Waco La Vega raced away from Liberty Hill to win 4A Division I state title in flashy fashion

Waco La Vega used three big plays in the third quarter to break open a close game at the half and cruise to a 35-21 win over Liberty Hill in the Class 4A Division I championship game at AT&T Stadium.

La Vega (14-2), ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press Class 4A state poll, won its second state title in four years, setting three Class 4A title game records in the process. It was the Pirates’ fourth title appearance.

Donta Stuart opened the second half, electrifying the 19,218 in attendance, with a 94-yard kickoff return to give La Vega a 14-7 lead. Burnet’s Jordan Shipley had the previous mark of 85 yards set in 2003 against Gainesville.

“At halftime I told coach Hyde let me get a kick return,” said Stuart. “I got the ball and all I saw was a gap and hit the hole, and it changed the momentum. We needed that a lot.”

No. 3 Liberty Hill (13-2) was forced to punt on its ensuing series and the Pirates proceeded to set another title game mark.

On second down, Malachi Wright took a short Ara Rauls pass and made a magnificent move on a Liberty Hill cornerback then outraced the rest of the Panthers 90 yards for a 21-7 lead with 7:39 left in the third. The play was the longest pass and reception for a touchdown in 4A title game history besting Carthage’s Anthony Morgan to Cortlyn Ware 85-yard TD in 2010.

The Rauls-to-Wright connection produced another score 6 minutes later on a 61-yard pass play as the Pirates increased the lead to 28-7. The play was set up by a JaCorrey Coaster fumble recovery following a hard hit on a Liberty Hill running back at the La Vega 21 yard line.

“Malachi is a special talent,” said La Vega coach Don Hyde, in his first year at the helm of the Pirates. “We don’t throw the ball much, but we liked the matchup we had out there and we knew if we had caught them in a hitch route that the next time we could get them over the top of them. You can’t complete a pass without the guys up front so those guys did a good job and Ara threw it up and Malachi made a play.”

Wright, the game’s Offensive MVP, finished with 3 catches for 163 yards. Rauls was an efficient 6 of 9 passing for 178 yards. John Richards led the Pirates with 81 yards rushing on 13 carries and scored on a 43-yard run with 6:59 left to put the game out of reach.

The La Vega defense earned its stripes against Liberty Hill’s sharp, quick hitting running attack. Defensive MVP Jared Rogers and younger brother Jordan Rogers, both linebackers, had 15 total tackles each with Jared Rogers recording 12 solo tackles.

“It’s a blessing,” said Jared Rogers, a senior. “I was fortunate enough to win one my freshman year with my oldest brother. I told my little brother that he had a chance to win three; my oldest brother won one, I won two and he can leave with the most so go take advantage of it.”

Liberty Hill ran 81 plays to La Vega’s 35 and the Panthers outgained the Pirates 342-335 in total yards. Liberty Hill had the ball for 31 of the game’s 48 minutes.

La Vega looked sharp early forcing a punt on Liberty Hills first series and then taking 7 plays to cover 52 yards for the game’s opening score. Running back Jar’Que Walton raced around right end from 35 yards out and the Pirates had a 7-0 lead with 8:13 left in the first quarter.

But the Liberty Hill defense stiffened from there allowing La Vega 51 more yards the rest of the half while forcing 3 punts.

The Panthers tied the game on the first play of the second quarter when running back Kyle Harrison capped a 46-yard drive with a 4-yard run.

It was Liberty Hill’s first loss in a title game after winning state in 2006 and 2007.