4A powers La Vega, Carthage meet for state championship

“Coach (Scott) Surratt is a good friend of mine, we talk all the time, and he’s built a quality program in Carthage,” said La Vega coach Don Hyde. “They’ve been basically the standard bearer for 4A Division I for a long time. This is the first time we’ve ever matched up in a game that decides it. We’re looking forward to getting on the stage with a six-time state champion and seeing how we fare.”

La Vega (14-1) and Carthage (15-0) have owned Class 4A Division I for the last five years. After La Vega won the 2015 state championship, Carthage came back to win titles in 2016 and 2017. The Pirates bounced back to win last year’s state title with a 35-21 win over Liberty Hill.

To reach the 2015 state title game, the Pirates dominated Carthage in a 39-3 win in the state semifinals. The Bulldogs got their revenge in 2017 in a 46-39 semifinals shootout over the Pirates.

Though La Vega’s defense has been tremendous all season, Hyde is concerned how to deal with a dynamic Carthage offense that can confuse defenses with multiple formations.

“They do a fabulous job,” Hyde said. “They do a whole lot of stuff offensively. From a defensive point of view on our side of the ball, you got to do a good job of adjusting to formations and motions and shifts because of everything they do.”

The Bulldogs are averaging 40.6 points per game and needed all the offense they could dial up in last week’s 49-42 win over Lampasas in the state semifinals.

Carthage pulled out the win when Kelvontay Dixon hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kai Horton with 13 seconds remaining. Horton finished 17 of 32 for 351 yards and three touchdowns while Dixon made six catches for 146 yards, including a 95-yarder, as he surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season.

The Pirates reached the state finals by toughing out a 27-14 win over Springtown in the semifinals. La Vega’s defense was the catalyst as it forced six turnovers, including DeMarrquese Hayes’ fumble return for a two-yard touchdown and Jordan Rogers’ 77-yard interception return for a score.

Hayes signed his NCAA letter of intent with Kansas State on Wednesday, but showed up for the ceremony on crutches. Hyde hopes his defense can continue to create turnovers, but knows the Pirates can’t get out of position or Carthage’s big-play offense will make them pay.

“Part of playing defense is making sure you don’t get outnumbered,” Hyde said. “When they adjust someone or move someone and go in motion, you’ve got to make sure your numbers match up with their numbers. You’ve just got to make sure whatever you’re doing, you’re taking away what they do best and make them do something else. The good part is our kids are pretty adept at it.”

Hyde wants to see more offensive consistency after the Pirates had difficulty sustaining drives against Springtown. La Vega’s only two offensive touchdowns came on Jar’Que Walton’s 83-yard run in the first quarter and Elisha Cummings’ 46-yard run in the third quarter.

“We need to do everything better if you want to be state champion,” Hyde said. “You can’t go into a game of this magnitude playing for the state championship in 4A Division I and have a lackluster performance in any aspect. We’ve got to play better special teams. Offensively, we sputtered a little bit. Defensively we had some blown assignments.”

Since the Pirates won the state championship last year at AT&T Stadium, Hyde doesn’t expect his team to be intimidated by the big stage. But he doesn’t think playing at the Dallas Cowboys’ home will give the Pirates an edge since Carthage has been there so many times.

“I would normally say it’s a huge advantage, but you’ve got to remember Carthage has been there a lot,” Hyde said. “I don’t think the advantage factor is going to weigh into this at all. But the excitement level is huge. The kids are excited and ready to get out there and play.”
— WACOTRIB