Edwards Sparks a Carthage Celebration as Bulldogs Outmuscle La Vega for 4A-II Title

ARLINGTON — On the biggest stage of the season, Carthage leaned on a familiar formula: a bruising ground game, timely strikes through the air, and a defense that refuses to back down. The result was a 28 to 14 triumph over Waco La Vega on Friday afternoon at AT&T Stadium, giving the Bulldogs yet another championship to add to their storied trophy case.

Edwards Turns the Game on Its Head

For a quarter, the matchup looked like a tug-of-war. Then Kelwin Edwards grabbed hold of it.

The senior running back ignited Carthage’s offense with two explosive touchdown runs in the second period, the first a punishing 21-yard burst and the second an 86-yard sprint that emptied the tank of every Pirate who tried to chase him down. Those two plays flipped both the scoreboard and the tone of the afternoon, handing Carthage a cushion it never surrendered.

Edwards finished with 188 yards on the ground, a performance that kept the Bulldogs in command even when La Vega’s defense stacked bodies at the line.

Surrant Closes the Show

Once Carthage had softened up the Pirates with Edwards’ fireworks, quarterback Jett Surrant took over. In the fourth quarter, he carved up La Vega’s secondary with a pair of precision strikes to Junior Henderson, one from 24 yards and another from 19. Henderson led all receivers with 77 yards, stepping up when Carthage needed a closer.

Those back-to-back touchdown drives slammed the door on any flicker of a La Vega comeback.

La Vega Swings Back but Can’t Break Through

The Pirates didn’t fold quietly. Jayven Henderson punched in a touchdown early, and Kourtney Parr added another score to keep La Vega in range. Bryson Roland shouldered the load with 94 tough yards on 20 carries, dragging tacklers and fighting for every inch.

But every time the Pirates made noise, Carthage’s defense swallowed the momentum.

Bulldogs’ Front Seven Takes Over

The defining trait of Carthage football was on full display as the defense delivered blow after blow. Seven sacks rattled La Vega’s rhythm, and linebacker Carson Crawford was the headliner, piling up 2.5 of those sacks while living in the backfield.

If Edwards supplied the explosion on offense, Crawford and company supplied the brute force that made sure La Vega never got comfortable.

Champions Once More

When the clock hit zero, the formula was clear: long runs, crisp throws, and defensive punishment. Carthage checked every box in a 28 to 14 victory that reminded Texas high school football fans why the Bulldogs remain one of the state’s gold-standard programs.