Charleston completed a wire-to-wire trip as the top-ranked team in Class 3A with an easy 42-19 victory over Glen Rose in the state championship game Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Before a crowd of 5,631, the Tigers’ potent Spread attack, led by junior quarterback Ty Storey, totaled 475 yards as Charleston (15-0) claimed its second Class 3A state championship in three seasons and fourth state title since 2005.
Glen Rose (12-2) was beaten in the state final for the second consecutive year. The Beavers had won 12 consecutive games.
The game was marred by 315 penalty yards and the ejection of Glen Rose senior fullback/wide receiver/linebacker Austin Kehner with 3:14 remaining following a 14-yard touchdown run by Beavers junior tailback Carlos Burton.
Kehner, the son of Glen Rose Coach Mark Kehner, received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, one for apparently making contact with at least one official.
Glen Rose was penalized 18 times for 193 yards.
“It got kind of chippy,” Charleston Coach Greg Kendrick said. “I thought our kids did a phenomenal job of responding to that.”
Storey was named the game’s MVP after completing 18 of 31 passes for 378 yards and a finals record-tying 6 touchdowns.
Charleston led 35-7 at halftime behind five touchdown passes by Storey, the last the 100th of his career.
Storey threw three touchdown passes to junior wide receiver Taylor King, including an 18-yarder to give the Tigers a42-7 lead with 9:55 remaining in the third quarter and invoke the Arkansas Activities Association’s sportsmanship rule.
“They say big-time players make big plays in big games,” Kendrick said. “There was no bigger stage than this for Ty to show out.”
King finished with 7 receptions for 71 yards and 3 touchdowns (14, 13 and 18 yards). Senior tailback Austin Pittman caught 6 passes for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns (55 and 16 yards).
Storey also threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Colton Ward with 6:57 remaining in the first half to stretch Charleston’s lead to 35-0.
Glen Rose finished with 403 total yards. Burton ran 18 times for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns (64 and 14 yards). Itmarked Burton’s 13th consecutive 100-yard rushing game this fall, but both touchdown runs came late in the fourth quarter against reserves.
In addition to the penalties, Glen Rose lost two fumbles and senior quarterback Clay Holicer was intercepted four times.
“Horrible game,” Mark Kehner said before swiftly walking past two reporters and out of the stadium with the runner-up trophy under his arm.
Austin Kehner finished with 2 receptions for 111 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown with 4:55 remaining in the first half to make it 35-7.
The bulk of Storey’s 364 passing yards in the first half came on screens and shallow crossing routes.
Storey threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to King with 8:51 left in the first quarter, a 55-yard touchdown on a screen to Pittman with 6:04 left in the first quarter and a 13-yard touchdown pass to King with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers led 21-0 after the first quarter.
Storey’s fourth touchdown pass was a 16-yard screen to Pittman with 10:15 left in the first half. The score came three plays after Storey, as an upback, caught a 26-yard pass from senior Chance Shelby on a fake punt.
Charleston’s lead grew to 35-0 on Storey’s 70-yard touchdown pass to Ward midway through the second quarter.
“That’s just our passing game,” said Kendrick, 33, who was promoted from offensive coordinator last December after Doug Loughridge moved to Alma. “We did not put in anything special in for them. We do what we do.”
Clearly, nobody in Class 3A did it better than Charleston this fall.
Sports, Pages 33 on 12/22/2013