Stamford Falls to Ganado in Triple Overtime Thriller
ARLINGTON — Stamford and Ganado played what will go down as one of the all-time classics among Texas state championship games, with the Indians coming out on top in the end 30-28 in triple overtime to claim the 2A Division I state title.
“All I can tell you was it was a hard-fought football game,” said Stamford head coach Wayne Hutchinson. “Number two, it was a defensive battle from the word go. I can’t say enough about how resilient our kids are. They work their tails off, and it showed in the game today. It was a slugfest, and we just couldn’t get that knockout blow there at the end of the game.”
Three overtimes is tied for the most in a state title game in UIL history.
The Bulldogs got to overtime at 21-21 thanks to a five-yard Kaston Vega touchdown run with just over five minutes to go and a pair of missed fourth quarter field goals by Ganado. Indian kicker Joe Rodriguez missed a 22-yarder as time expired that would have won it for Ganado.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first extra session. Logan Bures ran in from a yard out to put Ganado up 28-21, then Stamford answered with a fourth down 19-yard Christian Duran to Cle Whitfield touchdown pass to tie the game at 28. The Bulldogs were an amazing 5-6 on fourth downs in the game. “We definitely had to make some plays on fourth down just to keep us in the game,” said Hutchinson. “I thought our kids did a really good job with that.”
Neither team scored in the second overtime, sending the game to a third OT where the two took turns on two-point plays from the opposing three-yard line.
Ganado got in the end zone on a Bryce Ullman pass to Austen Pena, but Stamford could not answer as Cle Whitfield’s pass on a trick play was intercepted. “It’s a play we worked every Tuesday for 15 straight weeks, and unfortunately it didn’t come through tonight,” Hutchinson said.
Ganado was able to take the lead in the game several times but never could put the Bulldogs away. Ganado head coach Josh Ervin said, “They were ranked number one all season long for a reason. What a great team and bunch of seniors and a great coaching staff. They had a really good game plan, and in the state championship, you’ve got two of the best teams in the state playing for it.”
The game got off to a rough start for the Bulldogs, as Stamford quarterback Duran threw an interception on the first drive of the game and the Indians cashed in with a 6-yard Ullman touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead.
Stamford answered, however, as Duran made up for the pick with a 36-yard touchdown toss to Brayden Jimenez and the game was square at 7-7.
Ganado reclaimed the lead with the only score of the second quarter as Ullman found Cain Hayden from 13-yards out with 5:42 to go in the half.
Cani Whitfield came up with a big play to start the third, picking off a Ganado pass and setting up the game-tying touchdown on a one-yard Vega run.
Vega led Stamford with 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns rushing. He also recorded a game-high 16 tackles. Duran threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns to go with three interceptions. Jimenez led Stamford with eight catches for 74 yards and a score.
Ganado is a state football champion for the first time in program history, while Stamford is denied a sixth state title.
