'Cats win title

Photo by David Minton

David Minton/Denton Record Chronicle Guyer senior wide receiver Tavi Sanches (5) and senior linebacker Terrell Singleton (7) slam into Georgetown wide receiver Austin Weston (2) in the Class 4A Division I State Championship on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium. Denton Guyer, which began playing varsity football in 2006, won its first state title.

Photo by David Minton

David Minton/Denton Record Chronicle Guyer junior quarterback Jerrod Heard (2) jumps over Georgetown junior linebacker Jace Lacaille (42) in the Class 4A Division I State Championship Game, won by Guyer 48-37. Heard accounted for seven touchdowns, five running and two throwing.

ARLINGTON — Denton Guyer quarterback Jerrod Heard, the Most Valuable Player of District 5-4A, was again the best player on the biggest stage in Saturday's Class 4A Division I championship game.

Heard accounted for all seven Wildcats' touchdowns, running for five and throwing for two, as they rallied to beat Georgetown 48-37 at Cowboys Stadium.

Heard, a junior who already has committed to Texas, and his team fell behind 30-14 in the third quarter. But some clutch defensive stops, two by senior defensive end Connor Allen, turned the tide.

And Heard turned every stop into a score as he rushed for three touchdowns in the third quarter alone to spark the comeback which resulted in the first state title for the school that began playing varsity football in 2006.

Heard rushed for 143 yards and threw for 189, including a 71-yarder to Ellis Jefferson in the fourth quarter.

After an 0-2 start, Guyer (14-2) won its last 14 games to take home its first state title. The Wildcats defeated Rider, 21-10, on Oct. 26 in Denton, handing the Raiders their only district loss.

Guyer scored 775 points this season. That 21 versus Rider was a season low. The Wildcats scored 279 points, an average of 46.5, in the playoffs.

Georgetown (15-1), which led 30-14 early in the third, played in its first state title game after not making the playoffs last season.

Jake Hubenak threw three touchdown passes to Randy Knightner for the Eagles, who saw their 16-game winning streak come to an end.

Heard's 5-yard scoring run gave the Wildcats the lead for good late in the third. The dual-threat quarterback capped the scoring on a 7-yard run with 5:16 left.

Jefferson, a TCU commitment, caught seven passes for 176 yards and a pair of TDs.

Georgetown scored 23 consecutive points to take a 30-14 lead. Hubenak's 9-yard pass to Knightner gave them a 30-14 with 8:26 left in the third.

Hubenak was 25 of 43 for 316 yards passing and Knightner had 12 catches for 159 yards.

When it was 30-27, Connor Allen sacked Hubenak to force a fumble that Guyer's Demontrie Taylor recovered at the 5. Heard ran over two players on his way to the end zone, giving the Wildcats a 34-30 edge with 1:38 left in the third.

Later on fourth-and-one from the 33, Allen stuffed an Eagles running back for no gain. Heard scored three plays later to clinch it at 48-37.

Denton Guyer had started the season as the No. 1 team in the state and ended it that way. But the Wildcats lost their first two games to Cedar Hill and Colleyville Heritage and dropped out of the Top 10.

At the end of the season they were ranked seventh, getting their lone No. 1 vote from the Times Record News' Andy Newberry.