A gallon of gas cost 55 cents the last time Boling won a football state championship. Nixon had just got elected to a second term, The Godfather was the top movie and the Miami Dolphins had just wrapped up a perfect regular season.
It was 1972, and Boling defeated Rockwall, 20-0, for the Class 2A state championship. Yes, that Rockwall, when Rockwall was barely big enough to be a dot on a road map and way before it blossomed into a town with two 6A high schools. Rockwall’s two high schools now each have more than 2,200 in enrollment. Boling has only 1,300 in its entire community and surrounding area.
That’s how far and in between things have come since 1972.
Boling hasn’t grown as much, but the Bulldogs are back in the state championship hoping to bring home another trophy.
Boling (13-2) will face Gunter (15-0) in the Class 3A Division II State Championship at 5 p.m. on Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Gunter defeated two-time defending state champ Canadian in the state semifinal to earn its spot.
Vernon Jackson is the centerpiece of Boling’s big wrecking ball offense, and Jackson is hard to miss — unless you’re a defender. Jackson is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior quarterback who looks a lot like Cam Newton when he runs in open space.
Jackson’s biggest play in the 19-18 semifinal win over Arp last week, though, came on defense when he intercepted an Arp pass in the game’s waning moments to seal the win.
Elijah Gooden was one of Boling’s biggest offensive weapons as he rushed for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:22 left in the game. Kade Bickham led Boling with 97 rushing yards and Ronald Krushall is another threat from the backfield.
The Boling defense came up big last Friday just like it did in the previous week against Lexington. Arp scored a touchdown late in the game but the Tigers’ extra point bounced off the upright and no good. Boling forced two turnovers and held Arp’s potent offense to just 244 yards.
Gunter comes into the game averaging 42 points a game.
Neither Gunter nor Boling were predicted to be in the state championship. The favorites most of the season were Canadian and previously unbeaten Newton, who fell to Arp, 13-6, in the quarterfinal.
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