Stamford had not had double-digit wins since 2017 and had not won a state title since their back-to-back wins in 2012 and 2013. However, after back-to-back eight-win seasons the last two years, Wayne Hutchinson’s ball club came into this season knowing that this could be the year they take the next step, and they did that in dominant fashion.
The Bulldogs dominant run started in game number one, as Stamford obliterated defending 2A-DII champ Albany 50-6, telling the state that they were a team to look out for. Stamford just kept rolling, taking down De Leon 44-20 and then rolling through Lubbock Christian, Roscoe, and Henrietta to head into district play 5-0. District play did not slow down the Bulldogs, as they won their first four district games by an average score of 51-5, led by Kaston Vega, who ended the year with over 1800 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns.
That would set up an epic showdown with fellow undefeated and state-ranked Hawley in the last week of the season for the district crown. Stamford went in and handled the Bearcats by a score of 38-22, giving the Bulldogs the District 4-2A-DI title and stamping themselves as one of the favorites in a loaded region.
The Bulldogs would get through the first couple of rounds of the playoffs very comfortably, taking down Sonora 45-8, dominating one-loss Panhandle 49-13, and taking care of district opponent Cisco for the second time this year, 55-7. That would match Stamford up with state-ranked and 13-0 Post in the regional final. Post had just finished a dramatic win against undefeated Sunray, so they were clicking on all cylinders. Stamford went in and dominated Post by a score of 48-26, putting the Bulldogs one win away from AT&T Stadium.
The Bulldogs would take on another undefeated team, Hamilton. Hamilton had surprised many people and had some dramatic wins in the playoffs to reach this point. The regional final turned into a gritty game, but Stamford held strong and defeated Hamilton 28-13 to reach their first state championship since 2013 and take on Ganado.
We knew this was one of the more compelling championship games of the year, but it turned into one of the best title games you could see. A back-and-forth affair, with a couple of missed opportunities to put the game away by Ganado, led to overtime, and then a second, and then a third. In the third overtime, Stamford’s two-point conversion was intercepted, giving Ganado a 30-28 win.
This Bulldog team won by an average of 37 points on the year and participated in one of the best UIL state championship games in recent history. What a season for Stamford.
