5A Division II State Championship: Cedar Park 22, Frisco Lone Star 6

Cedar Park showed a new wrinkle while claiming the program’s second state title in school history. The Timberwolves relied on a running game and defense for success over the past decade, but sophomore quarterback Mak Sexton’s ability to throw the ball made this Timberwolves offense go and he made enough plays in the 22-6 win over Frisco Lone Star. Sexton’s final numbers don’t reflect how well he played. Throughout the year, first-year head coach Carl Asbeck gave his young signal-caller more and more responsibility. He paid back his coach with two touchdown passes. The defense added a touchdown on a fumble recovery by Mac McCaskill in the second quarter. The usual success on the ground wasn’t there for Cedar Park. Lone Star, in the program’s first trip to state title game, was fantastic in the trenches on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, both defensive lines outplayed the offensive lines by a wide margin throughout the game. The Rangers defense stopped two fake punts and stuffed Cedar Park on two other fourth down attempts, but the offense couldn’t turn the stops or turnovers into points. The Cedar Park defense performed as advertised. Lone Star came into the Class 5A DII title game as one of the most proficient offenses in the state, but not much went right on that side of the ball for the Rangers. Cedar Park eliminated the running game early and forced quarterback Jason Shelley scramble to create time for his receivers to create separation against a Cedar Park secondary led by junior Jav Guidry. Cedar Park got the ground attack rolling in the fourth quarter after Sexton’s second touchdown pass gave the Timberwolves a 22-6 lead. Lone Star wore down as the game got further out of hand and the Timberwolves ended up winning by a larger margin than the game deserved. Game BallsMak Sexton – The sophomore quarterback was a stud. The Timberwolves are known for the ground game dating back to the teams led by Chris Ross. This team relied on the right arm of a sophomore to lead the offense and he answered the bell. His two touchdown throws were the only offensive points for Cedar Park. Mac McCaskill – Cedar Park wins with defense and McCaskill was in the middle of the action all game. He was around the football for 48 minutes and gave his team some cushion with a second-quarter fumble return for a touchdown. He harassed Shelley throughout the game and was a senior leader for this team all season. Jason Shelley – The Lone Star offense only put up six points, but Shelley flashed plenty of game for four quarters despite constant pressure by the Cedar Park defense. The junior quarterback from Lone Star bought time with his legs when possible and it led to a few big plays. Cedar Park ended the game with six sacks. It would’ve been in double-digits without Shelley’s ability to escape.