Carthage cruises to state championship over Wimberley in Texas high school football battle of unbeatens

Quarterback Connor Cuff and wide receiver Noah Paddie get going early in leading the Bulldogs to another 4A Division II crown

Carthage's reign under head coach Scott Surratt continued Friday with a blowout win over Wimberley for the 4A Division II Texas high school football state championship.

Surratt led the Bulldogs to their ninth state title in his 16 years at Carthage (16-0) with a 42-0 win over Wimberley (15-1), and the rout started early at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The Connor Cuff-to-Noah Paddie connection was too much for Wimberley from the get-go Friday, as an 82-yard bomb quickly followed a 50-yard strike from the Carthage quarterback to the wide receiver in the first quarter.

Carthage strikes 1st on a 4th-and-4 situation on its opening drive

The Bulldogs get into the end zone on a 50-yard bomb of a TD pass from senior QB @CuffConnor to senior WR @noah_paddie

Carthage leads Wimberley 7-0 with 7:23 left in Q1 #txhsfb #UILStatepic.twitter.com/O58tIbYHot

— Andrew McCulloch (@ByAndyMcCulloch) December 16, 2022

It's the first shutout in a UIL state championship football game since 2019, when Austin Westlake beat Denton Guyer 24-0 in the 6A DII state title game.

Surratt is now tied with Gordon Wood (Brownwood 7, Stamford 2) for the most state titles among Texas high school football head coaches.

He’s won more state titles (9) than lost playoff games (7) in his coaching career with the Bulldogs.

Check scorebooklive.com/texas later for a full report and photo gallery from the Class 4A Division II state championship game.

(Photos by Tommy Hays)