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Judson Rolls Over Lee Defense for Title
Irving The Midland Lee Rebels lost the state Class AAAAA
championship game in a way that few thought they could be beaten.
The Lee defense, which got the Rebels to Texas Stadium Saturday by being so stingy about giving up rushing yards, was run over by powerful Converse Judson running back Chris Pryor to fall, 25-21.
Pryor, who came into the game as the states top Class AAAAA rusher ever with 2,600 yards, added 201 more despite bruised rib muscles from a brutal tackle by Lees Ricky Jackson on a kickoff return with less than 50 seconds left in the first half.
"I told Chris - we had some rib pads we put on him in the second half - I told him to let me know the first series we got the football if he could go, so that (if he couldnt) I could have Sid Scott run," said Frank Arnold, coach of Judson which is near San Antonio.
Pryors answer came quickly. On his first carry of the second half, with the Rockets at the Lee 49-yard line, he went through a hole made by the left side of the offensive line, broke tackle attempts by Jackson and Michael Wallace, and ran in for the touchdown. That score pulled Judson within two points of Lee with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
Pryor, 5-9, 195 pounds, ran for 137 of his yards in the second half, usually time when the Lee defense has tired its opponent enough to strangle the life out of the offense. Pryors back-up, Scott, ran only once in the second half, and that came in the final two minutes as the Rockets were running, literally, the seconds off the clock.
Pryor, however, was impressed by the Rebels defense.
"I think theyre the best defense weve ever played," Pryor said. "Theyre a good, aggressive defense and theyre a great team. I think our offensive line did a great job against them.
"I wanted to win a state championship. I ran as hard as I can, the linemen blocked as hard as they could. Everybody just worked together so that we could win it."
Spike Dykes, who coached a team that finished second in District 4-AAAAA to the final, was composed and calm after the game.
"I dont really have any apologies to make for the way we played," he said. "It might not have been the most picturesque thing in the world, but it was as hard as we can play. Thats all you can ask."
He said the Rebels had difficulty stopping Judsons passing - which worked for 115 yards - because of Pryor.
"When they fake it to somebody who can run like that son-of-a-gun can run, then throw the ball, Id say there would be a few people sucking in on him."
Lee had a 21-13 lead at the half while rushing for 203 yards to look like the team that rolled over Odessa Permian in the quarterfinals and Plano in the semifinals.
Lee halfback Walter Jones, who finished with 162 yards, already had 107 before the half ended. He passed 1,000 yards for the season on his first carry of the game.
Judson opened scoring after Isaac Garnett, who finished just short of the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the season with his 58 yards, fumbled at the Lee 25-yard line.
A keeper by quarterback Allen Dear, a pass to Chip Lambert and a couple of runs by Lambert put Judson on the Lee 6. Pryor needed just two carries to take it the rest of the way.
Lee answered with two carries by Garnett for 10 yards, then gave the ball to Jones who swept down the right sideline for a 51-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 7-7 with 1:59 left in the first quarter.
Judson drove right back with the running of Pryor and Lambert and the passing of Dear who went five-for-five before overthrowing Clarence Westendorff near the start of the second quarter.
Pryor carried four consecutive times to move the ball from the Lee 16 to the endzone. He leaped over from the one for the score.
Lees Coy Stewart came from kicker John Tomasais left to block the extra point attempt.
Jones took the ensuing kickoff from the Lee 20 and ran it out to the 37. Garnett ran once on a handoff from starting quarterback Jeff Motley who was hurt on the play and sat out the remaining 9:25 of the first half.
Dennis Matta replaced Motley, and the first play he directed, a pitch to Jones on a sweep around the right side, worked for 48 yards to the Rockets 12.
More pitches to Jones and halfback Tyrone Thurman moved Lee down to the 2 where Garnett pounded his way in.
The next Judson drive died at the Lee 42, and the Rebels took the punt and worked their way to the Rockets 40. A reverse to Billy Gibbs worked when he picked up a crucial block downfield from Devoe McMillen and dived across the right corner of the endzone as he was hit.
That gave Lee a 21-13 halftime lead and, seemingly, the momentum going into the second half.
But Pryor changed that with his third touchdown of the day, the 49-yard scramble. The Rockets went for the two point conversion, but Westendorff dropped Dears pass in the endzone.
Judsons winning drive was set up when the defense stopped Garnett a yard short of a first down at the Rockets 28.
A Dear pass to Westendorff and a pair of runs by Pryor, coupled with a late-hit call on Jackson, put Judson on the Lee 14. Dear passed to Lambert at the 10 where he was hit and appeared to fumble the ball which Lee recovered at the 1.
Officials, however, ruled that Lambert was already down, and Pryor ran the final 10 yards for the winning score.
Judson again tried to go for two points, but Randy Ellis caught Dear in the backfield before he could pass.
Lee had a chance to pull within a point, early in the fourth quarter, but Craig Kamradt missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.
Lee got one of its last two chances to score when Sergio Ochoa picked off a tipped Dear pass, but Lee moved the ball just 14 yards in eight plays.
The Rebels managed to get the ball back when Judson couldnt make a first down with 2:39 remaining, but Motleys knee locked before he could pitch as he ran the option to the right and he fumbled the ball as he was hit.
Judson ran the final 2:04 off the clock by slicing through a disheartened Rebel defense, moving from the Lee 48 to the 1 where they let the final eight seconds tick off the clock without trying to go for another touchdown.
With Pryor, they would have undoubtedly gotten it.
The Lee defense, which got the Rebels to Texas Stadium Saturday by being so stingy about giving up rushing yards, was run over by powerful Converse Judson running back Chris Pryor to fall, 25-21.
Pryor, who came into the game as the states top Class AAAAA rusher ever with 2,600 yards, added 201 more despite bruised rib muscles from a brutal tackle by Lees Ricky Jackson on a kickoff return with less than 50 seconds left in the first half.
"I told Chris - we had some rib pads we put on him in the second half - I told him to let me know the first series we got the football if he could go, so that (if he couldnt) I could have Sid Scott run," said Frank Arnold, coach of Judson which is near San Antonio.
Pryors answer came quickly. On his first carry of the second half, with the Rockets at the Lee 49-yard line, he went through a hole made by the left side of the offensive line, broke tackle attempts by Jackson and Michael Wallace, and ran in for the touchdown. That score pulled Judson within two points of Lee with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
Pryor, 5-9, 195 pounds, ran for 137 of his yards in the second half, usually time when the Lee defense has tired its opponent enough to strangle the life out of the offense. Pryors back-up, Scott, ran only once in the second half, and that came in the final two minutes as the Rockets were running, literally, the seconds off the clock.
Pryor, however, was impressed by the Rebels defense.
"I think theyre the best defense weve ever played," Pryor said. "Theyre a good, aggressive defense and theyre a great team. I think our offensive line did a great job against them.
"I wanted to win a state championship. I ran as hard as I can, the linemen blocked as hard as they could. Everybody just worked together so that we could win it."
Spike Dykes, who coached a team that finished second in District 4-AAAAA to the final, was composed and calm after the game.
"I dont really have any apologies to make for the way we played," he said. "It might not have been the most picturesque thing in the world, but it was as hard as we can play. Thats all you can ask."
He said the Rebels had difficulty stopping Judsons passing - which worked for 115 yards - because of Pryor.
"When they fake it to somebody who can run like that son-of-a-gun can run, then throw the ball, Id say there would be a few people sucking in on him."
Lee had a 21-13 lead at the half while rushing for 203 yards to look like the team that rolled over Odessa Permian in the quarterfinals and Plano in the semifinals.
Lee halfback Walter Jones, who finished with 162 yards, already had 107 before the half ended. He passed 1,000 yards for the season on his first carry of the game.
Judson opened scoring after Isaac Garnett, who finished just short of the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the season with his 58 yards, fumbled at the Lee 25-yard line.
A keeper by quarterback Allen Dear, a pass to Chip Lambert and a couple of runs by Lambert put Judson on the Lee 6. Pryor needed just two carries to take it the rest of the way.
Lee answered with two carries by Garnett for 10 yards, then gave the ball to Jones who swept down the right sideline for a 51-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 7-7 with 1:59 left in the first quarter.
Judson drove right back with the running of Pryor and Lambert and the passing of Dear who went five-for-five before overthrowing Clarence Westendorff near the start of the second quarter.
Pryor carried four consecutive times to move the ball from the Lee 16 to the endzone. He leaped over from the one for the score.
Lees Coy Stewart came from kicker John Tomasais left to block the extra point attempt.
Jones took the ensuing kickoff from the Lee 20 and ran it out to the 37. Garnett ran once on a handoff from starting quarterback Jeff Motley who was hurt on the play and sat out the remaining 9:25 of the first half.
Dennis Matta replaced Motley, and the first play he directed, a pitch to Jones on a sweep around the right side, worked for 48 yards to the Rockets 12.
More pitches to Jones and halfback Tyrone Thurman moved Lee down to the 2 where Garnett pounded his way in.
The next Judson drive died at the Lee 42, and the Rebels took the punt and worked their way to the Rockets 40. A reverse to Billy Gibbs worked when he picked up a crucial block downfield from Devoe McMillen and dived across the right corner of the endzone as he was hit.
That gave Lee a 21-13 halftime lead and, seemingly, the momentum going into the second half.
But Pryor changed that with his third touchdown of the day, the 49-yard scramble. The Rockets went for the two point conversion, but Westendorff dropped Dears pass in the endzone.
Judsons winning drive was set up when the defense stopped Garnett a yard short of a first down at the Rockets 28.
A Dear pass to Westendorff and a pair of runs by Pryor, coupled with a late-hit call on Jackson, put Judson on the Lee 14. Dear passed to Lambert at the 10 where he was hit and appeared to fumble the ball which Lee recovered at the 1.
Officials, however, ruled that Lambert was already down, and Pryor ran the final 10 yards for the winning score.
Judson again tried to go for two points, but Randy Ellis caught Dear in the backfield before he could pass.
Lee had a chance to pull within a point, early in the fourth quarter, but Craig Kamradt missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.
Lee got one of its last two chances to score when Sergio Ochoa picked off a tipped Dear pass, but Lee moved the ball just 14 yards in eight plays.
The Rebels managed to get the ball back when Judson couldnt make a first down with 2:39 remaining, but Motleys knee locked before he could pitch as he ran the option to the right and he fumbled the ball as he was hit.
Judson ran the final 2:04 off the clock by slicing through a disheartened Rebel defense, moving from the Lee 48 to the 1 where they let the final eight seconds tick off the clock without trying to go for another touchdown.
With Pryor, they would have undoubtedly gotten it.
More Local News
Lee 7 14 0 0 21
Judson 7 6 12 0 25
First Quarter
J - Chris Pryor 5 run (John Tomasai kick)
L - Walter Jones 51 run (Craig Kamradt kick)
Second Quarter
J - Pryor 1 run (kick blocked)
L - Isaac Garnett 1 run (Kamradt kick)
L - Billy Gibbs 40 run (Kamradt kick)
Third Quarter
J - Pryor 49 run (pass failed)
J - Pryor 10 run (pass failed)
Con Mid
First downs 23 13
Rushes-yards 54-295 49-313
Passing yards 113 0
Return yards 0 9
Passes 8-13-1 0-1-0
Punts 2-34 1-31
Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-2
Penalties-yards 8-63 7-59
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
LEE RUSHING- Walter Jones 15-162; Isaac Garnett 21-58; Tyrone
Thurman 6-33; Billy Gibbs 1-40; Jeff Motley 6-9; Dennis Matta
1-4.
JUDSON RUSHING- Chris Pryor 34-201; Chip Lambert 12-57; Sid Scott
3-21; Allen Dear 4-13.
LEE PASSING- Jeff Motley 0-1-0.
JUDSON PASSING- Allen Dear 8-13-1, 98 yds; Steward Perez 1-1-0, 17
yds.
JUDSON RECEIVING- Alton Martin 2-38; Clarence Westendorff 2-34; Chip
Lambert 4-32; Chris Pryor 1-11.
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