Ganado Claims First State Championship in Triple-OT Classic, Lifts Victory in Honor of Fallen Teammate

ARLINGTON — The biggest stage in Texas high school football delivered a masterpiece Thursday afternoon, and Ganado stood tallest when the dust finally settled. In a game packed with swings, clutch moments, and three rounds of overtime drama, the Indians edged powerhouse Stamford 30 to 28 to secure the school’s first ever state football title.

But even in a moment of pure triumph, Ganado’s hearts and thoughts were with someone who never got the chance to take the field with them.

A Championship Played for No. 89

As the Indians stormed the turf in celebration, a lone jersey was lifted high above the crowd — maroon, with the number 89 and the name Lee stitched on the back. It belonged to LaMarquis Lee, a teammate lost in a 2019 car accident who would have been a junior this season.

The team brought his jersey and helmet into every huddle, every photograph, every postgame embrace. For Ganado’s players, this championship was as much his as theirs.

His family watched from the stands as Ganado wrote a storybook ending years in the making.

A Title Game for the Ages

The matchup itself may go down as one of the most unforgettable in UIL history. The Indians and Bulldogs traded momentum for four quarters and kept swinging through three overtimes, tying the record for the longest championship game ever played.

Ganado nearly ended it before the extra sessions. With the game locked at 21 near the end of regulation, the Indians lined up for a 22 yard kick with two seconds left. The attempt drifted wide, and the title chase marched on.

Overtime Turns Into a Heavyweight Duel

In the first overtime, quarterback Bryce Ullman appeared to have slipped inside the pylon for the go ahead score, only for replay to mark him down at the one. Running back Logan Bures finished the job on the next snap. Ganado up, 28 to 21.

Stamford stayed alive on a fourth down strike from Christian Duran to Cle’ Whitfield, knotting the score once again.

Neither team found points in the second overtime. Ganado picked off a red zone pass, but their own 41 yard field goal try came up short, sending the title game into a third overtime where only two point plays would decide the champion.

The Moment Ganado Will Never Forget

Starting from the three yard line, Ullman rolled right, squared his shoulders, and fired toward the back of the end zone. Receiver Austin Peña dragged a foot in bounds, securing the conversion and giving Ganado a 30 to 28 edge.

Stamford responded with a trick play, hoping to steal the momentum back — a reverse toss that turned into a pass toward the corner.

Ullman read it the whole way.

The senior jumped in front of the throw, snatched the ball, and clinched the championship with an interception that sent the Ganado sideline into a frenzy.

For the first time, Ganado’s players walked out of AT&T Stadium as champions. Yet the night’s emotion came from more than the scoreboard. In every celebration, every embrace, and every shout echoing off the stadium walls, LaMarquis Lee’s presence was felt.

Final: Ganado 30, Stamford 28 in triple overtime — a title, a tribute, and a moment that will live forever in Ganado history.