2019 Carthage - Start of Current Streak

[BevBrownJr]

Ten interesting facts:

1.  CHS's 44-41 loss to Liberty Hill in the 2018 state semifinals snapped a 40-game winning streak.  It was the third time a Scott Surrat-coached Bulldog team had lost a state semifinal game.  The previous two times, CHS had come back the following year to win a state championship (2013 after losing to El Campo in 2012 and 2016 after losing to Waco La Vega in 2015).  The 2019 Bulldog team was thought to have the talent to continue this trend, as 14 starters returned from the 14-1 semifinalist.  However, an All-State QB was among those who had to be replaced.

2.  CHS returned immediately to its winning ways to start the 2019 season.  Although junior QB Kai Horton started the season opener against Jacksonville completing just 2 of his first 210 passes, he warmed up to pass for 283 yards in 1 48-0 win and followed that up with 5 touchdown passes in each of the next 2 weeks against Liberty-Eylau and Marshall in wins of 49-7 and 38-6.  A 24-15 win over Gilmer had the latest winning streak up to 3.

3. The biggest win of the regular season came against Pleasant Grove, the powerhouse in 4A Division 2 that would go on that season to win its 2nd state championship in 3 years.  The Bulldogs wore down the Hawks in the latter's homecoming game, scoring 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to win 35-14.  No one in the district played CHS closer than 14 points, with the average score in those 5 games being 37-9.

4.  The undefeated Bulldogs beat Athens 49-14 in bi-district.  It was the 2nd of 3 CHS games to be played that year in the newly-renovated Tomato Bowl in Jacksonville.

5.  Round 2 was a 55-17 win over Lumberton on the R        

[BevBrownJr]

5. (cont'd)...on the Raiders' home field.  They were quite hospitable, as the Bulldogs only had to cover 23 yards to pick up 2 of their 1st 3 scores.

6.  The 3rd-round game pitted a team that was about to move up to Class 5A (Crandall) against a team about to move down to 4A Division 2.  The smaller school's team won 52-21.

7.  The Bulldogs returned to the Tomato Bowl for the regional championship game against Midlothian Heritage.  For the 5th year in a row and the 10th year in the past 12, CHS won the regional title.  In the 24-7 win, all 4 of the victors' scores came on 4th-down plays.

8.  Lampasas and CHS combined for more than 900 yards of total offense in the state semifinal game.  CHS won the thriller 49-42, as senior WR Kelvontay "Moochie" Dixon, who had scored on a 95-yard pass play in the third quarter, caught a 3-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left to break a 42-42 tie.

9. The state championship game was a dream matchup of two undefeated teams.  WR Dixon had 3 touchdown pass receptions during a 5-minute stretch from late in the 2nd quarter until early in the 3rd as Waco La Vega suffered their biggest loss in over 5 years, 42-28.  Before a crowd of nearly 17,000, the Bulldogs were crowned as state champions for the 3rd time in 4 years and 7th time in 12 years.  With 229 rushing yards, junior RB Mason Courtney's performance was good for only 2nd in the voting for the game's Offensive MVP, which was won by Dixon.  Senior S Cole Whitlock, who had 11 tackles, was named the game's Defensive MVP.

10.  The Texas Sportswriters Association named Scott Surratt as the Class 4A Coach of the Year.  Named to its All-State First Team were 6 Bulldogs: WR Dixon (also a track and field star who competed multiple times in the State Meet in Austin as a sprinter, triple jumper, and long jumper; was a teammate of older brother Keaontay Ingram this past season at the University of Texas); junior TE Montrell Smith (at 6-3, 230, he was a big asset either blocking or receiving); junior Tee Kellum (5-10, 300+, some knowledgeable football people say that another few inches of height is the only thing keeping him from being recruited by every major college in the country); senior DE Quinton Owens (combination of size (6-3,230) and speed allowed the Bulldogs to use him to either rush the passer or cover receivers downfield; now playing at SFA); senior LB Rayvon Ingram (was a Second Team All-State selection the prior year; combination of size and speed enabled the Bulldogs to play him in the backfield in goal-line offense at times during his high school career); and DB Whitlock (3-year starter on 2 state championship teams and a semifinalist; played either safety or linebacker, depending on the team's needs at the time).  QB Horton was named Second Team All-State (threw for 3,746 yards and 49 touchdowns in his first year on the varsity; is presently playing on the varsity basketball team for the 4th year in a row).       

[BevBrownJr]

As indicated in the “Razorbacks 2021 Thread” in the College Forum, one of the seniors on the 2019 CHS Bulldog team is in the news. Ty’kiest Crawford, 6-5, 335 OT has announced that he is transferring from Charlotte of Conference USA to Arkansas. Along with high school teammate Kelvontay “Moochie” Dixon, Ty committed to Arkansas before the 2019 season before decommitting during that season.  A 4-star recruit, Ty was the highest-rated recruit ever signed by Charlotte.