1A-Div II HS Football State Championship: Benjamin vs Lorraine

ARLINGTON, TX – The 2022 UIL Texas High School Playoffs kicked off on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 11 a.m. in Arlington at AT&T Stadium. First up on the docket was 1A-Div II 6-man game between the Lorraine Bulldogs and the Benjamin Mustangs.

Often as 6-man games happen, both teams rocketed off to explosive starts. Both teams scored their first two offensive drives. First, Lorraine's Aj Williams broke away off the edge for 60 yards and the game's first touchdown. The 2-point conversion gave the Bulldogs the lead, 8-0.

Next, Benjamin's Grayson Rigdon snapped off a 50-yard touchdown of his own to tie the game at 8-8. However, Lorraine would not be outdone as Williams connected with Zannon Perez for a 33-yard gain. Williams called his own number and scored from 13 yards out to make the score 14-8. 

On Benjamin's ensuing possession, Grayson Rigdon got things going for the Mustangs again. He rushed for 24 yards to get the Mustangs near midfield, then scrambled for another 32 yards to Lorraine's 10-yard line. Brody White scored from two yards out, and the 2-point conversion gave the Mustangs their first lead of the ball game with 5:06 remaining in the 1st quarter.

The Mustangs led 24-14 with 2:03 to go in the 1st quarter. The Mustangs' defense got their first stop on Lorraine's next offensive possession. Benjamin's Nick Stovall sacked Aj Williams on 2nd down to force a 3rd and 32. The Bulldogs failed to gain any yards on 3rd down and then went for it on 4th down. The Mustangs then sacked Williams again to return the ball to their offense. Grayson Rigdon made short work of the next drive by scoring on a 21-yard touchdown run on the first play.

Desperately needing to score, Lorraine started the 2nd quarter on the warpath. Aj Williams saved his team from possible disaster when he almost converted a 3rd and 33 yards to go. He ate up 23 of it on 3rd down and then converted on 4th down with a 10-yard rush. Nearing the end zone, the Bulldogs' Jadrian Limones then completed a 9-yard pass to Zannon Perez for a Bulldogs' touchdown. However, the 2-point conversion failed again, and the Bulldogs trailed 24-20.

Benjamin made it look easy on their following possession. Rigdon found Brody White in the flat, who then broke a tackle and sprinted to the endzone for a 39-yard touchdown. The 1-play, 39-yard drive erased the ground the Bulldogs made up to make the score 32-20. 

The Mustangs came up with another pivotal defensive stop with 4:39 to go in the half. After a long, multi-first-down drive, Lorraine faced a 4th down and four yards to go at Benjamin's 10-yard line. The Bulldogs ran a sweep to the outside, but the Mustangs busted through the line to stuff Lorraine in its tracks. Benjamin took over at their own 16-yard line.

Grayson Rigdon followed up that defensive stop with a 30-yard run to open the drive. After a late hit out-of-bounds penalty, Benjamin had the ball at Lorraine's 15-yard line. Two plays later, Rigdon scored from six yards out. The Mustangs led with 3:08 to go in the 2nd quarter, 38-20.

With time winding down in the first half, Lorraine refused to go away. After a minimal gain on first down, Aj Williams launched a deep pass to Malaki Williams for 41 yards. However, disaster struck the Bulldogs on the next play. Under pressure, Aj Williams tried to squeeze through the middle of the defense to buy some time to throw the ball. He did not make it and fumbled the ball in the process. Brody White scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a Benjamin touchdown. Following the 2-point conversion, the Mustangs went into the locker room up 46-20.

Benjamin came out of the locker room with the fire to end the game. The Mustangs started with the ball at their 20-yard line. Rigdon scrambled back looking for somewhere to throw the ball, but the pressure got to him, so he tucked it and ran. Weaving through multiple defenders, Rigdon avoided the defense on his way to a 60-yard touchdown. Benjamin led 54-20 early in the 3rd quarter.

Lorraine failed to get anything going on their first offensive drive of the 2nd half. Faced with a 4th and 12 at the Bulldogs' 23-yard line, Lorraine went for it but failed to get the 1st down. The Mustangs took over on downs.

The Mustangs scored two more touchdowns to get up by more than 45 points and the referees blew the final whistle to end the game. The Benjamin Mustangs defeated the Lorrain Bulldogs, 68-20, and are the 1a-Div II State Champions.