Quarterback Jeremiah Crawford rushed for 276 yards with four touchdowns and Mineola won its first state title, beating Yoakum 35-14 in the Class 3A Division I championship game Thursday night.
Crawford scored the last three touchdowns of the game, starting with a 40-yard run that broke a 14-all tie late in the second quarter. Mineola (14-2) lost in its only other appearance in the finals two years ago.
Yoakum (11-5) had its dynamic twin receiving duo all but shut down by Mineola, led by defensive MVP Kourtland Sinches and Aaron Stanford. Jordan Moore and Josh Moore totaled five catches for 34 yards with one touchdown.
Under coach Bo Robinson, a former All-Southwest Conference defensive end at Texas, Yoakum reached its first state final since 1952.
Crawford took Mineola's second play of the second half 66 yards before scoring from the 5 to give Mineola a 28-14 lead. His final touchdown was another 5-yarder early in the fourth quarter.
Yoakum thought it had a momentum-turning play before Crawford's final touchdown when Jordan Moore forced a fumble by Chantz Perkins. Officials ruled that a Yoakum player was out of bounds when making the fumble recovery, allowing Mineola to maintain possession. Crawford scored on the next play.
Perkins had 121 yards rushing and a touchdown as Mineola outgained Yoakum 455-193.
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Henry Enoch led Yoakum with 121 yards rushing and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Moore, who scored his team's other touchdown when he scooped up Tyron Brooks' fumble at the end of a 13-yard run and went in from the 1.
