1A-Div I HS Football State Championship: Abbott versus Westbrook

ARLINGTON, TX — The Abbot Panthers faced off against the Westbrook Wildcats in the 1A-Div I UIL 2022 Texas High School Football Championship game at AT&T Stadium at 2 p.m. Despite holding Westbrook to a two-score game in the first half, the Wildcats poured it on the Panthers in the second half and won 69-24.  

Start defense from both sides saw a forced fumble and a 4th down stop on the opening possessions of the game. Westbrook received the opening kickoff and immediately coughed it up on the second play from scrimmage. Abbot took over and drove inside Westbrook’s 30-yard line. However, stout defense from the Wildcats stonewalled Abbot at the 30-yard line, and Westbrook forced a turnover on downs.

The first points of the contest came with 4:57 remaining in the 1st quarter. Westbrook’s Parker Matlock hit Cedric Ware on a 34-yard pass for a touchdown. A successful 2-point conversion left the score at 8-0, Wildcats.

Westbrook added to their total right before the end of the 1st quarter. Parker Matlock found another of his receivers, Grayson Jeffrey, for a 32-yard touchdown. Bo Payne converted the 2-point conversion, and the Wildcats extended their lead to 16-0.

Abbot finally got on the board on their ensuing possession. With the ball at the Panther’s 31-yard line, Karsyn Johnson hit Brady Schulz for a 39-yard gain to Westbrook’s 10-yard line. Three plays later, Isaiah Singleton-Brooks carried the ball into the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. The Panthers clawed their way back into the game, 16-8.

Westbrook still had plenty of gas left in the tank, and they added two more touchdowns before the half. First, Grayson Jeffrey capped off a 7-play, 37-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Then, Jeffrey added a 6-yard touchdown run off of a 5-play, 60-yard drive.

However, Abbott refused to go away, and they showed the same grit as they did against the Irion County Hornets in the Semifinals. Mason Hejl capped off a 5-play, 60-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Abbot headed to the locker room down 32-16.

Westbrook came out of the locker room strong on defense and quickly forced Abbot to punt. Following the punt, Cedric Ware broke through the defense and sprinted 56 yards down the field for a touchdown. The Wildcats missed the 2-point conversion but led 38-16.

With the game in danger of crossing the point of no return, the Panthers had to score. After converting a 3rd and long with his legs, Karsyn Johnson launched a pass deep to Joey Pavelka 29 yards down the field for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion left the score at 38-24.

The Wildcats continued to look unstoppable on offense as they added another touchdown to their total. Cedric Ware fielded the kickoff and returned it 44 yards to Abbot’s 29-yard line. Already so close to the end zone, it took little time for Westbrook to score again. Ware capped off the 3-play, 29-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.

Surprisingly, with a considerable lead in the game, Westbrook kicked an onside kick on the kickoff and recovered it at Abbot’s 31-yard line. The Panthers forced the Wildcats into a 4th down and 2 yards to go but did not manage to stop Westbrook from converting and eventually scoring again. Grayson Jeffrey scored from 10 yards out, and the Wildcats led 54-24 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Abbot failed to convert on 4th down on their ensuing possession and gave the ball right back to the Wildcats. Westbrook ran a beautiful trick play on the first snap of the drive. Jeffrey received a pitch from Ware, who then chucked a deep pass to Colton Walters for a 29-yard touchdown.

The Panthers threw an interception on their next drive, and Westbrook’s Ware scored again. The 2-point conversion made the score 69-24, and the 45-rule ended the game.