Randle Holds Off S. Oak Cliff to Win First State Title

After a stunning kickoff return touchdown, South Oak Cliff looked to answer on their first drive but could not find a rhythm to keep up with Randle's defense. The Golden Bears were forced to punt after a 3-and-out.

Richmond Randle's offense came out on fire. After a quick and efficient drive down the field, Landen Williams-Callis powered through for a 1-yard touchdown, putting the Lions' lead to 14-0 over the Golden Bears.

South Oak Cliff slowed down their offense and continued to drive the ball down the field. At the 17-yard line, Carter Kopecky threw a deep lob pass to the right of the end zone and found Jaylen Moore for a touchdown. Randle led 14-7 with 1:38 in the 1st quarter.

2nd Quarter

Randle took the ball back, and Landen Williams-Callis squeezed past the defensive line and ran the hash marks to the endzone. Unfortunately, a holding call sent the Lions back to their 30-yard line. Tyler Skrabanek threaded the needle to Keilan Sweeny for a quick 20-yard completion. On 3rd down, the Lions got stopped at the Golden Bears' 34-yard line and decided to kick a field goal.  Christian Munguia easily cleared the 44-yard field goal, keeping Randle in the lead 17-7 with 10:14 left in the 2nd quarter.

Down by 10, South Oak Cliff pushed through the Randle defense with each play. Setting up at Randle's 26-yard line, Mikail Trotter pushed through the defensive line for a 17-yard gain. After one more rush, Trotter set up the Golden Bears on the 1-yard line for a 3rd and goal opportunity. One more push from Trotter put the Golden Bears in the end zone for a touchdown. With 6:29 left in the 2nd quarter, South Oak Cliff was down by 3 over Randle, 17-14.

The Lions knew the Golden Bears were on their tail. Randle took the ball on a run, but it was only for a small gain, falling short of the first down. The Lions were forced to punt, sending the ball to South Oak Cliff's 34-yard line. However, the Golden Bears struggled to find any rhythm on their possession. On 4th-and-3, they attempted a pass, but the Lions' defensive line threw a hand up, blocking the ball and forcing a turnover on downs.

Randle took possession at their own 34-yard line, and a series of solid plays quickly moved the Lions back into scoring position. Keilan Sweeny then delivered a quick pass to Mason Mixon for an 11-yard touchdown. The Lions headed into the locker room at halftime with a 24-14 lead over the Golden Bears.

3rd Quarter

South Oak Cliff received the kick-off and set up on the 25-yard line. Just as the Lions started off the game, the Golden Bears answered back. Mikail Trotter took the handoff through the heart of the defense and in for a 75-yard touchdown. With 11:47 left in the 3rd quarter, the Golden Bears trailed 24-21.

Randle received the kickoff and ran the ball to the 35-yard line. A quick pass put the Lions short at 4th and 2. Landen Williams-Callis snapped the ball and got the first down. Tyler Skrabanek threw a deep ball but was intercepted by South Oak Cliff's Kendrick Carter at the 14-yard line.

South Oak Cliff, deep in Randle territory, looked to drive the ball down the field to take the lead over the Lions. A handoff to Damond Williams broke through the left side of the defense and climbed up the hash marks for an 85-yard touchdown run. After a successful kick, the South Oak Cliff Golden Bears took the first lead of the game, 28-24.

Randle set up on their own 42-yard line to get back on track. On 3rd-and-8, the Lions tried a quick pass over the middle, but it was not enough to move the chains. They punted, and the Golden Bears took over at the SOC 44-yard line. Unfortunately for them, South Oak Cliff's drive quickly stalled, and they were forced to punt right back after a third-and-out. Starting from the 20-yard line, Randal tried to spark some momentum with a quick 10-yard pass, but it fell incomplete. On 3rd and 9, the Golden Bears' defense broke through, sacking Tyler Skrabanek and forcing the punting team onto the field once again.

Starting on the 30-yard line, the Golden Bears were eager to keep the score in their favor. Unfortunately, South Oak Cliff’s Carter Kopecky tried to find an open play, but the pass bounced off his receiver and into the hands of Perry Kindred. A direct snap to Keilan Sweeny on the 21-yard line set up an open play to the right side of the line. Scrambling, Sweeny saw an open hole and punched the ball in for a touchdown. Randle was back on top 31-28 with 1:09 left in the 3rd quarter.

4th Quarter

It did not take long for Randle to be back on top in this back-and-forth Championship matchup. A 72-yard kickoff return from Sean Smith puts the Lions in the lead 38-35.

South Oak Cliff tried everything to put the scoreboard in their favor after the eye-opening kickoff return touchdown, but a poorly timed, overthrown pass on third down stalled their drive. The punting unit was called into action, handing the Lions another chance to pounce. Randle made a few strong plays that brought them close to the first-down marker, but a third-and-out forced them to punt as well, putting the ball back in the hands of the Golden Bears.

Receiving the ball at Randle's 44-yard line, South Oak Cliff's Damond Williams had a clear path to the end zone, but a holding penalty pushed them back near the blue star. On 3rd-and-10, Mikail Trotter was shut down at the line of scrimmage, stalling the drive. Faced with a do-or-die on 4th and 10, the Golden Bears Kopecky threw a quick pass to Reggie McNeal Jr. for the first down. A few quick runs put South Oak Cliff back in a 4th down situation. With a mere 3 seconds left on the clock, SOC snapped the football with a chance to tie the game. Unfortunately, K Ceasar Olavera missed the 45-yard field goal wide left, ending the game.

The Richmond Randle Lions defeated the 2-time State Champion South Oak Cliff Golden Bears for their first Championship title in program history.