Yoakum Dominates Grandview to Claim 3A-Div I Title

ARLINGTON, TX — The Grandview Zebras and Yoakum Bulldogs faced off on Thursday at AT&T Stadium to determine who would be the 3A-Div I State Champion. It was all Yoakum early as the Bulldogs built a 24-point lead before Grandview finally climbed back into the game in the second half. However, the Bulldogs proved to be too much for the Zebras and claimed victory, 45-29.

FINAL: Yoakum 45 Grand View 29

1st Quarter

Yoakum jumped on the board first with a field goal after the opening kickoff. The Bulldogs drove the ball 71 yards on six plays before settling for three points.

Grand View's offense failed to find the same success that the Bulldogs had early. Out of four possessions in the first half, the first three ended in punts.

The Bulldogs would add to their lead with 3:00 remaining in the 1st Quarter. Xavier Barnett broke through the defense on the ground and sprinted 44 yards to the house. Yoakum led 10-0.

2nd Quarter

Yoakum's defense continued to dominate in the second quarter, handing the ball back to their offense for another chance to score. The Bulldogs thanked their defense by driving the ball 80 yards in only six plays before Jace Morales took a carry 38 yards for a touchdown. Yoakum led 17-0 with 7:41 to play in the 2nd quarter.

Another Grandview punt led to another Bulldog touchdown. This time, Barnett lit up the scoreboard with another explosive run. The Bulldogs' quarterback exploded through the line for a 59-yard touchdown. Yoakum led 24-0 with 4:56 left in the half.

Grandview finally found success on offense in the closing moments of the 2nd quarter. The Zebras drove the ball 75 yards on an arduous 14-play drive to cut the deficit back to 17. Bleu Hubbard punched the ball into the end zone from a yard out to make the score 24-7 at the half.

3rd Quarter

Grandview received the second-half kickoff, looking to build on the momentum the Zebras gained to end the half. However, after a single first down, Grandview fumbled the snap. Yoakum jumped on the loose ball and took over deep in Zebra territory.

Xavier Barnett wasted no time in extending the Bulldogs' lead. After Yoakum converted a 4th and 1, Barnett took the first down carry 25 yards to the house. Yoakum led 31-7 with 8:45 remaining in the 4th quarter.

Another punt led to another explosive play by the Bulldogs. Jace Morales returned the punt 62 yards deep into Zebra territory as Yoakum looked to put the game away. However, the Zebras came up big on defense, forcing a fumble. Grandview recovered at their own 19-yard line with six minutes to play in the 3rd quarter.

The chaos continued following the fumble. Yoakum's Isaiah Lopez stepped in front of an errant throw from Mason Landers to take the ball right back. Barnett scored from four yards out to make the score 38-7.

Grandview finally showed signs of life on offense in the 3rd quarter with a touchdown drive. The Zebras drove the football 75 yards in eight plays, converting more than one fourth down in the process to score. Quarterback Mason Landers launched a fade route in the corner of the end zone that Brady Slinkard hauled in for the 6-yard score. A successful 2-point conversion left the score at 38-15 with 31 seconds to play in the 3rd quarter.

4th Quarter

Following the touchdown, Grandview kicked an onside kick and recovered it just past the midfield stripe. The Zebras hit one explosive play just before the 3rd quarter ended when Landers hit Hubbard on a screen pass that the wide receiver took 22 yards deep into Yoakum territory. That big play set up a 5-yard touchdown from Landers to Slinkard. Grandview cut the deficit to 17 points with nine minutes to play.

Yoakum locked in on offense after recovering the onside kick. The Bulldogs drained away much of the remaining time on the clock before punching the ball into the end zone one final time. Yoakum scored from four yards out, and the celebrations began.

Grandview had the ball a final time before time ran out, even adding another touchdown,  but the deficit proved to be too much and Yoakum claimed victory, 45-29.