Photo by Brian McLean
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
ARLINGTON – Junior KJ Edwards rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and Carthage hung on to beat Waco La Vega 28-14 in the Class 4A Division 2 state championship on Friday in front of 13,194 at AT&T Stadium.
Carthage (15-1) joins Aledo as the only two schools in any classification to win 10 state titles in UIL football history. The Bulldogs broke a three-way tie with Katy and Richland Springs. Aledo has the most titles with 12.
“You don’t get lucky 10 times,” head coach Scott Surratt stated in the press conference after the game. “I don’t toot my own horn, but you have to have great administration. A lot of times administration changes in and out. You could win two or three and then all of a sudden it goes away. I also have unbelievable coaches and they’re great people and we pay them really well to stay in Carthage so we haven’t had a lot of turnover. Then it goes to the players, we have great players and I don’t deny it. But you still have to play the game. All I know is we’re going to play hard.”
Additionally, after losing to Kilgore in the season opener, Carthage won its final 15 games and improved to 10-1 in state championship appearance – winning the last 10. The Bulldogs lost in their first appearance during the 1991 season.
Edwards was voted offensive MVP with 188 yards on 18 carries.
Junior linebacker Daquives Beck won defensive MVP honors with seven solo tackles, one sack and 3 1/2 tackles for loss.
The two teams couldn’t find a rhythm on offense as the first quarter went scoreless. Out of five total drives, there were two punts, two turnover on downs and one interception.
“It was a tough battle and we knew it was going to be,” Surratt commented. “We knew that Waco La Vega wasn’t going to give anything – they’ve very good defensively, but we’re pretty good defensively. They had a hard time executing and our defense kind of got after them.”
Carthage QB Jett Surratt couldn’t connect with Edwards on fourth and 5 at their own 42 with 10:50 left in the first, but La Vega gave it right back when the Pirates were stopped for two yards on a fourth and 4 attempt 97 seconds later.
Both teams traded punts before the La Vega defense got the first turnover of the game. On Carthage’s first play of its third drive, Antwon Gude Jr. stepped in front of a pass attempt and recorded the interception at the LV 20.
However, La Vega would punt on the opening play of the second quarter and the Bulldogs’ offense went to work. Surratt found Carson Crawford for 24 yards and then Edwards scored from 21 yards out with 11 minutes on the clock.
The Pirates tied it at 7 two drives later to cap off six plays and 60 yards – with QB Kourtney Parr picking up the 1-yard keeper at the 4:05 mark of the period.
Carthage killed La Vega’s momentum only two plays and 25 seconds later. After an incompletion from Surratt, Edwards went 86 yards for the score and the Bulldogs led 14-7 at the intermission.
La Vega was forced to punt early in the third quarter before going 14 plays on its next possession. The Pirates started at their own 13 and got as deep as the Carthage 14 before the Bulldogs’ clamped down on defense. Braylin Allison tackled Bryson Roland for a loss of 3 and Crawford sacked Parr for a loss of 8 on the next play to set up fourth and 23. After a delay of game penalty pushed it back five yards, Parr’s deep pass was off the mark – giving Carthage the ball with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
The game continued to be 14-7 entering the fourth until Surratt’s 24-yard TD pass connected with Junior Henderson that gave the Bulldogs a two-possession lead midway through the period.
Surratt and Henderson hooked up one more time – from 19 yards out – to give Carthage a 28-7 lead with 2:17 left to play.
La Vega (12-4), which appeared at state for the first time since 2019, got in the end zone as time expired when Jayven Hernandez scored on a 4-yard run.
Surratt, the son of head coach Scott Surratt, went 8 of 23 for 112 yards and two scores. The Bulldogs totaled 305 yards of offense while holding the Pirates to 208 yards on 62 plays.
“It’s special I’m going to tell you that,” Scott Surratt exclaimed about his son. “We’re best friends and he’s a baller. No matter if he plays perfectly or not, he’s just a great leader and keeps on going.”
Crawford also shined on defense with seven solo tackles, four tackles for a loss and 2 1/2 sacks. The Bulldogs recorded 15 tackles for a loss and seven sacks – second most in a UIL 4A championship game (since 2011).
The Carthage teams of 2020 and 2022 are also in the record book with four sacks apiece. Their seven sacks on Friday sits alone for seventh most in any classification all-time (since 2011).
