Sweet 16 was never so sweet.
The Celina Bobcats just put the finishing touches on their fifth 16-0 season, but, even for the storied Celina football program, this one was different. The 21-14 win over China Spring for the Class 3A, Division II title gave the Bobcats their state record eighth football championship.
To put this win in perspective, just look at the teams that are now a step below Celina in the state record book. Southlake Carroll, Plano and Brownwood all have seven titles.
When it comes to Texas high school football, to borrow an old Carly Simon phrase, nobody does it better than Celina.
China Spring stated the scoring when Jared Welch got away from the Bobcat defense for a 30-yard touchdown run. But the one-two punch of Celina's junior running backs Charley Waldrep and Troy McCartney gave the Bobcats a 14-7 lead in the third quarter. Waldrep went in from 15 yards out in the second period and McCartney scored on a short run early in the second half.
China Spring came back to knot the score 14-14 late in the third when Taylor Higdon took a pitchout from quarterback Dustin Eskew and then hit Eskew with a 15-yard scoring strike.
But Celina workhorse Charley Waldrep blasted in from three yards out in the fourth quarter to give the Bobcats a 21-14 win and their record eighth title.
Waldrep finished the night with 110 yards rushing and a pair of TDs. Celina had 240 yards on the ground in the state championship and senior signal caller Seth Davis was 7-of-14 for 110 yards through the air.
