Brock Wins Title in Just Second Season
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Updated: December 17, 2015
Cameron Yoe (14-2) vs. Brock (16-0)
Texas High School Football Class 3A DI State Championship
5 p.m. Thursday, NRG Stadium, Houston
NRG Stadium - The Brock Eagles won a wild one over the Cameron Yoe Yoemen 43-33 in the Class 3A Division I Championship game. This was Brock's first championship in only their 2nd year of playing varsity ball. Cameron is now 4-2 in championship games. They won championships in 1981, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Yoe was trying to become the 4th team to win 4 consecutive championships joining Celina, Sealy and Austin Lake Travis.
Cameron’s ground game led by Traion Smith was the story of the first half. After stopping Brock on a 3 and out to start the game, Smith scored from 39 yards out on a direct snap. The score was 6-0 after the first quarter. Brock scored on the first play of the 2nd quarter on a 4th and goal play and with the extra point, they led 7-6.
The Yoemen had to punt on their next possession but the punt was muffed and Yoe recovered at the Brock 44. Smith scored on another direct snap from 13 yards out and led 12-7 with 8:22 left until half. After recovering a fumble, Yoe moved the ball inside the 5 when Smith went down with an injury. He would not return for the rest of the game. Yoe scored on the next play to go up 20-7 with 2:09 remaining and that is how the half ended.
Brock Head Coach Chad Worrell later said, "I'm sure 24 (Smith) going down for them was huge. I hated to see it. I'm sure emotionally that had an impact on them."
All appeared lost for Cameron Yoe without Traion Smith in the game, but the Yoemen started the 2nd half off moving the ball well. The absence of Smith's presence was felt though when they turned the ball over on downs at the Brock 29. Brock then returned to their strong running game and running back Leddy French scored his 2nd touchdown of the game to make the score 20-14 with 7:56 left in the 3rd. On Cameron's next possession, receiver Sicory Smith caught a 74 yard touchdown pass to put Yoe up 26-14. It appeared that Coach Rick Rhodes team did indeed still have a chance to earn their fourth consecutive state title.
Offensive MVP Leddy French said, "Today we were down. We shook out the nerves and came out in the second half and played a lot better."
Things continued to lean Cameron's way as Brock fumbled on their next possession on their own 29. Again the lack of Smith in the backfield showed up when they were unable to get a first down.
With the ball back, the Eagles then used a little trickery with a wrap around draw to running back Cooper Warren who ran it in for 52 yards to bring the score to 26-21 with 3:47 left in the 3rd. Cameron went 3 and out and Brock took over to end the 3rd.
The Eagles were able to find the end zone again with another run by Copper Warren to take back the lead. With the 2 point conversion, the score was 29-26 Brock. On Yoe's first play on the next possession, the ball was snapped past the quarterback and Brock lineman Mikey Golden recovered the fumble and scored from 19 yards out. The Eagles led 26-26 with 7:54 left in the contest.
Cameron was not done though. Wide Receiver Iverson Westbrook hauled in a pass on a 4th down play to tighten the score to 36-33 with 3:31 left. Brock ended Yoe's hopes when they recovered the onside kick. Shortly thereafter, the Eagles punched in another touchdown by French to make the final score 43-33.
In the end, it was Brock's running game that controlled the game and wore down the Yoe defense.
When asked about his running game, Worrell said, "We thought coming in we could run the ball on them. We were shooting ourselves in the foot early. At halftime we still felt like we could run the ball and continued to establish the run in the second half."
Worrell added, "Our kids didn't quit at all."
The Cameron Yoemen didn't earn the four-peat but have nothing to hang their heads about. Cameron Yoe Head Coach Rick Rhoades was quick to praise his athletes after the game, "I'm extremely proud of my kids - what this senior class had done. I mean, they played 64 ball games in four years and that's the most you could play."
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Postgame Press Conference ** Premium Content
Game notes:
- Brock High School (310 miles) vs. Cameron Yoe High School (141 miles)
- Cameron Scored 40 or more points 10 times this season
- Cameron Yoe RB Traion Smith 3,016 yards (4th in the state...65th all-time) 47 Rushing TDs (Tied 21st all-time) Career -- 874 attempts (23rd all-time) 7,625 yards (19th all-time) 115 total TDs (T 8th all-time) 692 total points (15th all-time)
- QB Jacob Smitherman 2,863 yards on the season
- WR Sicory Smith 1,587 yards on the season
- LB Eddie Luna 183 tackles on the season
- DL D’Andre Adams 118 tackles 22.5 TFL 9.5 sacks 37 hurries on the seasons
- Cameron Yoe came in with 696 all-time wins into its fourth consecutive state championship game
- the Yoemen have won the last 3 and 22 straight playoff games to go with those titles.
- Brock has outscored their opponents 56-8 throughout the season
- Won a state championship in just its second year playing at the UIL level. The Eagles reached the state quarterfinals in their first effort
- Brock had one win by less than a touchdown
- Brock Defense has only allowed 124 points all year
- Brock has 15 State Titles in other sports
- Brock added football at the junior high level in 2011 and at the high school in 2012.
- Brock 367 rushing yards in the game
- Total Yards -- Brock 397 Cameron 445
Attendance: 10,357
Players of the game:
Offense- #25 Leddy French
Defense- #17 Zane Young
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |||
| Brock | 0 | 7 | 14 | 15 | - | 43 | ||
| Cameron Yoe | 6 | 14 | 6 | 7 | - | 33 |
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