4A Division II State Championship: West Orange-Stark 22, Celina 3

West Orange-Stark rebounded from last year’s state title loss to Gilmer to win its first championship since the late 80’s. The Mustangs relied on a suffocating defense and the talents of quarterback Jack Dallas to knock off a short-handed Celina team, 22-3. Celina’s bid to become the first program in Texas to win nine state titles effectively ended when quarterback Conner Pingleton left the game with a broken arm after a hit on the first possession of the game. The Wildcats leaned heavily on Pingleton throughout the season. His ability to throw when necessary made Celina balanced and allowed the running game to thrive. With him out of the game, Celina’s offense mounted very few drives against a West Orange-Stark defense that recorded five shutouts during the season. Caleb Knowles, a senior, replaced Pingleton and fumbled at the three yard line after completing his first pass of the game for a fourth down conversion. He made a few plays throughout the game, but it was clear that Celina’s offense was limited. For its part, West Orange-Stark didn’t light it up on offense, either. It took over a quarter for Dallas and the Mustangs to get things going. Celina did a great job of stopping the Mustangs' running game, but Dallas eventually made a few throws and opened up room for his legs to do work in the second half. After gaining seven yards and no first downs in the first quarter, West Orange-Stark reeled off 22 straight points to close the game. Dallas wasn’t alone on the offensive side. Jeremiah Shaw was effective as a runner after the first quarter. Wide receiver Keion Hancock was a playmaker on the edge when needed early. West Orange-Stark was able to control the line of scrimmage and control the pace of the game as it wore on, limiting Celina’s chances to mount a comeback. Celina supporters will point to the injury to Pingleton, but nothing can be taken away from the effort by West-Orange Stark’s defense. The Mustangs swarmed to the football, created turnovers and forced Celina into third-and-long throughout the game. Game BallsJack Dallas – Jack Dallas’ name is straight from a movie script about Texas football and so is his play. The junior led his team back from a crushing loss last season against Gilmer in this exact game and was the main offensive force throughout the game. He showed all the skills that make him successful: He can throw down the field, he’s accurate, he rarely makes mistakes and he is athletic enough to pressure defenses. Keion Hancock – Hancock’s athleticism was on display early and often. The West Orange-Stark offense had nothing going in the first quarter and a few completions from Dallas to Hancock opened up things for the running game and Jeremiah Shaw, who also had a big game. Hancock had six catches for 70 yards in the first half alone. Steven Tims – The senior linebacker was all over the field for West Orange-Stark’s defense. The Mustangs do a great job with team defense, but Tims is the key. His presence in the middle allows everything else to work and he gets sideline-to-sideline very well. He had nine tackles in the first half and finished well into the double-digits on the night. West Orange-Stark didn’t allow a point after the first quarter.