3A DII State Championship: Waskom 33, Franklin 21

Waskom was the defending champion, but not many people predicted another state championship for a Wildcats program that missed the playoffs from 1993-2012. It wasn’t pretty for Whitney Keeling’s team, which replaced numerous players from last year’s title team. The end result is what matters, and Waskom completed an undefeated season with a 34-21 victory over Franklin that was closer than the score indicated. Franklin scored the only points of the first quarter, marching down the field on its first possession of the game. The Lions, known for their ground game, looked like the well-oiled machine that went 15-0 in the regular season and lost just its sixth game in the last four seasons. None of those finished with championships, however. Turnovers kept Waskom in the game early. Franklin had 105 more yards in the first quarter than Waskom, but only trailed 7-0 thanks to a fumble and an interception. Franklin would throw another interception in the second quarter. In the first half, Franklin was 0-for-2 through the air with two interceptions. Chan Amie, a senior running back and linebacker for Waskom, slowly took over the game. His physicality as a ball carrier and a tackler propelled Waskom in the second half. Will Phillips, Franklin’s two-way star, was hobbled for most of the game with a leg injury. Rodrick Green and Drew Fannin picked up a lot of the slack for Franklin on offense. The Lions also showed the future was bright, as freshmen Clayton Rosprim and Jared Pedraza scored the first two touchdowns for Franklin. Quarterback Dylan Harkrider had an interception and didn’t look consistent through the air, but he made a few plays with his arm and scored the game-winning touchdown with a fourth-quarter run. Kaleb Haynes caught a touchdown pass for Waskom in the first half. Game BallsChan Amie – Not much needs to be said about Amie. He ended the season with over 2,500 yards rushing and was arguably the best offensive and defensive player on the field. A lot of people saw this as a game that would come down to which player of the two – Amie or Will Phillips – would make the most impact. Amie’s monster game was made even bigger by the fact Phillips was limited with injury. Dylan Harkrider – A quick look at the stat sheet doesn’t do Harkrider justice. He had a major impact on the game, throwing for a touchdown and rushing for a game-winner in the fourth quarter. He didn’t make all the plays, but he didn’t need to in order for his team to win. The senior won his second state title by doing his job and buying into his role. Rodrick Green – Franklin had two freshmen rush for touchdowns in the loss, but it was senior running back Rodrick Green who impressed the most. With Phillips hampered, Green was given a lot of responsibility and he enjoyed success against Waskom. Green scored a rushing touchdown in the game and was Franklin’s leading rusher.