The China Spring Cougars (16-0) capped a dominating 2021 season with a victory in the Class 4A DII State Championship game at AT&T Stadium. This marked the second state championship, and the first undefeated season, in school history. Looking at the numbers will show just how dominant the Cougars were on both sides of the ball, but listening to the players will show how they got there.
Offensive Explosion
For the year, the Cougars outscored their opponents 714-169. That averages out to a score of 45-11 for each game. Offensively, most of the damage came on the ground. China Spring amassed 4,649 yards on the ground, an average of 291 yards per game, and 65 touchdowns. Those yards came in chunks with the Cougar offense averaging an amazing 7.7 yards per carry.
Much of that yardage came on the quick feet of Senior QB Major Bowden. Bowden, who has signed his letter of intent with Lamar University, accounted for 1,878 of the Cougars’ rushing yards on 222 carries and 23 touchdowns. The China Spring signal caller averaged 8.5 yards per carry and 117 yards per game on the ground. Bowden ran the zone-read to perfection often making the right call to keep it, or to hand it to his running back.
That running back is Sophomore Kyle Barton. Barton collected 1,175 yards on 170 carries and 16 touchdowns. Barton’s power running, along with his exceptional speed, allowed him to gain 6.9 yards per rushing attempt. Barton’s totals, along with his season, were cut short in the State Semifinal game against Cuero. Barton received the bulk of the action on the Cougars’ first drive, 29 yards on 7 carries, but suffered a broken leg.
The damage the Cougar offense did was not limited to the ground attack. Bowden almost equaled his rushing totals with 1,735 yards passing. He had a 67% completion percentage with 27 touchdowns. Bowden spread the ball around to Barton (474 yds/4 TD) and wide receivers Junior Tre Hafford (636 yds/11 TD), Senior Isaiah Williams (482 yds/5 TD) and Senior Sebastian Trevino (243 yds/5 TD).
What makes the totals for these backs and receivers even more amazing is that they were often on the sideline for the entire second half of most games. Of the 16 games the Cougars played, the starting offense only played the entire game five times. The China Spring offense would strike quickly and often, leaving plenty of time for the second and third team to get game experience.
With the China Spring offense racking up touchdowns, the Cougars called on Junior K Thomas Barr to cap off the scoring drives. Dubbed “Mr. Automatic” by the student section, Barr kicked 90 PATs, setting a school record. Barr also split the uprights on 12 field goals for the season, with a long of 37 yards.
Suffocating Defense
While the offense was running wild, the China Spring defense was suffocating the opposition. The Cougars allowed 11 points per game, but many of those scores came in the second half when the starting defense yielded to the younger players once the margin was wide.
Leading the charge on defense was Senior LB Brayden Faulkner. Faulkner, who will be joining Bowden at Lamar University, set a school record with 174.5 tackles. Faulkner also added 4.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. Joining Faulkner with 100+ tackles are Senior DE Dawson Exline and Senior DE Keith Njemini. Exline had 134 tackles, eight sacks and three fumble recoveries while leading the team in tackles for loss with 16. Njemini set a school record of his own recording 12 sacks while totaling 102 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.
Junior DT Greg Salazar and Junior LB Mason Kirk also added 97 and 93 tackles respectively. The Cougar secondary did not see as many tackles, simply because the Cougar front seven didn’t allow many past them. What the defensive backs lacked in tackles, they made up for it in interceptions. Hafford and Williams, playing on both sides of the ball, pulled in the bulk of the interceptions. Isaiah Williams led the way with seven while Tre Hafford pulled in six.
A True Team
The numbers are phenomenal, but they do not show what makes this team special. Former Head Coach Brian Bell, who has recently joined the Baylor University coaching staff, described his team as a “mature football team”. Bell said the team is accountable, responsible and humble. Those traits showed when communicating with the players.
Mason Kirk said, “…week in and week out we all were focused 100% of the time. It’s really hard for a team to be that focused all of the time, and I think as a team we did an
amazing job doing that.”
Greg Salazar talked of the bond of this team. “The way our team bonded was something I haven’t been a part of before. This team is truly a family and we all loved each other and played for each other. To me, that was our biggest advantage.”
Sebastian Trevino said of the team atmosphere, “Everybody bought in throughout the season. Nobody ever complained about having to be at practice. Everybody wanted to win. Everybody had the same desire to win.”
1-0 This Week
The mantra for this team was “1-0 This Week”. This mindset was introduced by the coaches and taken to heart by the players. This mantra allowed the team to focus on the task at hand, and not look forward to what may be ahead. It was a focus that was needed in a regular season that saw win margins of six touchdowns. It was a focus that was needed in the playoffs to not look at the prize at the end, but at the task at hand.
The Defining Play
One play this season will always stand out. Quite possibly the greatest play in the history of China Spring football, and a play that defines this team.
CBs Jacob Mott and Gabe Watkins were starters all year long, however they were rarely near the top of the stat sheet. Being cornerbacks on a defense with such a dominating front seven doesn’t give much opportunity to make tackles. The pair combined for 62 tackles, one interception and two tackles for loss on the season. They were integral parts of the defense, working just as hard as everyone else, but the highlights focused on the guys up front, until…
In the State Championship game, with 0:06 left in the half, Gilmer elects to attempt a field goal to go up by three going into halftime. Gilmer sets up for a 22 yard field goal attempt. Mott lines up on the left edge, with Watkins on the right. At the snap, Mott and Watkins rush in untouched. Watkins sees Mott has the clear angle and pulls up. Mott blocks the kick directly in the hands of Watkins. 84 yards later the Cougars take a seven point lead, and all of the momentum, into the locker room and never look back.
The Team MVP
Several members of this team were asked who they thought the MVP of the team was. It would be easy to point out the ones that make the headlines. QB Major Bowden. LB Brayden Faulkner.
The answer that defines this team, this mature football team, comes from a sophomore. RB Kyle Barton says “I don’t think anyone on this team is a single MVP”. Barton goes on to list the offensive line, C Colby Hand, G Kris Lyon, G Jaiden Taylor, T Mason Muramoto and T Colby Hale. He lists all the receivers. Barton goes on to say “offense wins games, defense wins Championships”, and then goes on to list all of the defensive players.
Barton concludes with “this shows that everyone on this team deserves an MVP. There was never an ‘I did it’, it was always ‘We did it’.”
The Opponents
In the last four games on their way to claim the 4A Division II State Championship, the China Spring Cougars defeated four teams that combined for 19 state titles and 36 title game appearances.
This season was not about the teams the Cougars beat, this season was about the team that beat them all. The record book will always show that this team went 16-0, but that’s not completely accurate. This team will always know they went 1-0, 16 times.
2021 Championship Magazine –
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