Denton Ryan reaches mountain top, wins football state championship over Cedar Park
After coming up short so many times, the Denton Ryan Raiders can finally claim the throne.
The Raiders snapped their football state championship drought, 59-14, over Cedar Park in the Class 5A Division 1 title game Friday night at AT&T Stadium for the program’s first ring since winning back-to-back in 2001 and 2002.
“Really proud of how the kids played so hard. They prepared all week like a mature championship football team should,” Ryan coach Dave Henigan said. “So many effort plays on both sides of the ball.”
It was Ryan’s seventh title appearance.
Ryan lost in last year’s 5A D1 title game and was bounced in the state semifinals the previous three years.
But on Friday, the Raiders (15-0) were the best, and they have been all year long.
“We have a great program and have been right on the cusp,” Dave Henigan said. “These games are hard to win. We’ve been so close five straight years then you throw COVID in. To get to this point, it makes it that much more sweeter for me and our kids.”
Cedar Park (13-1), which ended the regular season No. 4 in the 5A D1 state rankings, pulled within 10-8 early in the second quarter before Ryan stretched its lead with three straight touchdowns.
Ryan quarterback Seth Henigan, who signed his letter of intent with Memphis in December, threw a pair of touchdown passes in a 2 1/2 minute span, the first 52 yards to Keagan Cunningham, who tip-toed his way for six, and then 37 yards to 4-star Oklahoma bound Billy Bowman Jr. to push the lead to 24-8 with 5:36 left in the second quarter.
“This medal looks and feels way better than a silver,” Bowman said. “Everybody was locked in and had one goal on their mind for the whole season. It was a team effort the whole time.”
A Ty Marsh interception led to Bowman’s score.
Marsh, a 3-star safety, also stopped a Cedar Park drive late in the half when he stripped the ball from a receiver and recovered the loose ball just prior to the goal line.
Marsh added three pass deflections and was voted defensive game MVP.
“We knew we had to answer. It’s the state championship game, you have to answer. We got a lot of momentum and made big plays on defense,” Dave Henigan said. “You have to do that to win these games. We been in a lot of tight games. The composure and poise during those moments carried us to the victory.”
Garyreon Robinson made it two straight Cedar Park drives to end in a pick and Ryan scored two plays later on a 2-yard TD run by Anthony Hill Jr. that extended the lead to 31-8.
Anthony Hill Jr. forced a fumble on the opening drive of the third quarter and MarQuice Hill Jr. walked into the end zone to give Ryan a 38-8 lead. Henigan threw for two more TD passes of 29 yards to Michael Davis and 5 yards to 5-star Texas bound Ja’Tavion Sanders to make it 52-14 early in the fourth.
Henigan was voted offensive MVP with 264 yards on 14 of 22 passes and four TDs.
“Seth has been a big part of the team,” Cunningham said. “We’ve been friends since I don’t know, the sixth grade, and we have chemistry and it’s helped so much. We know what each other is thinking. He’s a great quarterback overall.”
Ryan added its final score on a Ke’Ori Hicks’ 5-yard run with 5:41 left in the game.
Hicks, who finished with 15 carries for 122 yards and two TDs, scored his first from 13 yards out with 1:43 left in the first quarter. It gave Ryan a 10-0 lead. Clayton Roblyer hit a 24-yard field goal on Ryan’s opening drive.
The Timberwolves pulled within 10-8 on Ryder Hernandez’s 11-yard pass to Jack Hestera and a successful 2-point catch by Josh Cameron. They stopped a 35-0 run when Hernandez hit Cade Haught from 9 yards out midway through the third. It was Cedar Park’s fourth appearance with titles in 2012 and 2015.
Ryan out-gained Cedar Park 527-294 in total yards, including 263-12 on the ground. Kalib Hicks added 98 yards on 15 carries. Sanders had 77 yards on four catches and Bowman added 62 yards receiving.
Anthony Hill Jr. led Ryan on defense with 10 tackles and one sack.
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 10:30 PM.
