Alto wins state championship
Mean Sting 'D' freezes out Seymour, 22-0
MIDLOTHIAN - With an impressive 22-0 thumping of the Seymour Panthers on Saturday, the Alto Yellowjackets have captured the 1A Division 1 State Championship for the second straight year.

Jared Moore crosses the goal line after catching a 14-yard pass from quarterback Tarlandus Mitchell. Moore's catch gave the Yellowjackets a 6-0 lead with the winds to their backs in the second quarter. Alto defeated Seymour 22-0 to capture their 28th consecutive win and second consecutive state title.

"I'm really happy," said Alto head football Coach Keith Gardner. "The kids came through; the coaches came through; the kids played hard and we had a great year."

The Jackets won their 28th straight game and remained undefeated for the second consecutive year.

"We had to overcome some adversity during the year," Coach Gardner said. "We had some injuries and we had some ups and downs, but we were able to come through it undefeated and win a state Champion- ship.

"I am so very proud of our kids and our coaches," Coach Gardner added. "They have all worked their rears off all year long to make this happen. It takes a lot of work to win a state championship, and it takes a lot more work to win two state championships backto back. I just appreciate the kids and coaches for all their hard work and I appreciate the school and the community for all their encouragement and support."

Alto wide l receiver Brandon Thacker catches a touchdown pass with 4:30 left in the third quarter. Thacker's catch gave the Jackets a 14-0 lead and control of the ball game. PHOTOS: LELAND ACKER

Offensive Coordinator Coach Paul Gould was equally excited over the win.

"I thought we did what we had to do to win," Coach Gould said. "With it being the state championship game, you do what you have to do. I would like to have been able to throw the ball better, but considering the conditions that we were dealing with, we did well and we did throw the ball better than they did."

Game conditions included frigid temperatures and a 40-plus mile-per-hour wind howling through the stadium, which drove the wind-chill into the teens. Shivering, bundled fans thronged Midlothian ISD Stadium in Midlothian to watch the Yellowjackets do battle on the frozen tundra Saturday afternoon.

ROBIN BEST

"It was cold, I'll say that," Coach Gould said. "That wind was certainly a factor to deal with."

The Panthers won the toss and opted to take the wind at their backs for the opening quarter, leaving the Jackets driving into the north wind.

It appeared that the Seymour strategy was working when Alto running back sensation Marcuse "Pee Wee" Gasaway fumbled the opening kickoff and the Panthers recovered on the Alto 19 yard line.

But the Jackets had some strategy of their own. Following a sack and a punishing defensive attack, the Panthers were left with a 4th and 26 at the Alto 31 yard line. After a quick-kick-style punt, Alto began their first drive backed up to their own 9 yard line.

"That was their strategy, to get the ball with the wind at their back and to run as many plays as they could with the wind at their back, and to keep us with as few plays as they could with us moving forward into a 40 mph wind," Coach Gould said. "I guess we messed that up for them."

With just over two minutes gone in the first quarter, Alto began a 23-play drive that chewed up more than 10 minutes of the clock, taking the game into the second quarter. Alto seemed to have a penchant for making the zebras toss yellow laundry on the field, which made the actual length of the drive close to 150 yards and ended in the second quarter on the Alto 46 yard line after a fourth and 29 and over on downs. With the change of the quarter, it was the Panthers that were facing into the howling frigid, winds.

"I felt that that particular drive, even though we didn't score, played a role in us winning the game," Coach Gould said. "First, we made them go three-and-out. Then we kept the ball, driving the entire first quarter, which was when they wanted to be making plays with the wind at their backs. We were able to keep the ball out of their hands. That was huge."

The second Seymour possession was a lot like the first. The Panthers went three-and-out and then had to punt into a fierce wind. The punt angled forward, but was caught by the wind.

The ball blew backward and out of bounds with a net loss of 7 yards on the punt.

"They would have been better off taking a knee with it," Coach Gould said.

On third and 14, from the Seymour 14 yard line, senior quarterback Tarlandus Mitchell zipped a pass on a slant to junior receiver Jared Moore who walked in for the score. Following a failed PAT, Alto had the lead 6-0 with 7:41 left in the first half.

The Panthers began their next possession moving backwards, facing an onslaught of swarming Yellowjackets and gale-force icy winds.

Blown back to a third and 22 from their own 12 yard line, the Panther offense was again swarmed by the Jacket defense, led by senior Trevor Hagerty, which sent the ball bouncing out of the back of the end zone for a safety and the Alto lead was 8-0 with six and a half minutes left in the second.

"The weather, it was so cold and windy, caused us to change our game plan," Coach Gardner said. "We knew right away that it was going to be very difficult to throw into that wind. So we made adjustments accordingly. It is what we had to do to win.

"But both teams had to contend with that wind," he added. "Any time you are playing into a wind like that, you have to keep the ball down."

The players and the elements battled to the end of the first half with no additional scores.

Stopping the Panthers again early in the third, the Jackets marched down the field and scored with a Mitchell pass to junior wide receiver Brandon Thacker with 4:30 left. A twopoint conversion failed, and the Yellowjackets led 14-0.

"Our kids played hard," Coach Gardner said. "We stayed on them and the kids never let up. They pushed them back and played extremely well. I am very proud of them."

The only other score in the game came in the fourth quarter with a Mitchell pass to senior running back Lance Low. A two point conversion by Mitchell was good and the final score of 22-0 was on the board.

"You know, they say that good offense wins games, but good defense wins championships," Coach Gould said. "Our defense helped us win this championship. They have played exceptionally well all season and this game was just another example of how well they played."

Coach Gould complimented his senior players on a great game and season.

"Our seniors had an incredible game," he said. "Clayton Scott had a great game. Lance Low had a touchdown on offense and an interception on defense. Trevor Hagerty had two sacks and one of them resulted in a safety. Tarlandus Mitchell offensively just carried the load for us. He had 28 carries for 147 yards and had an interception on defense.

"Our offensive line: Josh Hudson, Clint Dover and Clayton Scott knew what they were in for in this game. They blocked and kept the defense back and we were able to grind the ball up the field. Derek Mumphrey played nose guard and had a peelback block on Pee Wee's (Gasaway's) interception. He had a great night on defense, they just could not block him. Devon Patton, got hurt, but contributed to the win on both offense and defense. Keith Williams played on offensive line and made some key blocks for us. Michael Parker played a great game. He made some tackles for us and did a great job in the secondary covering receivers.

"All of our seniors played a huge role in this win and all throughout the season," Coach Gould added.

Coach Gould said this has been a great year.

"We have had a blast this year," he said. "The kids have worked very hard. They have created a legacy for future players to follow. They have set the standards high for others to have to live up to."