Reicher football coach Tyler Holcomb celebrates with his team after winning the TAPPS Division IV state semifinal last week.
Bishop Reicher coach Tyler Holcomb gathered his team around him following the Cougars’ state semifinal victory over Dallas First Baptist Academy last Saturday.
It took a minute for Holcomb to quiet the squad, which was still bubbling from an exciting 34-10 win. But Holcomb eventually had the players reasonably subdued and he paused as if to make an important announcement.
And then he screamed, “We’re going to the state championship!”
The Cougars burst out with a roar and proceeded to dance and have their picture taken with the state semifinal trophy. It was a moment that any high school football player would love to experience — a win, plus the opportunity to play for another week and on the biggest stage.
Holcomb is in his second season as the Reicher athletic director and head football coach. In that time, he has increased the numbers in the football program and guided the Cougars to the state final for the first time since 2009.
“I can’t say that I saw it coming this quick,” Holcomb said. “We didn’t really focus on that. The number one thing we try to focus on is our kids first and foremost and try to build relationships with them. If we do all those little things right, over time we can do something special one of these days and have an opportunity to play in a state championship.”
Reicher (5-4) will face Shiner St. Paul (8-1) at noon on Sunday in the TAPPS Division IV state championship game at Midway’s Panther Stadium.
The Cougars, winners of nine state championships in school history, have had a strong football program for a long time. But it’s been 11 years since they were at the state final level. This current team has a noticeable mix of players who grew up at the school with others who were attracted by the direction of the program.
Senior quarterback Jake Boozer, junior lineman Maverick Plsek, receiver/defensive back Eric Ochoa and others have been at Reicher for their entire high school careers. They were part of Holcomb’s first season when the Cougars stretched limited numbers and went 4-7.
Others like leading rusher Eli Cummings, receiver/defensive back Corey Long and running back/defensive back Blaine Reynolds have been valuable reinforcements this season.
“We were definitely limited on our numbers last year,” Boozer said. “We wanted to build up a program and kind of get those numbers back. Having that new talent come in, they wanted to work hard just like everyone that had already been here.”
Reicher football coach Tyler Holcomb gives instructions to Eric Ochoa (15) during the Cougars' state semifinal victory over Dallas First Baptist Academy.
That’s one thing Holcomb noticed from his first day at the school. Back in the spring of 2019, the roster wasn’t long and the facilities needed upgrades, but the athletes were hungry.
“Those guys were always coming up there,” Holcomb said. “Some of them wanted to come twice a day. I had to set hours because it would be all over the place and I couldn’t do it alone.”
Heading into this season, along with increasing the size of the roster, Reicher gave its weight room a renovation.
“The weight room creates a whole new environment for us,” Plsek said. “It makes you want to work out there. It gets people excited about football and all that.”
Of course, getting on the football field has been more difficult than usual this year. The COVID-19 pandemic backed up the start of Reicher’s football season to the end of September. Even after that, there were quarantines and opponents backing out of games that left the Cougars’ practice and game schedule looking like Swiss cheese.
After a loss to Brazos Christian in early November, Reicher was 1-4. But the Cougars bounced back by winning their regular season finale over Dallas Shelton, 45-11. That was followed by three playoff wins.
Reicher came from behind to defeat Temple Central Texas Christian in a pivotal second-round playoff game at Robinson’s Rocket Field. The Cougars then pounced on First Baptist in the first half last week and roared their way into the state final.
This week has been a chance to revel in the success while continuing to work.
“It’s awesome,” Boozer said. “This is actually one of the best weeks of practices we’ve ever had. Everybody is just fired up and excited.”
Boozer, Cummings, Long and seven other Reicher seniors will play their final high school game on Saturday. While they differ in the amount of time they’ve been at the school, they’re on the same page in wanting to deliver Reicher’s 10th state title.
That goes for the underclassmen as well.
“It’s just all upbeat,” Plsek said. “Coaches are on us 24/7. They’re telling us that this is our last game and some of the seniors are never going to play again. We don’t want to leave them with a bad taste in their mouth. We’ve been playing with some of them for two or three years now and want to give them the best.”
Here are the last 23 Centex football teams to win state titles
2019: Mart
Mart made big plays in the running game, refused to panic when it fell behind, and came up with game-changing defensive stops in the second half on the way to a 25-20 victory over Hamlin at AT&T Stadium.
Offensive MVP Roddrell Freeman had three touchdowns and was a force on defense for the Panthers as they went back-to-back-to-back to win Mart's eighth state title, putting them in elite company.
2019: Blum
It was the biggest game in school history: Coltin Gonzales raced for a 29-yard touchdown for the winning score with 58 seconds left, sending Blum past defending state champ McLean, 58-52, to capture the Bobcats' 13th straight win and first state title.
2018: La Vega
Facing a 7-7 halftime deadlock with Liberty Hill, powerful La Vega decided to throw the football. And in doing so, the Pirates lit up the scoreboard to capture a 35-21 victory in the Class 4A Division I state championship game at AT&T Stadium, their second state title in four years.
“Coach [Don] Hyde is a good coach, he told us we’re the best team in the state, we just had to write (our) story,” senior defensive back Donta Stuart said. “We had to end on a good chapter. We went game by game this week, and he showed us the first week through 15. He was like, write your story. Write a good chapter, and we ended on a state championship.”
2018: Mart
These Mart Panthers couldn't help but make history: Despite the 11 state championship game appearances and previous six state titles, Mart had never won back-to-back state championships. Until 2018.
With a 76-33 win over Gruver to to claim the Class 2A Division II state title, Mart established a new 2A state title scoring record with 63 points at halftime; senior running back Tyrek Horne set a new Class 2A state title game record with six rushing touchdowns; and in total, Mart set a new overall state championship game record with 555 yards.
With the win, Mart becomes one of eight schools in the state of Texas to win at least seven football state championships.
“It feels amazing,” Mart head coach Kevin Hoffman said. “This team worked for this since last year at this time when we won the state championship. This was one of the goals that this team had. They worked all spring, all summer, all two-a-days. Now it’s paid off. Just an amazing feeling to do something in the storied history of Mart football that no one’s been able to do. It’s been done now. We feel wonderful.”
2017: Mart
It was a year of domination for the Panthers: The Mart offense torched opponents for nearly 60 points per game, while the defense held them to barely more than a touchdown in each contest.
And although they trailed to Refugio 14-0 early in the second quarter, the Panthers made some big plays and used some trickery to gain a 21-14 advantage by halftime. And then in the second half, it was mostly Mart's signature defense: After giving up 125 yards on the first two Bobcats drives, the Panthers held them to 148 yards the rest of the game.
“For our town, our school, our community to get our sixth state championship, all the coaches that have won in the past, Coach Nail that gave me a job in Mart, I can’t thank him enough,” third-year Mart head football coach Kevin Hoffman said. “Everybody around the place has been unbelievable to me and my family. My wife has been unbelievable. Kind of at a loss. For us to have won a state championship, it’s unbelievable.”
2017: Live Oak Classical
Live Oak completed its long rise from the depths and captured its second straight TAPPS Division six-man II state championship with a 66-30 state title win at Panther Stadium in Hewitt.
It was the seventh straight win for the Falcons after opening the year with a 1-6 record. “It’s awesome,” said Live Oak running back Chase Hill, who scored three touchdowns. “Our coaches never stopped believing in us. We got down on ourselves but they kept us going. It’s a testament to our program that we’re going to do what we do no matter who we play.”
Hill showed why he’s one of the state’s best TAPPS six-man players as he delivered an electrifying 62-yard punt return for a touchdown and ran for 16 and 12-yard scores. But the Falcons liberally spread the wealth as five players scored touchdowns to beat a strong Bulverde Bracken team.
It was the fourth state title for the young program after a pair of wins in TCAL in 2012-13.
2017: Methodist Children's Home
Third time's the charm: After falling in the championship game the previous two years, Methodist Children's Home captured its first state title in the eight-year history of the program.
The Bulldogs came up with the plays they needed in the fourth quarter to cement a state championship victory, defeating Wylie Prep, 72-57, to hoist the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship Division I trophy.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” MCH coach Matt Rodgers said. “I’m just so happy for the kids, especially the boys who have been with us multiple years. We have three boys who were with us two years ago when we lost in the state championship, and then a good group, about eight or nine, that came back from last year’s team that lost in the final. I’m just so happy for them.”
2017: Parkview Christian
Parkview Christian won its first state football trophy since 1996 (when it played 11-man ball) with a 65-62 thriller over Corpus Christi Annapolis for the Texas Christian Athletic League Division II state crown.
Although they led 45-8 in the championship game, Annapolis had clawed back to cut the Pacers' lead to 1 point with just 2:49 remaining. But a timely fumble recovery and a last-minute touchdown sealed the game for Parkview.
Under head coach Bryce Frazier, Parkview quarterback Ian Guerrero (left) and receiver Braeden Arp (right) racked up nationally recognized numbers, with Arp leading the nation’s six-man football players in receiving for a second straight year, according to MaxPreps.com’s statistical leaders. He made 96 catches in Parkview’s 12 games for 1,901 yards and 35 touchdowns. Arp also started every game on defense, making 63 tackles, seven sacks and picking off three passes, returning all for touchdowns.
2016: Bremond
Again and again and again: Roshauud Paul's virtuoso performance — 384 yards of total offense and six touchdowns — led the three-peating Bremond Tigers to a mind-boggling 47th consecutive win and third consecutive state title with a 49-28 victory over Iraan in 2016.
Paul was the starting quarterback for all 47 games in Bremond’s winning streak and won his third consecutive Offensive MVP award in the championship game. “It’s amazing to leave my legacy in Texas high school football,” said Paul, who now plays at Texas A&M. “But every time I think about it, I know I wouldn’t be here without my teammates, coach or this community. They were behind us the whole way.”
2016: Live Oak Classical
Falcons fly again: Live Oak claimed its third state title in the program’s 10-year history, and the first since moving to TAPPS from TCAL in 2014. The Falcons had fallen in the Division II six-man state final the previous two years.
Thomas Copeland had the game of his life, running for 227 yards and four touchdowns to power Live Oak to a 64-30 win over New Braunfels Christian Division II title game at Midway’s Panther Stadium.
2015: La Vega
Willie Williams, a 1977 La Vega graduate, guided his team to its most successful season after 26 years as the team’s head coach, going undefeated to capture that most elusive Pirate treasure: a state championship trophy.
“It’s so gratifying (for) the little small city of Bellmead,” said La Vega coach Willie Williams. “We were there in 2008 and were on the other end of this, and it was demoralizing. It took a while to get over this. We said if we got back one more time, we wanted to finish. Because of these guys we were able to finish. I can’t explain the feeling right now.”
The La Vega sideline exploded in celebration after Argyle’s desperation heave fell to the ground to clinch La Vega’s first-ever football state championship, 33-31, in the Class 4A Division I title game at NRG Stadium in Houston.
2015: Bremond
In 2015, Roshauud Paul recorded a jaw-dropping 4,623 yards by himself (2,413 passing, 2,210 rushing) for 69 total touchdowns and led Bremond to back-to-back state championships (a 31-0 record) under center as the Tigers romped to a 35-20 victory over Albany.
2015: Abbott
Trailing 14-8 at the half, the Panthers went back to basics: “It was just going back at halftime and saying, ‘You know what, let’s go back to old school,’ ” head coach Terry Crawford said. “It was simple. I took the play card and put it in my back pocket and said we’re going on instinct and guts, and challenging the guys to whip the guy in front of them.”
Abbott came out of the locker room with a four-play drive for a touchdown to move in front, recovered an onside kick and needed six plays to score again for a 24-14 advantage before Crowell ever had an offensive snap in the second half. Then the gritty defense did the rest as the Panthers posted a 40-30 victory over Crowell to claim its first-ever state championship — a Class 1A Division I title — and deny the Wildcats their third straight crown at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.
(Photo thanks: GoFridayNight)
2014: Cameron Yoe
The Cameron Yoemen claimed their third straight state championship and did it in record fashion with a 70-40 win over Mineola in the Class 3A Division I title game, tying the record for points scored in a state championship game set by Stephenville just two years prior.
2014: Bremond
The Bremond Tigers fumbled five times and lost three as jitters consumed them for the first three quarters. But then their power shined through when they needed it most, and they scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun Albany, 28-21, to claim the Class 2A Division II state championship.
2013: Cameron Yoe
It wasn't as easy this time around, but the Yoemen scored 21 points in the second half, using a fake punt and two crucial touchdowns after turnovers to defeat Wall, 35-14, in the Class 2A Division I state title game to earn a second straight crown.
"Last year was one of those years where everything just kind of fell into place," Cameron coach Rick Rhoades said. "These guys have overcome so many obstacles this year. Our last three ballgames could have gone either way, and we were blessed enough to make the plays we need to in order to win them. I'm very proud of these kids, because it wasn't easy this year."
2013: Live Oak Classical
It was Live Oak's second state title in three years after the Falcons defeated San Antonio FEAST, 36-26, at the Cotton Bowl in their final season in the Texas Christian Athletic League.
Live Oak built a 30-6 lead after scoring on its opening drive of the second half, but a fumble, an interception and a failed fourth-down try on the next three drives allowed Family Educators Alliance of South Texas to cut the lead to 30-26 with 7:43 to play.
The Falcons didn’t let it get any closer as Nathan Fulbright broke for a 30-yard touchdown run four plays later and then the defense held the Patriots without a first down on their final two drives.
2012: Cameron Yoe
Revenge, served to perfection: After dropping the 2010 state title game to Daingerfield, the Cameron Yoemen excelled in all three phases from the opening kickoff for a 38-20 win over the Tigers, which completed an undefeated road to the Class 2A Division II state championship.
The Yoemen had made "unfinished business" the theme of their 2012 campaign — Cameron led 21-0 before Daingerfield had a first down, and they held the Tigers to minus-7 yards during the first half.
2011: Live Oak Classical
Live Oak exploded for 34 unanswered points in the second quarter to whip San Antonio's Family Educators Alliance of South Texas, 53-6, in the 2011 TCAL six-man state championship game.
Completing a perfect 12-0 campaign, the Falcons left no doubt about their supremacy in the Texas Christian Athletic League, ripping through the league and the playoffs without so much as being challenged.
“I couldn’t be happier,” said senior running back Michael Fulbright, who scored four of Live Oak’s touchdowns. “We started the season in two-a-days and we worked for it every week. To finally be here after almost four months, I couldn’t be happier to be a senior and finish the season like this.”
2010: Mart
One big play made all the difference: T.J. Justice returned a Goldthwaite fumble 68 yards for a touchdown just before halftime to give the Panthers a lead they never relinquished en route to Mart’s fifth state crown with a 28-7 decision.
“That was huge,” Mart coach Rusty Nail said. “Every game between us, the momentum-turner was a turnover. When we went to their place this year, we had two interceptions in the second half that turned (momentum) over. That’s . . . what turns football games between two great programs.”
2007-09: Reicher
Reicher head football coach Mark Waggoner was named the Trib’s Super Centex Coach of the Decade for the 2000s after winning four TAPPS state titles during that span. He accumulated a 142-89 record in 20 seasons as the Cougars’ head coach through 2015, winning back-to-back-to-back TAPPS state championships from 2007-09 and also in 2004.
After consecutive trips to the state semifinals in 2002 and ’03, Reicher forged a breakthrough season in 2004, winning the school’s first state title in 29 years. That team helped lay the foundation for future collections of Cougars.
Chad Conine
Longtime Waco sportswriter and Texas Tech graduate Chad Conine is the author of "The Republic of Football: Legends of the Texas High School Game" and "Texas Sports: Unforgettable Stories for Every Day of the Year," among other titles.
