4A Division I State Championship: Waco La Vega 33, Argyle 31

In the game of the weekend (so far), Waco La Vega secured its first ever state championship. The Pirates committed four turnovers, but came up with a late drive and a game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left. Argyle hung around in a back-and-forth thriller down the stretch thanks to turnovers, but the defense couldn’t make one last stop in the fourth quarter. La Vega controlled the first three quarters with defense, a diverse running game and the occasional big play in the passing game. Turnovers became the issue. La Vega committed four turnovers, which translated into the first 17 points by Argyle. The Eagles took a 17-14 lead late in the third quarter, but La Vega responded and the fourth quarter erupted into exciting football. La Vega’s defense was dominant, despite the offense turning the ball over four times. Argyle didn’t reach 100 yards from scrimmage until 1:34 left in the third quarter when Gage McCook scored after Gage Campbell picked La Vega quarterback Jamal Williams off for the second time in the game. Argyle struggled to get going offensively. The Eagles scored 17 of their 31 points off of turnovers. The lone scores not following a turnover came in the fourth quarter when Dane Ledford found Clemson commit, J.C. Chalk, and then McCook for a go-ahead strike with 2:09 left in the game. Brandon Benson was the main receiving threat for La Vega, but it was running back Kemoche Hobbs that made the most impact. The sophomore doesn’t get the attention of Benson, an SMU commit, or Parrish Cobb, who is committed to Oklahoma, but he scored three touchdowns and helped aid Williams on his game-winning quarterback sneak. Game BallsKemoche Hobbs – Hobbs is only a sophomore, so he doesn’t get the press clippings that some of his teammates do. He was La Vega’s best offensive player, though, hands down. He scored three touchdowns on the ground, as Argyle focused on stopping Kendall Ratliff and quarterback Jamal Williams from breaking loose. Gage Campbell – Only a sophomore, Campbell had two interceptions for the Argyle defense. Turnovers were a huge key for Argyle in the game and Campbell came up with half of La Vega’s four turnovers. It is tough to match up with all of the athletes at La Vega’s disposal, but Campbell and the rest of the Eagles defense capitalized on mistakes. Jamal Williams – It is hard for a sophomore to lead his team to a state title. Williams did just that, even if he made a few mistakes along the way. He’ll want a few throws back, but he showed dual-threat ability and scored the game-winning touchdown for La Vega. He and Hobbs will make a dynamic backfield duo for the next two years.