T-Wolves fall short at State in final seconds, finish season 12-4

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The Timberwolves made their second appearance in three years at the Texas High School State Football Championships at AT&T stadium in Arlington on Dec. 19. They fell short of the win 38-35 to Ennis.

Lauren Kriss, Editor-In-Chief

In a nail-biting fourth quarter, Ennis turned the 5A State Championship around after a touchdown with 20 seconds left on the clock for a final score of Ennis 38, Cedar Park 35 on Dec. 19 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Initially, Cedar Park trailed behind Ennis in the first quarter, but gained momentum after a touchdown by senior wide receiver Davis Fiala in the second quarter.

“Our strength was our composure,” senior center Alex Cuteri said. “Even though we were down early, we stayed focused and got back in the game.”

According to Cuteri, Ennis’s quarterback, running back and wide receiver posed the biggest challenge.

“Their offense had so many weapons to control,” Cuteri said.

Along with star players, Ennis’s rare “Wing T” offense made for a difficult game, since most Texas teams, including Cedar Park, run a spread offense.

“Ennis ran an offense we generally only see once every two years,” senior outside linebacker Brian Edwards said. “Having a completely different defensive scheme to adjust to was challenging.”

As for advantages over Ennis, Edwards said that the team’s experience at the 4A State Championship in 2012, also at Cowboys stadium, helped them.

“We knew what to expect,” Edwards said. “Some players knew the feeling of playing under that much pressure and publicity.”

While Cedar Park may have lost in the end, senior linebacker and running back Thomas “Tahoe” Hutchings was named 5A State Finals Offensive MVP, thus proving that he really does “run like a truck.”

“I think I won because I was a pretty big offensive factor,” Hutchings said.

The Ennis finale was a surprising end to an even more surprising season.

“Early in the season, a long run in the playoffs seemed very unlikely,” Edwards said. “But once we got everything together in our last three district games, a state championship became an increasingly realistic dream.”

Cedar Park finished district play 5-2, with an overall season record of 12-4, beating all playoff opponents by at least three touchdowns leading up to the state championship.

“The way we made it all the way to state, when no one thought we would be able to, was our biggest accomplishment,” Edwards said.

For Hutchings, this season proved that hard work pays off.

“We weren’t as talented as some of the teams we played,” Hutchings said. “But our determination and great coaching caused us to become a really successful team.”