5A Division I State Championship: Richmond George Ranch 56, Mansfield Lake Ridge 0

The running back duo of Darius Anderson and Josh Scruggs ran George Ranch all the way to an undefeated season and a state title. The Longhorns dominated Mansfield Lake Ridge from start to finish, cruising to a 56-0 victory over the previously undefeated, yet severely hamstrung, Eagles team. It was clear early that Lake Ridge was in for a long night. Duke Carter, a running back committed to Louisiana-Monroe was hurt all week and ended up unable to be a factor. He didn’t play at all early in the game, but was given one carry in the first half when Lake Ridge was down 14-0. Likewise, quarterback Jett Duffey, a Texas Tech commit, was hampered. He eventually was replaced by Jason Bean. Lake Ridge stood no chance of keeping up with a high-powered George Ranch team without Duffey or Carter. Both of those guys were gutsy enough to attempt to play, but neither were a factor. The George Ranch defense was suffocating, stopping the run and taking advantage of misplaced passes. The Longhorns had three interceptions in the game. Offensively, Anderson and Scruggs combined for over 300 yards rushing. The duo kept Lake Ridge’s defense off-balance all game. Anderson, who is committed to Missouri, reached the 100-yard mark in the first half and ended up with over 200 yards rushing. Scruggs also rushed for over 100 yards. The two programs entered with very similar stories. Both schools began playing football in 2012 and each reached the first state title game in school history. Lake Ridge became the first Mansfield ISD team to reach the title game. George Ranch hadn’t reached the mountaintop before, but the Longhorns didn’t come out of nowhere. The win makes George Ranch 42-3 over the past three seasons. Game BallsAlex Fontenot – Scruggs and Anderson will receive the headlines after their huge days on the ground, but Fontenot was the weapon for George Hill near the goal line. The junior running back had a handful of attempts rushing, but three resulted in touchdowns. Darius Anderson – The Missouri commit was the best player on the field. He received tremendous help from his offensive line, and even his wide receivers, in terms of blocking, but his individual skill was on display throughout the game. Anderson’s combination of balance and footwork is fun to watch. He accounted for two touchdowns and nearly 300 yards of total offense. Dawson Hawkins – The linebacker from George Ranch was all over the field. He made a huge tackle on fourth down and secured an interception. The whole Longhorns defense deserves a game ball, if we’re being honest. That whole group swarmed to the football. The defensive line won the trenches and the secondary ball-hawked Lake Ridge all night.