Photo: Brian McLean
BY BRIAN GOSSET
ARLINGTON – Frisco Lone Star coach Jeff Rayburn said after Friday night’s loss to Smithson Valley that his team just couldn’t find a rhythm on offense and get that one big play. His offense came into the game as one of the most dynamic and electrifying in the state, but were held to just 230 yards during a 28-6 defeat in the Class 5A D1 championship at AT&T Stadium.
Lone Star ends the season with a 15-1 record with its second title game in program history. The school is the only from Frisco ISD to appear in a football championship. Oddly enough, LS also scored six points in a loss to Cedar Park in the 5A D2 final 10 years ago to the day (12/19/15).
SV (15-1) goes back-to-back while Hunter Haug won Offensive MVP honors (109 yards, 1 TD). Colton Hornsby was Defensive MVP with a team-high 11 tackles, one sack and an interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Smithson Valley drove downfield to begin the game – getting to the Lone Star 3, but after a run for no gain on third down, Caleb Peagler was dropped behind the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-1 as the Lone Star defense made the big stop.
Lone Star’s first offensive play from scrimmage was an 18-yard run by Karece Hoyt, but the drive stalled without another first down. Lone Star was forced to punt and Smithson Valley turned the ensuing possession into points.
Ty Knutson hit Haug for 17 yards and Smithson Valley reached the LS 24. After a 7-yard loss on a sack, Smithson Valley got to the 19 before settling for a 35-yard field goal by Trent Amaya with 3:48 left in the opening period.
Smithson Valley had a strip sack on the next drive as Lone Star QB Trey Wright lost three yards. The fumble was recovered by Devon Detoto near midfield. SV looked to go up 6-0, but Amaya’s 32-yard attempt was blocked by Christopher Knauls – leaving it a three-point game with 11:35 left in the second quarter.
The next two Lone Star drives started the same – picking up a first down on the first play before resulting in zero points. Wright hit Florida signee Davian Groce for 23 yards, and then 12 to convert third and long. But penalties set Lone Star back and another punt was kicked away. Amaya made his second field goal from 27 yards and Smithson Valley led 6-0 at the intermission.
Wright came off the field limping late in the second quarter and was replaced by John Madden, who also started in the third quarter. Wright did return to the field during Lone Star’s second drive.
SV extended its lead with its first third-quarter drive when Knutson threw a 39-yard TD pass to Haug – making it 13-0 with 8:26 left.
SV scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter off two Lone Star turnovers.
Wright completed a pass to Groce, but Haug jarred the ball loose and Jake Stover picked it up. On the return, Lone Star’s Kendrick Morgan knocked the ball away, but it landed in the hands of Smithson Valley’s Hudson Woods who returned it to the LS 26.
Five plays later and SV went up 19-0 on a 1-yard TD run from Peagler. SV converted a two-point try and the margin was 21-0 with 4:07 left in the game.
Three plays into the next LS drive and Hornsby picked a pass off and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown that pushed him to MVP honors – giving SV a 28-0 lead less than a minute later.
Lone Star avoided the shutout with a 32-yard TD pass from Wright to Logan Brown with under a minute remaining. LS avoided being the first team to get shut out in a 5A champ game since 2015 when Richmond George Ranch did it to Mansfield Lake Ridge in Houston.
Wright went 10 of 22 for 115 yards and rushed 15 times for 30 yards. Hoyt led the team with 53 yards on six carries and Groce ended the night with 50 yards on four catches. Lone Star was coming off back-to-back wins over Highland Park and Aledo, where it averaged 57 points and over 650 yards. Wright accounted for eight TDs and Groce had over 300 yards receiving and four touchdowns as LS rallied from a 17-point deficit with eight minutes left to beat Aledo 56-52 in last week’s state semifinal round.
