Casen Carney couldn’t accept defeat. Not on Texas high school football’s grandest stage.
Trailing Shiner with less than a minute remaining, Carney refused to go down at the 2-yard line, picked up an assist from offensive lineman Colt Walterscheid, and backpedaled into the end zone for what turned out to be the decisive score in a 36-29 victory for the Hornets in the Class 2A Division II championship Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
This is Muenster’s second state championship and first since 2017.
More: Live updates: 2024 Texas UIL State High School Football Championships
Carney was voted Offensive Player of the Game after rushing for 147 yards and four TDs on 35 carries. The junior quarterback also completed 15-of-20 passes for 171 yards and an interception.
Muenster and Shiner traded blows throughout the first half with the Hornets scoring after sustained drives, while the Comanches’ three scores came on plays of at least 29 yards.
Carney had three rushing TDs by halftime, scoring on runs of 2, 1 and 7 yards. Shiner’s scoring plays included a 29-yard pass from Carson Schuette to Jarvis Williams, a 74-yard run by Quincy Jones and a 44-yard run by Clayton Fric.
Shiner averaged 7.4 yards per rush attempt for the game, finishing with 250 yards on the ground. But the Comanches managed just 92 yards in the second half — 68 of which came on one drive.
Muenster opened the second half in the same fashion, starting the third quarter with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:10 off the clock and ended with a 2-yard run by running back Nolan Peel.
Shiner couldn’t find the big play on its ensuing drive, instead manifesting a 10-play, 68-yard drive that drained the rest of the time off the third-quarter clock. The drive ended with a quarterback sneak from inside the 1-yard line by Carson Schuette on the final play of the period.
An offsides penalty by Muenster on the ensuing point-after attempt gave Shiner a second chance after the Comanches had a bad snap on its first try. They opted to go for two after the ball was moved half the district to the goal, and Schuette went around the right end for the 2-point conversion and a 29-28 lead.
A 15-yard punt return by Maverick Bayer set up the Hornets at the Shiner 20 with 3:08 remaining. Five plays later, Carney powered his way into the end zone for the game-winning score with 40 seconds left in the game.
Shiner got to the Muenster 40 with 9 seconds left, and Schuette attempted a Hail Mary that was picked off by Ethan Hinton at the 6-yard line.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Muenster vs Shiner 2024 UIL football Class 2A Division II championship
