2000 Leps Rally to Beat Forney

This is a story that appeared in the Friday, December 29, 2000 edition of The Fayette County Record after the La Grange football team won the 2000 state title:

Like a championship team, the La Grange Leopards (14-2), trailing 17-14 with 5:45 left in the game, drove 94 yards in 11 plays to take a 20-17 lead in the Class 3A State Championship in front of 11,479 fans at Texas Stadium in Irving.

But it looked like the 2:35 left was going to be too much time for a come-from-behind victory by the Forney Jackrabbits (11-5). With a long pass Forney was in field goal range at the Leopard 16. On the next play, Forney offered up its only fumble after a big hit by Justin Jasek and Seth Anderle. Anderle, already on the ground, pounced on it to preserve the Leopard’s first state championship since 1975.

“The kids have been comping up with big plays all year and they came up with a turnover at the end that won it for us,” Leopards Coach Tony Valastro said. “Offensively we didn’t win the game. We didn’t win on defense. It was a total team effort. Nothing I can say or do can describe how I feel.

“This is a team with a great heart,” Valastro said. “It is a team without a lot of great athletes, but a team that plays great together.”

Following a 64-yard punt by Forney’s Pete Cuve, the Leps set up at their own 6 and quarterback Tye Gunn went to work. He carried eight times for 71 yards, including runs of 39 and 18 yards. As he tried to catch his breath, he called signals and kept for the final yard. There was a high snap and the kick missed. Anderle had a carry for 12 yards on the drive.

“I got into the huddle and I saw some doubt in their eyes,” Gunn said. “I told them we were going to score. I listened to what coach was telling me.”

Two plays later, T.J. Gilmer got behind Anderle for 43 yards and barely grabbed his jersey at the Lep 16. On the next play, Forney running back Dabryan Blanton fumbled and Anderle recovered at the 14.

On third and nine, Gunn carried 10 yards for one of the biggest first downs of the season.

“It is unbelievable. There are no words for it.” Gunn said. “I knew this was our year and we got more confident as the year went on.”

Both defenses gave very little in the first half. Then Terrell Newton threw a halfback pass to the end zone on La Grange’s second possession, but the ball was intercepted when it bounced off a defender on the ground.

The Leps first score came with 4:35 left in the half when Gunn capped a 14-play, 80yard drive from a yard out. The Leps had possession for 5:35. Gunn completed passes of 19 yards to Josh Sulik and 25 yards to Anderle. Kevin Seifert kicked the point after.

Kevin Kalina blasted up the middle for 61 yards to score on the Lep’s next possession. It was a 4-play, 72-yard drive. Seifert kicked the point with 0:54 left in the half.

“They didn’t know he (Kalina) had the ball,” Valastro said. “The ones that could have tackled him let him go.”

When it looked like the Leps would take a comfortable lead in at the half, Forney quarterback C.J. Tomlinson threw 76 yards to tailback Blanton who made a onehanded grab behind Kalina. Cuve kicked the point with 0:44 left in the half.

The Leps came right back with a 47-yard pass from Gunn to Maurice Bouldwin and the Leps had a first down at the Forney 30. The Leps only fumble was when Gunn mishandled the ball trying to spike it and had to fall on the fumble. They had to use their last timeout and settled for the 14-7 halftime advantage.

On the second possession of the second half, the Jackrabbits drove from the Lep 44 to a first down at the 8 when the defense stiffened. Forney settled for a 22-yard field goal by Cuve with 2:10 left in the third.

On Forney’s next possession, Blanton got loose for 55 yards to set up his 2-yard score with 11:05 left in the game. Cuve’s kick gave the Jackrabbits a 17- 14 lead. The Lep’s first run at the go-ahead touchdown was stopped at the Forney 30 by a tipped interception.

The defense held which was followed by the punt that set up the championship drive.

Dustin White John Heinrich Kevin Seifert Steven Munzy Andy Schramm Blake Koether Patrick Hebert Aaron Zbranek Seth Anderle Shawn Bouldwin Justin Jasek Chase Anderle Craig Urban Josh Chovanec Terrell Newton Caesar Rodriguez Lance Schramm Jon Filla Matt Miller Terrain Henderson Melvin Sheppard John Lincke Heath Schielack manager Josh Melnar Lance Stancik Steven Smith Myron Dippel Greg Boothe Joshua Tiemann James Grant Chris Harrison Kevin Ulrich Brett Freedman Blake Hinton E.J. Koehl Ty Johnson Matthew Virnau Zach Bennett Jacob Dopslauf Chase Cole Lucas Friedel David Tofel Richard Sanchez Joey Muras Winston Calloway Sam Gunn Matt Faldyn Jarod Hickle Kenny Urban Michael Virnau Maurice Bouldwin Layne Schramm Kevin Kalina Tyler Dawson Josh Sulik Blake Hoelscher Brad Ulrich Tye Gunn Allen Wenke filmer Trainers: Rhianna Wagner, Lauren Valastro, Regina Wagner, Lesley Valastro Coaches: Heath Golan, Phillip Jones, Mike Sports, Kenny Hickle, Wayne Schmidt, Tony Valastro (head coach), Ralph Ferguson, Steven Marshall, David Cooper.