ARLINGTON, Texas — Through a stretch of 15 victories in 15 games this season, the Boerne Greyhounds showed they could play with Texas's high school football powerhouses. Through two quarters of play in the UIL Class 4A state title game on Friday afternoon, they were proving it.
But Boerne couldn't hold off the defending state champion China Spring at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, ultimately falling, 24-21. Playing in their first state championship bout, the upstart Greyhounds gave up 24 unanswered points to the Cougars—including a field goal as time expired.
"These guys are competitors, they're warriors. There was no fear," Greyhounds head coach Che Hendrix said after the game. "We just didn't get it done."
Boerne took a 21-0 lead with 9:37 to play in the second quarter and the Cougars didn't score until five minutes later, going into the halftime down 21-7.
But China Spring emerged for the third quarter with gritted teeth, going on to outscore Boerne 17-0 down the stretch. Thomas Barr nailed the 20-yard game-winning field goal, securing the Cougars' third state title and the first under head coach Tyler Beatty.
Boerne, which hadn't scored fewer than 35 points in a game all season entering Friday, finishes with a 15-1 record in 2022 after going 9-3 each of the last two years.
"The experience of a lifetime," said senior center Sam Waters of the season. "You go in to make friends and you leave with family. I'd much rather lose with this team than win with another."
>Full postgame comments from the Greyhounds below.
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