Allen too much for Cedar Ridge in 6A Division I football semifinal

There’s an old football adage that defense will always travel and can always be counted on during inclement weather.

That was true for Allen on a rainy Saturday afternoon at McLane Stadium as the Eagles forced five turnovers to beat Round Rock Cedar Ridge 28-7 in a Class 6A Division I state semifinal.

Allen (15-0) will seek a fifth UIL state title next Saturday as they take on Austin Lake Travis (13-2) in the 6A Division I championship at 3 p.m. at AT&T Stadium.

The Cavaliers have won six state titles, including last year’s 41-13 defeat of The Woodlands in the 6A Division I final.

“Our defensive staff led by coach [Cody] Crain, really did a great job in preparing for this game,” said Allen head coach Terry Gambill. “We thought if we could limit their big plays, especially in the passing game, we’d come out OK.”

Gambill is in his second year at Allen, and the Eagles are back to a title game after semifinal losses in 2015 and 2016.

After a scoreless first quarter in which both defenses dominated, Allen defensive back Tkai Lloyd scooped up a fumble and raced 56 yards to the Cedar Ridge 3-yard line. That play set up Allen’s first score on a run by Arizona State commit Brock Sturges.

After an exchange of punts on the next two possessions, the Allen defense again was at the right place at the right time as defensive lineman Emmanuel Nwokorie fell on a Cedar Ridge fumble at the Raiders’ 31.

Six plays later, facing a fourth-and-20 from the 30 and in a downpour, Allen quarterback Grant Tisdale lofted a pass into double coverage and wideout Theo Wease came down with the jump ball for a 30-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead that the Eagles would take into the locker room.

With the rain still a factor after intermission, Allen played much of the second half with a conservative attack relying on a heavy dose of running from Sturges and Tisdale — along with a stout Eagles’ defense.

The Cedar Ridge defense, which sacked Tisdale seven times on the afternoon, kept the Raiders in the game after three quarters as Allen still held a 14-0 lead. However, Allen’s defense in the fourth quarter again made the plays down the stretch to seal the win.

Cedar Ridge failed on a fake punt when the passer was flagged for intentional grounding on his own 2-yard line. One play later Sturges would score to put the game out of reach at 21-0 Allen.

Next, Allen defender Luke Jaksick returned an interception 32 yards for a score that put the Eagles up 28-0.

Cedar Ridge would finally get on the board with just over a minute left when Jaylen Ellis caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Ezekiel Coss for the final margin of 28-7.

This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 7:54 PM with the headline "Allen too much for Cedar Ridge in 6A Division I football semifinal."