ARLINGTON, TX – The first game of day three of the 2022 UIL Texas High School Football Playoffs on Friday, Dec. 16, featured the 4A-Div II game between the Carthage Bulldogs (15-0) and the Wimberley Texans (15-0) at 11 a.m. at AT&T Stadium. Turnovers killed the Texans throughout the game, and Carthage made them pay for every mistake they made. Carthage dominated Wimberley all day and won 42-0.
1st Quarter
Both teams played solid defense against each other. The Bulldogs received the opening kickoff but punted away to Wimberley. The Texans failed to get anything going on their first drive and booted it right back. The game changed on Carthage’s second offensive possession.
The Bulldogs initially stalled near midfield as the Texans forced 4th down. Faced with 4th and four yards, Cathage’s Head Coach Scott Surratt went for it. QB Connor Cuff hit WR Noah Paddie for the first down. Paddie then took that first down grab and turned it into a 50-yard touchdown. Carthage took the lead with 7:23 remaining in the 1st Quarter, 7-0.
Wimberley again found zero success on their second offensive possession. The Texans had a 17-yard run called back for holding and did not overcome that. Behind the sticks and forced to throw the ball, the Texans did not convert. Wimberley punted the ball back to Carthage at the Bulldogs’ 18-yard line.
The Cuff to Paddie connection bore fruit again on the ensuing possession. On 1st down at the 18-yard line, Cuff completed a pass to Paddie, who sprinted 82 yards to the house. The one-play drive took nine seconds off the clock, and the Bulldogs led with 4:38 remaining in the 1st Quarter, 14-0.
After another Texan three-and-out, Carthage scored their third touchdown as time expired in the 1st Quarter. The Bulldogs moved the ball 45 yards in seven plays, capped off by a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Cuff. Carthage led 21-0.
2nd Quarter
Carthage’s defense turned up the heat, and Wimberley continued to struggle. QB Cody Stoever threw an errant pass that Jakerrian Roquemore picked off at the Texans’ 30-yard line. An illegal block backed up the Bulldogs, and that momentum helped the Texans’ defense force a 4th stop.
Following the 4th down stop, the Texans looked like they would get back into the game. Stoever completed a pass to Tru Couch, who carried the ball 40 yards down the field. Roquemore came through for the Bulldogs again, punched the football away from Couch, and the Bulldogs recovered.
The offensive onslaught from Carthage continued as Wimberley floundered. Carthage scored twice more before halftime. First, a 6-play, 48-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard pass from Cuff to Kydarius Matlock. Then, a 6-play 50-yard drive capped off by another touchdown pass from Cuff, this time a 2-yard pass on 4th down to Viencint Cabada. The Bulldogs led at the half, 35-0.
3rd Quarter
Wimberley came out of the locker room and played much better in the 3rd Quarter than in the first half. After a penalty, the Texans began their first possession at Wimberley's 9-yard line. They ended up moving the ball 79 yards on 15 plays. At Carthage's 12-yard line, Stoever tried to force the football into the end zone, but the Bulldogs took advantage. Kadadriane Bell stepped in front of the intended receiver and picked Stoever off again.
Carthage marched down the field on a long, 9-play, 80-yard drive following the interception. Cuff completed a pass to Roquemore, who exploded for 37 yards to get the football down to the Texans' goal line. One play later, the Bulldogs got into the end zone and extended their lead. With 1:26 remaining in the 3rd Quarter, Carthage led 42-0.
4th Quarter
Wimberley had two more opportunities to get on the board in the 4th Quarter but failed to do so. However, the Texans did claim a moral victory when their defense stonewalled Carthage at the goal line and refused to give up another touchdown. Time continued to wind down, and the Bulldogs' fanbase became rowdier with anticipation.
The Carthage Bulldogs (16-0) defeated the Wimberley Texans (15-1) 42-0 to claim the 4A-Div II 2022 UIL Texas High School Football State Championship.
Congratulations to Bulldogs' Wide Receiver Noah Paddie for tying the State Game single-game receiving record. Paddie had eight catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
State Champion Carthage Bulldogs
(Credit: Ryan Chadwick)
2022 4A-Div II State Champions Carthage Bulldogs
(Credit: Ryan Chadwick)
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