Woodforest Bank Stadium at Shenandoah Texas on Thursday, December 7, 2023 –
After reaching the Texas state football semifinals as finalist, for four straight seasons, the Timpson Bears varsity football team has advanced to the final round by defeating the Ganado Indians by a 35-21 score. The Bears (15-0) will now face the Tolar Rattlers (14-1) in the State 2A Division I Championship at ATT Stadium in Arlington Texas at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. Tolar defeated Stratford by a 35-7 score to reach this matchup.
Thursday saw Timpson trail early after Ganado drove 70 yards on their first drive and they then scored first when Ganado Indian quarterback Bryce Ullman found receiver Austen Pena for a 41-yard touchdown reception at the 7:48 minute mark of the first period. Joe Rodriguez added an extra point kick which gave GHS a 7-0 lead.
Timpson answered with a 62-yard drive which saw quarterback Terry Bussey score on a 6-yard touchdown run with 3:52 left in the opening quarter. Tyler Lane added an extra point kick to tie the game at 7-7.
Ganado got a huge kick return from Landon Hicks and began their next drive at the Timpson 22-yardline. Moments later Ullman scored on a quarterback sneak from the 1-foot line and gave GHS a 14-7 lead with less than 1 minute left in the opening frame.
The second quarter saw Ganado go up 21-7 when Ullman hit Cain Hayden for a 5-yard touchdown reception with 9:24 left in the first half.
Timpson went 57 yards and scored when Bussey hit Dacorian Johnson for a 14-yard touchdown reception with 3:31 left in the second stanza. Another Lane extra point kick cut Ganado’s lead to 21-14. This score remained the score at the halftime intermission.
Timpson tied the game at 21-21 when Bussey hit Shahed Cross for a 5-yard touchdown reception and Lane added an extra point at the 9:24 mark of the third quarter.
The Indians drove the ball on their next drive but the Bears were able to force a failed field goal attempt inside the redzone and THS took over possession at the Timpson 20-yardline. Bussey scored with just 2 seconds left in the third period on a 12-yard run. A Lane extra point kick gave the Bears a 28-21 advantage going into the final quarter.
Timpson stopped the Indians first drive of the fourth frame and then the Bears used up over five minutes of clock to go 64 yards. Bussey scored from 7 yards out to cap the drive and help the Bears take a 35-21 lead. The Timpson defense then held the Indians in check and the Bears eventually ran-off the remaining 2:15 minutes to hold on to that lead.
After the game Timpson Head Football Coach Kerry Therwhanger stated, “I am proud of our boys and it is good to see them move along in this journey. This is their memories and we get to take part but this is really their journey and their accomplishments. We struggled a little early but we are a senior laden team who just kept doing what we have been doing all year. They fought back and earned the win!”
