It was a heck of a football game,
sort of championship game.
Supposed to be like,
you know, I thought we were,
we were heading in the right
direction in the fourth quarter.
We were trying to do the same thing to them.
Milk the clock, run the ball,
keep it from them, kick a field goal
or score late touchdown to win.
Unfortunately,
we got a penalty and got behind
the chains and that was it.
Questions.
Shay, when did you kind of feel this game
was kind of the tide was turning well,
I mean, I felt like the game
was pretty even the whole time.
You know, I mean they would get momentum,
we'd make a big play.
McCoy had a huge, you know,
return and then we would make a big play.
They would respond to me.
That's what that's what the game felt
like the whole time, back and forth.
So felt good about the whole time.
Like I said,
I thought we kind of settled down
to controlling the fourth quarter.
We had a great drive and then
that that penalty really hurt us.
Coach, how concerned were you about you
know the team didn't you know he hadn't,
he had a lot of blowouts this year
because you were so good but you didn't,
you hadn't really had to you know
scored late in the game and you know
kind of in crunch time where you
concerned that that hadn't you hadn't
had that scenario a lot this year.
No, we had zero concerned about that.
These guys are competitors or warriors.
There was No Fear.
We just didn't get it done.
Had nothing to do with our
schedule or blowing people out
or not blowing people out.
It just you know that that's
the that's the best team in
the state and I think we're the
second best team in the state.
Here's a could you talk about what
they were doing on offense that was,
you know, kind of turned,
turned the tide their way? Yeah,
we were trying to take away
the two inside guys, #5 and #8,
and they're really two good players.
And they got us with a couple outside zones.
And so we try to adjust to that.
And unfortunately just couldn't
get to stop them. We needed to.
Brayden, you know,
you had those two early scores.
Would you just, you know.
Could you just walk through
that first touchdown?
What do you remember seeing on that?
I was supposed to just kind of run
into the safety and kind of take
him out of the place or running
back could run a slant and catch
it and just went through his hands
and it ended up in mine somehow.
So I just ran as fast as I could.
Did it. I mean you know your your brother,
brother got you a couple of couple of scores
that you know you did have this season
together which you had. How do you,
how would you kind of summarize that?
It was awesome.
It was awesome playing with them.
We have a great a lot of great underclassmen.
It was cool getting to leave them
through this year and take them
this far and hopefully we did well
enough to so they can keep carrying
the torch the next couple of years.
What was the mindset, you guys,
when you were up 21?
Oh, I mean, were you thinking this
is gonna be like all the others?
You know, they were gonna fight back.
What was going through your minds?
Well, I mean, we knew they
were going to give up,
you know, very good team.
We played, you know,
we didn't give up either.
We fought hard.
The whole game was,
you know, a dogfight.
Just tough.
You feel like the defense they
adjustments once you all have 21 nothing.
How was the difference Between's offense in
the first half and the second-half. Yeah
they did a good job in the
second-half of of really.
They got back to their base I think
and they started really filling up
filling up gaps and bringing backers
off the edge and made some of those
running running lanes tough for us.
You know I probably could RPO a little
more you know second-half and trying
to make him pay for that but you
know give them credit. They did it.
They did a good job second-half.
To get here. I know you, but you're
one of the longer tenured guys here.
What did it mean to you to to get
here and play for a for a state title?
Ohh man, you know it was awesome
experience of a lifetime.
You know I got I moved up here
sophomore year with both of these guys.
I'm playing with these guys
in 7th grade and you know the
bonds you build are just crazy.
You know you go in to make
friends and you leave the family.
So I'm just glad we made it.
You know? Obviously want to win
the game but couldn't have asked,
couldn't have asked for better team
or better people to play with and.
Loser this team, then,
with another.
You said you had the big strong family
connection, obviously with your dad
and your brother and to, you know,
get to be here with your dad and lead him.
All of you guys come in here together.
Any any special significance with that? Yeah.
You're pretty choked up about it,
you know, being the last one, but.
The best four years ever and the
best four years playing for my dad.
Playing from my little brother.
Couldn't have asked for a better
senior year in the high school career.
You didn't play last year,
so you you came into this year playing.
And what was it like as far as you
know today, as far as you know,
not playing last year and then today
you're playing the state championship
game last game of the year, did
it stop being a A
at one point you become just a game.
Did it ever get to that point?
Was it just a lot of nerves the whole time
or what was that like for you out there?
There was definitely nerves.
It was kind of we came out last
night kind of. So it was cool
getting to see, see everything,
kind of calm nerves a bit and then.
After the first snap,
pretty much the nerves go away
and you just just play the game.
Question in the back.
Sorry no Sir.
Played all my sophomore year,
didn't play last year.
I mean to come back senior year and you
know making the state finals, was that like?
Yeah, can it can have
asked for a better year.
Such a great group of guys.
Coaches are amazing to play for.
There's not no one,
no one on this team or coaching
staff that I don't like.
And it was just an amazing senior year
and cool going to play in this game.
You were telling me on Monday that
there's no other group of guys that
you'd rather bring to AT&T Stadium.
What perspective would you give on
how this team will be remembered?
And do they are to you?
Yeah, I mean. 5 hour bus ride.
You got a lot of time to reflect
on things and it was pretty cool to
have so many former players reach
out to me and and former coaches not
former cover guys I coached with.
But the main thing is the bond you you
form with these with these guys and you
know we've we've watched them grow up.
We've watched them play.
We've worked with them and yeah this,
this is the best team I've ever had.
Never been a part of.
And it was just it was just a blast.
It was fun.
I hate that it's over.
I still feel fresh.
You know I haven't had a day off
since August 1st but I'm not tired.
I'm not worn down because it's
a joy to come to work.
Every every day with these guys.
And so I'm gonna hate to lose these seniors,
tough group to lose for sure,
but I'm just proud of of putting
Bernie on the map and and doing
the thing they have done for
us over the past three years.
Final question. Brayden,
Houston, you guys both have
younger brothers on this team.
What does it mean for you guys
to get here and raise the bar
and then hand it off to those
guys to continue down the road?
It means the world, you know,
leaving a lasting impact on a
community and in a town in our
school and we take pride in that,
especially as seniors, you know,
we've got, we had a lot of
varsity time as younger guys,
so we knew what it took and I think the
younger guys this year obviously saw that.
And so we're excited for the next
2-3 years after when we leave
because we know it's going to
be the lasting impact on them.
All right. Thank you, guys.