Gunter rushing attack, defense turn up heat in second half to win 3A D2 state title
Last time Clayton Reed was at the state title game — 2017 when he was a sophomore.
Gunter lost.
And with the Tigers knotted at 22 with Omaha Pewitt at intermission, it was time to cut out the turnovers and turn up the Gunter rushing attack like the Tigers knew how.
Gunter held Pewitt scoreless and to 48 yards in the second half, and the Tigers won 43-22 to secure the Class 3A Division II state championship on Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
Reed, who rushed 17 times for a game-high 119 yards and two touchdowns, was voted Offensive MVP.
“It all starts up front. The offensive line hooked it up in the second half,” he said. “I was here my sophomore year and we didn’t end up winning. It feels great now. Greatest feeling being able to hear my name and to go out your last game with a win. It’s the best and I gave it my all.”
The two teams were still tied at 22 midway through the third quarter when Gunter finally took control.
The Tigers (15-1), who also won state in 2016, marched down 76 yards on eight plays and capped it off with a Peyton Lowe 4-yard TD run to lead 29-22 with 3:55 left in the period.
Pewitt (14-2), which was at state for the first time since 2005, got near midfield on the ensuing possession, but the Tigers stopped the Brahmas on fourth-and-2 to take over on downs.
Next drive Gunter extended its lead to 36-22 when Bryson Rigsby scored from the 4 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Pewitt turned the ball over on downs again and Gunter scored three plays in on Lowe’s 9-yard run with 8:20 to play.
“We got those first two stops (of the second half) and scored and really got them out of their game plan a bit,” Gunter coach Jake Fieszel said. “It obviously helped us. Kids went out and did what they always do.
“Credit to Pewitt, they’re an unbelievable football team and well-coached, and very tough.”
Added Lowe, who was named Defensive MVP, “We lost a lot of momentum going into halftime. Late in that first half we committed turnovers, but coming out I think we reestablished that momentum and we kept it rolling.”
Lowe made 7 1/2 tackles, including 2 1/2 for loss.
“Going into halftime we were beating ourselves there late,” Lowe said. “Coach just told us that we have to come out and eliminate the mistakes and play our game.”
The aforementioned turnovers came in the second quarter on two interceptions that kept Pewitt in the game.
Trailing 22-8, Kadrien Johnson picked off a Gunter pass and made an amazing return, 75 yards later for the TD. The Brahmas pulled within 22-14 with 5:16 left until the half.
A successful onside recovery by Pewitt didn’t hurt Gunter as the Brahmas turned it over on downs, but the ensuing Tigers’ possession, Johnson made his second interception.
That allowed Pewitt to tie the game.
Starting at the Gunter 37, the Brahmas got a 1-yard scoring run by Johnson and after Cross Holder’s 2-point rush was good, the game was tied at 22 with 10 seconds on the clock.
“We really just had a bad five minutes there,” Fieszel said. “Defensively we adjusted some. Offensively, we felt like we had a good plan on our rushing attack, we just had to get back to it.”
Reed’s two TDs came in the first half on runs of 1 and 12 yards, the first giving Gunter a 22-8 lead. Graham added a 1-yard run in the opening period that put the Tigers ahead 14-0.
Holder scored late in the first on a 1-yard run to get Pewitt on the board.
Gunter rushed 56 times for 361 yards while the defense held Pewitt to 174 yards total offense.
“Really proud of the kids. They do what we ask them to do,” Fieszel said. “Walking away a champ feels unbelievable.”
“It’s amazing. Had the privilege to do it my freshman year, but as a senior it doesn’t compare,” added Lowe, who was Defensive MVP in 2016. “It’s something special. Most programs don’t get the chance to at least make it here once and to do it three times and come out with two rings is special.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 10:53 PM.
