Argyle beats Graham in state semifinals again

For the second consecutive season, Argyle knocked Graham out of the playoffs in the state semifinals to advance to the state championship game.

Caleb Holt’s 19-yard field goal with 1:23 remaining gave the Eagles a 23-20 win and a chance to defend their championship when they face Navasota in the Class 4A Division I title game.

Argyle (15-0) defeated Graham in Week 4 35-27, so the Eagles knew beating a stifling Steers defense twice in a season was no easy task. That was evident after a 6-3 halftime lead for Graham (12-3).

After Argyle managed only 79 total yards at the half, the Eagles switched gears in the second half, accounting for 225 yards of offense.

Forty-three of those yards came from quarterback Cooper Rodgers hitting Drew Estrada in stride for a touchdown and 10-6 advantage in the third quarter.

The second half featured two ties and three lead changes. Landry Turner responded for Graham with a 51-yard touchdown on a play-action pass to Derek Sides.

Sides finished with 145 yards on 10 catches.

Argyle senior running back Nick Ralston, an Arizona State pledge, was the focal point of Argyle’s Week 4 win over Graham when he rushed for 144 yards on 46 carries and four scores.

The senior helped Argyle extend its winning streak to 31 games with 149 yards rushing, including a 3-yard touchdown run with 7:57 left in the fourth.

Ralston helped set up the game-winning field goal, running for 54 yards on seven carries and taking over four minutes off the clock.

Graham had the ball at midfield with seven seconds left, but Zach Zembraski’s interception for Argyle ended the Steers’ last-minute comeback attempt.

This story was originally published December 12, 2014 at 11:37 PM with the headline "Argyle beats Graham in state semifinals again."