Sports Texoma

STEPHENVILLE -- For the first time since 1981, Pilot Point will play for a state championship.

Jarman Johnson rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns as the Bearcats defeated Brady, 35-14, on Saturday at Tarleton State's Memorial Stadium in the Class 2A Division I semnifinals.

The performance closed out an emotional week for Johnson, who learned after last Saturday's win against Godley that his father, Henry Davis, had passed away. Henry was also the father of Willie Davis, another team member.

"I'm playing this for my pops," Johnson said after Saturday's game.

The Bearcats (14-0) advance to face Kirbyville, a 60-7 winner over Comfort, in next week's state final at a site and time to be determined. The team, under legendary coach G.A. Moore, reached the finals in 1980 and 1981, tying El Maton Tidehaven 0-0 and defeating Garrison 32-0 respectively.

Johnson, who already owns Pilot Point single-game and single-season rushing yardage records, also broke the old school career rushing mark of 4,408 yards set by Ely Sledge between 1987-90.

Johnson busted loose for touchdown runs of 66 and 22 yards early in the game, and Gareth Gengenbach caught a 32-yard pass from Seth Tilley as Pilot Point led, 21-0, in the first quarter.

Brady quarterback Mackenzie Hirt brought his team back with a one-yard sneak to trim the halftime score to 21-7.

Then the Bulldogs stopped Pilot Point on its first possession of the second half, and converted a fake punt on a pass from Hirt to Kyle Andrews and also got a pass interference call to keep the drive alive. Brady's Hirt snuck in again to draw within 21-14 with 4:16 to go in the third.

But that was it for Brady, as Johnson broke a 65-yard run exactly two minutes later, and the Bearcats added a 19 yard pass from Tilley to Austin Balderas early in the fourth quarter.

Ruben Martinez, the hero of last week's one-point victory against Godley, was 5-for-5 on PATs.

Brady drove all the way to the 1, where Tyler McNairy made the stop on Brady's Hirt, stopping the Bulldogs' last chance to stay in the game.

Tilley was a very efficient 10-of-12 passing for 105 yards and two TDs for Pilot Point.