Stratford struts to 1A crown

Unstoppable Elks roll past Burkeville, 49-14, finish with 16-0 record

Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2000

WACO - Stratford's own fans could not have written a better script for their Elks' state title matchup with Burkeville.

If the Elks controlled the line, played disciplined defense and won the turnover battle, Stratford would win.

The Elks followed that script line for line to crush Burkeville 49-14 in the Class 1A state championship game before about 4,000 fans Saturday night at the Waco ISD Stadium.

With the victory, Stratford (16-0) becomes the first Panhandle football team to win 16 games in a season and the first Panhandle team to win a state football championship since Memphis in 1991. The state football title is also Stratford's first in school history, and the 15th ever in the Texas Panhandle.

Stratford running back Sid Resendes gained 184 yards to set a new single-season Panhandle rushing record. Resendes finishes the season with 2,914 yards, eclipsing Quanah's Setrick Dickins' old mark of 2,890 set in 1988.

"Setting the record is nice and everything, but it doesn't even come close to comparing to winning the championship," Resendes said. "This is the greatest feeling in the world."

Stratford has used a power running attack to pound opponents into submission all season. But Saturday, the Elks needed to go to the air as Burkeville stacked the line to stop the run.

Stratford quarterback Adam Bell picked apart Burkeville's passing defense with surgical precision, completing 12 of 16 attempts for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Rene vital caught six passes for 57 yards and one score. Corey Naugle caught five passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Michael McAlister caught one pass for 40 yards to set up critical Stratford score late in the first half.

Only a few seconds later, the Elks' defense cashed in with a score of its won to give Stratford a 29-6 lead going into halftime.

"That was a big momentum killer," Stratford coach Brad Thiessen said. "It was the drive before when we scored the touchdown that gave us some breathing room was the big one. Then the fumble return gave us a lot of momentum going into halftime."

A 38-yard pass play from Bell to Michael McAlister helped set up the Elks' third touchdown of the first half. Bell found McAlister all alone down the right sideline and the junior wide receiver ran to the Burkeville 5.

The drive seemed to stall, but on fourth and goal from the 4, Bell threw a strike to Naugle in the end zone to give the Elks a 22-6 lead with 1:39 left in the half.

Moments later, the Elks defense got into the act. Craig Moore blasted Burkeville quarterback Brandon Lewis as he faded back to pass at the Mustangs' 42, knocking the ball loose. Wes Hunsaker scooped up the fumble and sprinted into the end zone to give Stratford a 29-6 with 46 seconds left in the half.

"That was huge; that was a killer," Naugle said. "That's where we kind of stuck the dagger in and twisted it."

Stratford's defense turned Burkeville's speed advantage into no advantage. Burkeville busted a couple of long plays, including a 43-yard touchdown run early in the second half. But on the whole, Stratford's defense nullified Burkeville's outstanding wishbone attack and an ever-expanding deficit buried it in the second half.

"They were fast, that's for sure," Naugle said. "We just had to keep them from getting outside on us. Once they got outside, we weren't going to get them. We tried to cut them off from the outside and let the pursuit get there."

Burkeville gained 176 yards on the ground, but 74 of those yards came on two plays. Burkeville's passing game was non-existent as the Mustangs connected on just one of four for five yards.

"We played great defense," Stratford lineman Nick Ashley said. "We stepped it up. We knew they were quick and we had to keep them from getting to the outside. We also needed to stay in our lanes and keep them from cutting back against us too and we did it."

Stratford played almost flawless ball, committing no turnovers and having three penalties. Burkeville, meanwhile fumbled five times, but lost two. However, one lost fumble was returned 42 yards by Wes Hunsaker for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

Burkeville tried to get back into the game in the second half when a 43-yard touchdown run by Jonathon Lewis cut Stratford's lead to 29-14. The Mustangs drove deep into Stratford territory, but turned the ball over on downs.

Three plays later, Bell found Naugle on a slip screen at the Elks 25 and the senior tight end wove behind a convoy toward the Burkeville goal line, diving into the end zone to complete the 80-yard touchdown play to give Stratford a 35-14 lead with 3:51 left in the third period.

Stratford spent the rest of the game driving nails into the Mustangs' coffin.

Resendes scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and set the Panhandle single-season rushing record on a 29-yard run late in the fourth period.

With Stratford's running attack struggling against a stacked defense, the Elks took to the air to forge a 29-6 halftime lead.

Stratford quarterback Adam Bell completed 10 of 13 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Rene Vital caught five passes for 40 yards and Corey Naugle added four receptions for 41 for the Elks. Stratford managed 49 yards on 18 rushes in the first half.

Stratford's defense also made its presence felt. The Elks limited the Mustangs to 68 rushing yards and zero passing in the first half.

The Elks' defense also got into the act as Wes Hunsaker returned a fumble 42 yards for another score.

Stratford's defense forced a turnover to kill a Burkeville drive and immediately responded with a touchdown.

Jaret Pemberton pounced on a loose football at the Elks' 34-yard line to set up the possession. Bell hit Vital for an 11-yard gain and Naugle for a 22-yard gain to move the Elks to the Burkeville 12.

Three plays later, Bell took a shotgun keeper around right end four yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Ashley's kick gave the Elks a 7-0 lead with 3:33 left in the first quarter.

Stratford went to the air to produce its second touchdown. Bell threw four straight completions - Naugle for 10 and Vital for 7, 11 and 16 to lead the Elks down the field. Bell found Vital along the left sideline and the 6-foot-5, 210-pound wide receiver broke a tackle at the 10 and strode into the end zone.

After picking up a free yard for Burkeville got flagged for offsides on the extra-point kick, Resendes blasted into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and the Elks led 15-0 with 6:39 left in the second quarter.

A 30-yard kickoff return of a pooch on the ensuing kickoff by Jonathon Lewis set up a short Spearman touchdown run to bring Burkeville within 15-6 with 5:01 left in the first half.