In a game that came down to the wire, the Allen Eagles emerged victorious against the Lake Travis Cavaliers by a score of 35-33 in the Texas UIL 6A Division I state championship at AT&T Stadium. The win caps a 16-0 Eagle season and is the program’s fifth state title.

On the first offensive play of the game, Lake Travis senior quarterback Matthew Baldwin suffered a knee injury and fumbled the football, resulting in a 14-yard touchdown recovery by junior defensive lineman Jayden Jernigan. The injury forced Lake Travis to put sophomore Hudson Card at quarterback for the rest of the game.

Senior running back Brock Sturges rushed for a 13-yard touchdown on Allen’s first offensive drive, then ran for a three-yard touchdown on the next drive after an interception by junior linebacker Marcus Thomas to put the Eagles up 21-nothing in the first quarter.

Momentum started to change after Allen’s third touchdown, as the Cavaliers returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown. On the next Lake Travis drive, Card used his feet to move his team down the field, finishing off the drive with a touchdown run.

After a pair of deep passes to junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Cavaliers were able to score a field goal and keep their scoring streak alive. Lake Travis almost scored again before half time, but an interception by senior defensive back C.J. Johnson kept the score at 21-17  Allen heading into half time.

The second half started off with a pick-six by the Cavalier defense, leaving Lake Travis with a three point lead. However, junior quarterback Grant Tisdale responded by leading a long drive and rushing for a two-yard touchdown. After another Lake Travis field goal, the Eagles stormed down the field and Sturges rushed for a five-yard touchdown, leaving the score at 35-27 Allen going into the fourth quarter.

Lake Travis took their next possession and drove down the field for a touchdown, but were stopped on the two point conversion. They got the ball back again after an Allen punt, but an interception by senior safety Taj Bickham ended their drive and gave the Eagles the ball back with six minutes left. The Eagles never gave the ball back, running out the clock on the strength of Brock Sturges.

The championship is Allen’s first since 2014. For more coverage of the state title, stay here on The Eagle Angle or follow our Twitter, @theeagleangle.