an answer of Celina's score. In fact, he was the recipient of the TD pass on a trick play. Eskew tossed the football to RB Jared Welch, who then threw it back to Eskew at the 3 yard line, and Eskew dove in for the score.There's now just 6 seconds left in the third quarter in a tied game.CS converts on two plays(7:55 p.m.) So much for first-and-30 -- China Spring converted the distance on two plays, the second on a screen pass to RB Jared Welch.CS, down 14-7, now has a first at the Celina 27 -- there's 1:20 left in the third quarter.China Spring moving -- but has long distance for a first(7:54 p.m.) Facing its first deficit of the game (14-7 Celina), China Spring had gotten a great drive, going as deep as inside the Celina 35.But two straight penalties -- including an offensive pass interference -- and CS has first and 30 at its own 31 with 2:34 left in the third quarter.Celina takes its first lead, 14-7(7:48 p.m.)Converting twice on third down and two more times on fourth down, Celina just drained the clock down to 3:43 left in the third and capped a drive with a 7-yard Troy McCartney TD run.Celina now leads 14-7. Not only did the Celina defense get a rest, you have to think that kind of drive can start to wear out China Spring's defense.Celina gets another fourth down(7:44 p.m.)Tha passing game is working -- and now Celina is moving the chains by converting fourth downs.QB Seth Davis just completed a pass to his TE on 4th-and-8, the second straight fourth-down conversion on this drive. Celina now has first down at the CS 15.Celina passing game bailing out the offense(7:35 p.m.) Celina is a run-based team -- there's no arguing that. But on back-to-back third downs, QB Seth Davis has completed passes to convert and keep the drive alive.Currently, Celina is to the China Spring 42 with a second-and-two, the game still tied at 7.Finally here for second half(7:31 p.m.) Just made it up to the press box for the second half of China Spring and Celina. CS leads 7-7, but it went 3-and-out to start the third quarter and is set to punt back to Celina.I'll get the blogging going as often as possible from here on out.Celina ties it up, 7-7(6:56 p.m.) Check all that bussiness about China Spring taking a lead to halftime - Celina just showed why it's the best of the best by rallying for a score right before the break, tying the score at 7 off a 14-yard touchdown run with just 22 seconcds left.Halftime coming soon, and I should be live by the third quarter (I hope).Another quick update; still 7-0, CS(6:45 p.m.) China Spring is making believers out of everybody across the state, and could take a two-score lead into halftime if it plays its cards right.Celina drove into the China redzone, but was turned away on fourth down when the Bobcats' reverse pass failed. China Spring ball with under four minutes to go in the half. Quick moving half, huh?Still driving, but China Spring is ahead(6:26 p.m.) Still trying to get there to go live, but here's a quick update: China Spring has just taken a 7-0 lead off of a long run from Jared Welch with time running out in the first quarter.Celina hasn't looked very good so far, and both the Bobcats' possessions ended badly: a punt on one and a turnover on the other.Again, that's China Spring 7, Celina 0 as the first quarter winds down. What an upset this would be ...Still on the road(5:43 p.m.) I'm still en route to Irving for the Celina vs. China Spring title game ... if traffic stays like this I'll be a little bit late (I'm coming from the 4A game, give me a break!) Keep checking back with me, and I'll start posting as soon as possible.