Blum scores late, holds off defending champ McLean to win first UIL football state title
Wednesday afternoon, Blum found itself in a familiar playoff situation, trailing early.
Like they had in four previous playoff wins, the Bobcats didn’t panic.
Blum overcame a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to claim its first UIL football state title with a 58-52 win over McLean in the Class 1A Division I six-man championship game at AT&T Stadium
“It’s normal for us to get down early,” Blum coach Cooper Thornhill said. “We just take it one step at a time and one play at a time. We knew they were going to score; we’re not going to shut them out.”
Blum’s first state appearance was a special one for senior quarterback Dylan Vardeman, whose grandfather played on the Bobcats’ first football team 50 years ago, and was in the stands cheering for his grandson.
The state title was still a little unbelievable for Thornhill.
But not surprising.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Thornhill of winning the state title. “I knew it was going to happen the way we were blocking, the way our running back was running, the way our quarterback was audibling and the way our defense was playing.”
The Bobcats (13-2) topped the Tigers thanks in part to a defense that found a way to slow McLean senior running back Ben Crockett. “Defense has kept us in ball games since Week 1,” Thornhill said. “I knew they would give us a chance to win.”
Last season, Crockett ran for a six-man state record nine touchdowns in a 100-70 state title game win over Milford.
“We just brought it to them,” Vardeman said. “They weren’t expecting us to hit them in the backfield and we did.”
The win over McLean (13-2) was part of what Thornhill called his squad’s revenge tour.
In the state semifinals, the Bobcats downed Jonesboro, which had eliminated Blum last season. The win over McLean avenged a 65-38 season-opening loss.
“It’s unreal,” Thornhill said. “This community deserves this. They have been knocking on the door for years and years.”
Trailing 22-8 in the first quarter, the Bobcats charged back to take a 24-22 lead at halftime and a 46-30 advantage at the start of the fourth quarter.
Senior running back Coltin Gonzales, who was named the Offensive MVP, was the catalyst for the Bobcats with touchdowns runs on 1, 11 and 13 yards to get his team on top. Gonzales finished the game with 232 yards rushing and five scores on 26 carries.
Vardeman had a nice game completing 5 of 8 passes for 143 yards and a pair of scores to Koby Clinkscales (three catches, 111 yards).
Thornhill praised Vardeman’s ability to change the play at the line of scrimmage.
“(Vardeman) audibled three times and we scored on each of them,” Thornhill said. “I trust him and the team trusts him. That’s nice to have.”
With 2:51 to play, Gonzales scored on an 11-yard run to put Blum up 52-44, but the Bobcats missed the point after kick leaving McLean a chance.
The Tigers took full advantage of the opportunity as Crockett scored on an 8-yard run with 2:15 to play to tie the game at 52-52. To go along with his rushing yards, Crockett also completed 13 of 21 passes for 254 yards and three scores. Crockett garnered Defensive MVP honors for the game.
Blum needed just three plays to regain the lead as Gonzales scored with 58 seconds to play on a 29-yard run to go up 58-52. Another Bobcats’ failed point-after kick left another opening for the McLean.
The Tigers moved the ball to the Blum 38, but a hook-and-lateral play as time ran out fell well short.
