Casen Carney could not accept defeat. Not on the biggest high school football stage in Texas.
Trailing Shiner with less than a minute to play, Carney refused to go down to the 2-yard line, took an assist from offensive lineman Colt Walterscheid and backpedaled into the end zone for what s t proved to be the decisive score in a 36-29th Hornets Class 2A Division II championship victory Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
This is Münster’s second state championship and the first since 2017.
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Carney was voted offensive player of the game after totaling 147 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries. The junior quarterback also completed 15 of 20 passes for 171 yards and an interception.
Muenster and Shiner traded blows throughout the first half, with the Hornets scoring after sustained drives, while all three Comanches scores came on plays of at least 29 yards.
Carney had three rushing touchdowns by halftime, scoring on runs of 2, 1 and 7 yards. Shiner’s scoring plays included a 29-yard pass from Carson Schuette to Jarvis Williams, a 74-yard run by Quincy Jones and a 44-yard run by Clayton Fric.
Shiner averaged 7.4 yards per rushing attempt for the game, finishing with 250 rushing yards. But the Comanches managed just 92 yards in the second half, including 68 on one drive.
Muenster opened the second half in similar fashion, starting the third quarter with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:10 late and ended with a 2-yard run by running back Nolan Peel.
Shiner couldn’t find the big play on his ensuing drive, instead manifesting a 10-play, 68-yard drive that drained the remainder of the clock off the clock in the third quarter. The drive ended with a quarterback sneak from inside the one-yard line by Carson Schuette on the final play of the period.
A Muenster offside penalty on the next attempt gave Shiner a second chance after the Comanches had a bad snap on their first down. They elected to make it two after the ball was moved from half district toward the goal, and Schuette came around the right end for the 2-point conversion and a 29-28 lead.
A 15-yard punt return by Maverick Bayer put the Hornets at the Shiner 20 with 3:08 left. Five plays later, Carney powered his way into the end zone for the game-winning score with 40 seconds left.
Shiner got to the Muenster 40 with 9 seconds left and Schuette attempted a Hail Mary that was caught by Ethan Hinton at the 6-yard line.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Muenster vs Shiner 2024 UIL Class 2A Division II Soccer Championship
