Randle wins first Texas 5A Division II state title in dramatic fashion over South Oak Cliff

The nightcap of Friday’s Texas state title action in Arlington saw all hell break loose as Richmond Randle and South Oak Cliff traded blows for the 5A Division II championship inside AT&T Stadium.

Momentum swings galore saw five touchdowns, four lead changes and all the drama in the second half.

A 72-yard kick return touchdown via Sean Smith in the middle of the fourth quarter gave Randle a 38-35 lead, which proved to be enough in the end. South Oak Cliff missed a game-tying field goal as time expired, ending a frenzied finish that saw the new kids on the block come out on top.

Randle captures its first state title in just its third season as a program. South Oak Cliff was vying for its third title in the last four seasons.

Randle star sophomore running back Landen Williams-Callis earned MVP honors, tallying 101 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The Lions were buoyed by their special teams, as a pair of kick-return scores and a key fumble recovery on a punt made all the difference.

The Lions come out hot

Randle’s state championship debut couldn’t have started better. Senior Cincere Timpson fielded the opening kickoff and managed to dash his way up field for an 82-yard touchdown after faking a reverse, giving the Lions the lead just 13 seconds into the game.

Not long after the kick return, South Oak Cliff muffed a punt, which Randle jumped on top of near the Golden Bears’ red zone. Just a few players later, Williams-Callis scored to make things 14-0 early.

South Oak Cliff got some momentum back on its next possession, building a long drive that culminated with a 17-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Carter Kopecky to Jaylen Moore. Kopecky finished with two scores.

Randle kicker Christian Munguia nailed a 44-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter, but the Golden Bears countered with another TD as junior running back Mikail Trotter punched in a 2-yard carry to cap off another double-digit play drive, trimming the Lions lead to 17-14.

The tides looked to be turning toward halftime, as a Randle three-and-out led to an SOC drive that got close to midfield. The Lions responded, though, picking up a crucial stop on fourth down at the SOC 41-yard line. Just four plays later, an 11-yard hurl from athlete Keilan Sweeny found the hands of Mason Mixon to bring the Randle lead back to double digits.

South Oak Cliff gets going in the second half

The Golden Bears had an explosive play of their own to open the third quarter. The first play from scrimmage saw Trotter bust up the middle and cut past the Randle defense for a 75-yard TD to cut the deficit back to 3.

Randle drove past midfield on the ensuing possession, but junior QB Tyler Skrabanek lofted a pass off his back foot that found the hands of SOC’s Kendrick Carter for an interception that proved costly.

The Golden Bears took their first lead of the night (28-24) with just under 10 minutes to go in the third, as RB Damond Williams took a zone read 85 yards to the house, delivering another blow to what looked to be a wilting Randle defense.

There was then finally an offensive lull as both teams caught their breath, but the lunacy was just getting started.

A tipped SOC pass was intercepted by Randle’s Perry Kindred in opposing territory. Sweeny found pay dirt for the second time just four plays later on a 21-yard rush. The Lions took a 31-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

Déjà Vu for Randle

South Oak Cliff stayed stout on its next possession, churning some clock with an 11-play drive that finished with Kopecky running in for a 20-yard score. The Golden Bears had the lead once again, but it wouldn’t last long.

Once again, Randle got loose on special teams. This time it was Sean Smith who caught the ensuing kickoff and proceeded to race 72 yards down the field for six, stunning SOC and putting the Lions back in front once more.

The teams then traded punts, the latter of which went just 19 yards, setting up SOC in Randle territory. A holding penalty called back what would’ve been a touchdown, but the Golden Bears continued to fight, converting a long fourth down to move the chains toward the red zone with less than two minutes to go.

The clock ticked as SOC found itself vying for overtime with a field goal. A 45-yard attempt from Ceasar Olavera went wide left as time expired, giving Randle its first-ever state title in dramatic fashion.

South Oak Cliff has now made four consecutive state title appearances, winning its first two in 2021 and 2022 and now losing in both 2023 and 2024. Randle cements its status as a player in the Lone Star State and will hope Friday night is only the start of its success in Arlington.