Jentsch Leads Grandview Past Undefeated Pottsboro For Second Straight 3A DI Championship

ARLINGTON, TX — The Grandview Zebras and The Pottsboro Cardinals put on a show in the 3A Division I State Championship game in Arlington. Grandview won 42-35.

The two teams were tied at 7 after the first quarter.  They both opened up with a three and out, but then Pottsboro took 5:13 off the clock on their second possession.  Running back Cy Shope capped the 11 play 50 yard drive with a one yard touchdown run up the middle. 

Grandview matched them with a 2 minute and 26 second drive of their own.  Quarterback Dane Jentsch made his first of many big plays when he found Luke Ferguson on a 34 yard pass that put them at the Cardinals' 17.  They had started at their 39. 

A couple plays later, senior Tremayne Gullatte crossed the goal line and lost the ball after a hit from Pottsboro's Cooper Townsley.  Pottsboro recovered it, but officials reviewed the play and confirmed Gullatte had crossed the plane before losing the ball. 

That drive was the first touchdown in a 21 point run for Grandview.  Pottsboro fumbled on the next possession, and Grandview recovered it at the Cardinal 42. 

Gullatte was in the end zone 58 seconds later on their fourth play of the drive.  

Grandview held Pottsboro to just 4 yards on the following possession and started their fourth drive in good field position again, this time at their 46.  

Jentsch hit Jacob Patterson on first down for a 47 yard gain, and Gullatte capitalized on his quarterback's success with TD number three on the next play. 

Jentsch was the reason Grandview moved the ball so well.  He finished the game with 218 yards on 12 of 17 passing.  His dual threat ability also showed with 152 yards on 14 carries.  He only had one total touchdown: a 5 yard run with 3:04 in the second quarter. 

Gullatte made the plays when they found the red zone.  He scored 5 times on 19 carries.  Four of the TD's were from within 7 yards.  The fifth was a 20 yarder with 3:34 to go in the game.  That was also his longest run of the day.  He had 95 yards total. 

Pottsboro answered Grandview's offensive explosion with a 3 minute and 55 second, 75 yard drive.  Wide receiver Jasek Hooker made a great bobbling catch in the back corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 7.  

Hooker finished the game with 4 catches for 55 yards.  The TD was quarterback Braden Plyler's first TD. The junior played extremely well and completed 19 of 25 passes for 254 yards and 3 scores. 

After Hooker's touchdown halfway through the second quarter, the two teams were dead even.

Jentsch got his rushing score on the next drive, and Pottsboro came right back with a 61 yard possession that ended with a 29 yard pass from Plyler to Zac Talley.  Talley caught the ball around the 15 and made one player miss on his way into the end zone 51 seconds before halftime. 

Coming out of the break, Pottsboro was down 28-21, and their defense fought hard to give their offense a chance to tie it up. 

They forced a three and out on Grandview's opening possession, and the offense marched down the field.  They made it to the Grandview half yard line, but ran the same play five consecutive times and got the same result each time. 

They were stuffed twice on 4th down after the Zebras were called offside on the first attempt.  Pottsboro gave the ball back empty handed after 14 plays, 60 yards, and 6 minutes. 

Grandview would not be stopped again on the next drive.  They went 97 yards in three minutes thanks to a mix of Jentsch passes and read option keepers.  Gullatte scored his fourth TD from 6 yards out on the 6th play of the drive. 

Jentsch then picked off Plyler on the next drive to secure his Defensive Player of the Game Award.  He won both Offensive and Defensive Player of the Game for the second year in a row.  

Grandview turned the ball over on downs on the next possession after only four plays.  Pottsboro then scored on their last two possessions.  Both drives were barely over a minute long and went 63 and 41 yards respectively. 

If Grandview had not scored in between them with Gullatte's 20 yarder, the game would have been tied. 

Pottsboro's last points came on a 19 yard run by Plyler with 2:21 remaining.  They had one timeout left and needed to recover the onside kick or get a quick three and out.  A Zebra first down would end the game. 

Pottsboro got a good bounce on the kick, but it went out of bounds before anyone could get it. 

Grandview had the ball at the 50, and Jentsch moved the chains on 2nd and 7 with a run up the middle.  

The Undisputed Player of the Game took three knees and Grandview officially repeated as State Champs 42-35 over Pottsboro. 

They are now 2-2 in championships in school history.  Pottsboro had never appeared in a championship game before tonight. 

You can follow this link to read the live play by play recap of the game.