Behind The Lens: Morton Ranch stays undefeated in headed battle with Tompkins
By VYPE Photographer Justin Hartojo
Over belief. All season Boerne's mantra has been to over believe That belief propelled them to a state championship appearance with a 35-0 win over Chapel Hill on Friday night.
"It starts with your believe system and that helps how you practice and prepare," said head coach Che Hendrix "This is the most prepared game we've had and most prepared our kids have been and we executed the game plan almost to perfection."
The group that may have been the most perfect for Boerne against Chapel Hill was the offensive line. In Friday's game with a trip to AT&T stadium on the line, the offensive line delivered in a big way.
'We've been very lucky to have a lot of good coaches starting in middle school," said offensive lineman Sam Waters "We work together as a unit but we are just lucky to be on a team this good that makes us look good"
Everything looked good for the Greyhounds as they tallied over 400-yards on the night with the offensive line opening holes at will.
"We call them the great wall of Boerne and that's really what they are," said Sophomore QB Jaxon Baize. "I'm never worried about anything and they keep my safe and my running back safe and they open holes for us."
The Greyhounds utilized their running backs to perfection as TJ Dement ran for 181-yards and 3 touchdowns and Adam Hicks had 71-yards on the ground to power Boerne on the night.
"TJ ran great, Hicks ran great," said head coach Che Hendrix. "They did a good job of finding holes and finishing runs. TJ isn't real big but he is physical."
"I knew this was going to be my game," said TJ Dement. "I knew they were big and they were quick but our offensive line really stepped up and opened the gaps for me."
Going into the game head coach Che Hendrix knew the running game would be key to getting to state.
"We challenged them all week," head coach Che Hendrix said. "We knew we were going to have to run the ball. We throw the ball to score and run the ball to win. We were able to get a lead and run the ball and kill the clock and that's been our MO all year."
For sophomore Jaxon Baize, who tallied 178-yards and 2 touchdowns in the air, the state championship is even more special as he will get to play it with his leading receiver, and brother, Braden Baize who tallied 84-yards receiving and 1 touchdown.
"It's super cool, we've been wanting to do it since we were little," said Jaxon. "It's super cool and a memory we won't ever forget."
Now as the Greyhounds turn their sights to AT&T stadium and a chance at a state title, Boerne will have the community 100 percent it like it has all season.
"It hasn't set in yet," said coach Hendrix. "It probably won't until we get into the stadium. The community the way they support us I have no words. The way they lined the streets, it is phenomenal. And so it's a big deal to us and to our kids and we are just ultra proud of the community support."
No shot. Cuero's the favorite. Those are just some of the things Wimberley heard leading up to their state semifinal matchup this week.
"There was a lot of people that doubted us," head coach Doug Warren said. "But I'll tell you who didn't. These kids and these coaches. They always believed and these kids just got better and better each and every week."
Progress was the theme not only for the Texans all season but in their state semifinal matchup as well.
The game started with each team going three and out, before the Texans got on the board first when Sophomore QB Cody Stoever found some room on the right and ran it in from 59-yards out to give the Texans their first lead of the game.
"This season came unexpected for me," said Stoever. "Cash McCollum is an amazing QB you know what he is doing at China Springs and he moved out two weeks before the season started and I just jumped into it."
The Texans would trade scores with the Gobblers until Daylon Gibbs put the Gobblers in front. But a blocked PAT was returned by Lane Patek to put the score at 20-15.
A late touchdown by the Gobblers in the 2nd half gave Cuero a 27-18 lead heading into halftime, but Wimberley had a chance for some points before halftime thanks to the legs of Johnny Ball, who finished the game with 195-yards on the ground. Though the Texans didn't score before halftime, the running from Ball game Wimberley some life heading into the locker room.
"Yeah we just felt like we had to get our guys touches," said coach Warren. "You know the old saying players not plays and we started feeding him (Ball) a little bit and he got rolling."
Ball's first big play came late in the 3rd with the Gobblers holding a five point lead. He would go 64-yards to the house and give the Texans their first lead since the 1st quarter.
"Me and johnny we looked at each other and I was like Johnny you got this you're going to change this game around," said Stoever. "And he did man, he put this team on his back and proved everyone wrong."
From there it was the defense's turn to stand up. Holding on to their one point lead the Texans D came up with a huge interception that led to a field goal then on the next Cuero possession they were able to recover a fumble deep in Gobbler territory to add another touchdown.
"We talk about our code red defense, we hang our hat on that," coach Warren said. "They've been carrying us all year long. Kids have taken a lot of pride in it and they rose up to the occasion especially in the second half and we were able to find a way to win."
The Texans now turn their sights to AT&T statdium for the first time since the 2019/2020 season looking to win their 3rd state title.
"It's just so difficult to get there," said coach Warren "It's unreal and to finally get it done and to be one of the final two standing is outstanding."
On this weeks episode of VYPE's Recruit Spotlight, we featured 3 athletes in our Under the Radar segment: Class of 2025 RB/WR Daylion Robinson, Class of 2025 Ath Jaquise Martin, and Class of 2024 MLB Markus Boswell
Check out the segments below, and if you or an athlete you know is being under recruited for one reason or another let us know and we will feature them on our show!
DAYLION ROBINSON-RB/WR-WILLIS
JAQUISE MARTIN-ATH-RUDDER
MARKUS BOSWELL-MLB-LAKE TRAVIS
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