Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.
The South Oak Cliff Golden Bears made history Friday night, becoming the first school in DISD to win two consecutive football state championships.
“The first one was for the community, this one was for us,” head coach Jason Todd told a Bally Sports reporter after the game.
The 5A Div. II champions felled the Port Neches-Grove Indians 34-24.
The Indians made the first strike of the game with a first quarter touchdown pass, and carried the lead through almost the entire third quarter.
Junior Jamyri Cauley was an early game standout with a 45-yard catch, as he defied the grips of a Port Neches-Grove player to drag the ball to the Indians 4. In that play, Diego Varela got the Golden Bears on the scoreboard with a field goal.
Still, Port Neches-Grove had the game momentum throughout the first half, ending the first two quarters ahead with a score of 17-12.
After halftime, the Golden Bears tied things up with a Varela field goal and a safety, and tides began to turn.
When the clock showed two minutes left in the third, South Oak Cliff overtook the Indians with a running touchdown by quarterback William Little making the score 24-17.
It was the second most electrifying play of the game.
Almost exactly one minute after Little’s touchdown run, 4-star University of Texas commit Malik Muhammad intercepted a Port Neches-Grove throw and ran the ball for 42 yards, returning it for a touchdown. The Pick-6 and extra point brought South Oak Cliff up to 31-17.
Here's Malik Muhammad's pick 6 that helped seal the state title for South Oak Cliff @Returnof7 pic.twitter.com/armN8PZ9Zr
— Travis Recek (@TravisRecek) December 17, 2022
In the fourth quarter, Varela nailed a final, 22-yard field goal, making the score to 34-17 in favor of South Oak Cliff.
By the time Port Neches-Grove scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game, South Oak Cliff fans in AT&T stadium had already begun celebrating.
Whereas the Golden Bear’s playoff run has brought attention to their rushing game, especially stars like Danny Green who rushed for 70 yards in the championship game, the final match of the season was all about William Little’s arm.
Little did not throw a single interception in the game, and passed for 235 yards. Throughout the season Little has faced criticism for his passing, but his state championship performance was nearly flawless.
At the end of the game, Muhammad was awarded defensive MVP for his performance and Little was named offensive MVP.
South Oak Cliff keeping the celebration going on the field at AT&T Stadium, after they locked up a second straight state title. pic.twitter.com/7DMXHkvJXV
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) December 17, 2022
With the win, South Oak Cliff is the first three loss team to win the state championship since 2019, when Mart won the 2A Div. II championship.
The team’s ability to overcome that early season deficit was similar to their ability to overcome the Port Neches-Grove lead, Todd told reporters.
“We get knocked down, we’re going to know how to get back up,” Todd says.
South Oak Cliff has pulled off playoff game after playoff game with single digit win margins. The state championship win is only their second game won with double digits.
Regardless, Todd told reporters that the team’s ability to win was thanks to the skill of their players.
“It’s the greatest senior class that has ever played football in DISD history,” Todd says.
