Thursday’s slate of matchups at AT&T Stadium will open up with the 2A Division II State Title Game between Stratford and Falls City.
Stratford is making its first appearance at state since 2008, while Falls City is back in the title game for the first time in eight years after it stunned Mart, which had made four-straight state title games, in the state semifinals.
Here is what to watch for on Thursday morning.
Tale of the Tape
Stratford Elks
Head Coach: Matt Lovorn: 7th season (77-21 record)
Distance to AT&T Stadium: 433 miles
2021 Playoff Results:
Bi-District: W 72-14 vs. Wheeler
Area: W 48-3 vs. Seagraves
Regional Semifinals: W 56-21 vs. Wink
Regional Final: W 26-6 vs. Wellington
State Semifinals: W 35-14 vs. Albany
Key Players and Storylines
Stratford’s offense relies heavily on its quarterback Cody Rinne. Rinne has thrown for 2,087 yards and 19 touchdowns on the season and also leads the team with 1,915 rushing yards. He rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns in the state semifinal win over Albany.
With that play-making ability, Stratford head coach Matt Lovorn said Rinne is an incredibly important player for the Elks.
“Cody is obviously an impressive player on the field. His versatility in our offense has been huge for us this season,” Lovorn said. “Cody has a strong, accurate arm to be able to throw the ball in any situation during a game. He is also a very strong runner with great speed and balance to make plays running the ball at any point. His intelligence and decision-making in a game has proven to be a big asset for our team.”
But not everything Rinne impacts shows up in his stat line. Lovorn also said he is a key leader on the football team.
“Cody is a high-character young man who is a natural leader on and off the field,” Lovorn said. “The great thing about Cody’s leadership to our team is that it has been contagious all season. His attitude, accountability, integrity, and faith have made every one of his teammates better leaders as well.”
When Rinne doesn’t have the ball in his hands, look for running back Zane Burr (1,241 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns) and Dru Jones (810 receiving yards, 677 rushing yards, 15 total touchdowns) to make an impact in the Elks’ run-heavy offense.
Rinne (171 total tackles) and Burr (150 total tackles) have also pitched in defensively as is custom in 2A football. However, it has been freshman Bryce Braden who has led the way from his linebacker position with 174 total tackles.
The Elks have also been rather opportunistic on that side of the ball with 38 forced turnovers this season with Jones and Rinne leading the way with six interceptions apiece.
Falls City Beavers
Head Coach: Mark Kirchhoff: 18th season at Falls City (2 Separate Stints; 162-60 record)
Distance to AT&T Stadium: 300 miles
2021 Playoff Results:
Bi-District: W 48-0 vs. La Pryor
Area: W 66-20 vs. Rocksprings
Regional Semifinals: W 50-26 vs. Eldorado
Regional Final: W 34-20 vs. Burton
State Semifinals: W 24-20 vs. Mart
Key Players and Storylines
After three-straight defeats to Mart in the state semifinals, Falls City finally broke through to earn a state title game ticket, stunning the Panthers 24-20 on a touchdown with 39 seconds left.
The Beavers love to run the football in Kirchhoff’s veer offense, having racked up 4,171 rushing yards so far on the season. Running back Cole Thomas (1,086 rushing yards) leads the way, while Grant Jendrusch (660 rushing yards) has been another frequent ballcarrier out of the Beaver backfield. Jendrusch also caught the 17-yard, game-winning touchdown pass against Mart.
Luke Shaffer (1,030 passing yards, 11 touchdowns) hasn’t been called upon to throw the ball much. He has just 89 passing attempts on the season. However, he has rushed for 768 yards and 16 touchdowns this year, joining Thomas and Jendrusch as a three-headed backfield monster that Stratford will have to be weary of.
Defensively, Falls City went on a run from mid-September to mid-November where it shutout six opponents in seven games.
The Beavers are led by Jendrusch (94 total tackles) and Cody Arrisola (74 total tackles) from their linebacker positions, while Wesley Molina has led the way in the secondary with five interceptions.
Final Thoughts
With two teams that love to run the football and play hard-nosed football, expect a slobber knocker of a football game on Thursday morning at AT&T Stadium.
Neither team was necessarily expected to win their state semifinal game by outside observers, so both teams have certainly proven they can rise to the occasion.
With two stingy defenses, this game will likely come down to which team has more success moving the ball on the ground on Thursday morning.
See all Playoff Final Scores Here: live-scores-texas-high-school-football-scoreboard
2021 Championship Magazine – Pre-Order
(last years cover)
Brought to you by:
