Although Bryce Ullman wanted to put up some big numbers on offense, the senior quarterback made the final play of the 2A-D1 State Championship game when he intercepted a pass in the third overtime to give the Ganado Indians a 30-28 three overtime victory over the Stamford Bulldogs.
The Indians entered the 2024 football season determined to get the Championship at the high school level that they all earned while playing peewee football.
In 2023, the Indians were knocked out of the playoff by eventual state Champion Timpson and a conversation between Ullman and an opposing quarterback was part of the drive behind the quarterback this year. “Terry Bussy (former Timpson quarterback and now playing at A&M) told me after the semi-final game last year ‘y’all go win it next year,” Ullman said.
And that is just what the Indians did.
But boy, did they ever make it exciting.
Right from the start, the Indians were focused. Ganado won the coin toss and chose to kick off and after a touchback the Stamford’s high powered offense took the field.
Both teams had spectacular offenses, but the defense for both teams is how they got to the State Championship and defense is how the Indians won the game and it started on the first drive when Stamford quarterback tried a quick pass but Cain Hayden has other plans as he jumped in front of the receiver and hauled in an interception. Hayden was downed at the Stamford 14 and the Indians offense went to work.
Ullman connected on a short pass to Austen Pena to move the ball to the six and then Ullman carried it in himself to take a quick 7-0 lead with less than a minute gone from the clock.
Such a quick strike can sometimes rattle the other team, but Stamford showed why they were 15-0 entering the game.
Stamford’s threat out of the backfield Kaston Vega, who has amassed over 1,700 rushing yards this season tried to drive through the Ganado defense but he was having trouble finding any running room. Stamford was able to convert a fourth down and three on the ground but it was obvious the Ganado defense was focusing on shutting down the run game so Stamford pulled out a p[ass on third and 14 and their receiver split the defense and Stamford answered with a long touchdown pass to tie the game at 7.
This ended up being the way the game played out; Stamford never had the lead but Ganado never took more than a seven point lead.
“Stamford has one of the best zone coverage teams I have ever seen,” Ganado Head Coach Josh Ervin said. “Their kids executed very well.”
On the following Ganado drive, Hayden pulled in a big third down reception followed by a Pena reception on third eight to put the ball in the Stamford redzone. A couple of plays later Ullman scored again, but the score was negated because of a penalty, so facing a fourth and 21 at the Stamford 24, Ganado went for it and Ullman threw a pass that had the perfect lift on it but if fell just off the tips of the intended receiver and Stamford took over.
This time Stamford was only able to gain one yard before having to punt and returner Logan Bures made the first of his huge returns as he mobbed the ball to the Stamford 19 and this time the Ullman to Hayden touchdown did stand and Ganado took a 14-7 lead halfway through the second quarter.
The Ganado defense stood tall again as Stamford was forced into a fourth and two at their own 24 and elected to punt, aware of Bures as the returner and the punt bounced out of bounds.
Ganado’s offense went back to work near midfield and moved the ball into the red zone again but facing a fourth and two from the Stamford 18, Ganado went for it and didn’t make it.
Stamford had one more shot before halftime but with 29 seconds remaining before halftime and they quickly moved down the field.
Having one final play, Stamford went for the hail mary and Hayden pulled in an interception at the goal line to end the first half.
The Ganado defense dominated the run so much that Vega only had 12 yards on the ground in the first half.
Coming back for the third quarter, the game became even more intense as Stamford did to Ganado what Ganado did to Stamford to begin the game; Ullman’s pass was picked off by C’nai Whitfield at the Indian 18. Stamford ended up scoring to tie the game but the Indian defense did not make it easy as Stamford scored on a fourth and goal from the one.
Ullman, showing the interception didn’t bother him begin the next drive through the air on a drive that was capped by a 15 yard touchdown reception from Ullman to Hayden and the Indians regained the lead 21-14.
Stamford again found no success and was forced to punt and again Bures had a long return, fielding the ball at the Ganado 36 and returning it to the Stamford 37. The drive ended up stalling and Ganado opted to go for a 33 yard field goal, but the kick went wide left and Stamford took over again.
This time Stamford was able to move the ball, but they had to convert two fourth down attempts to keep the drive going, including possibly the biggest play of the game for the Bulldogs, when their receiver pulled in a fourth and 14 that takes them from near midfield to the Indian six. They would score again on the next play to tie the game at 21.
With five-and-a-half minutes left in the game, the Indians put together what they hoped would be a game winning last second drive.
Ganado moved the ball to the four yard line and with two seconds remaining in the game attempted a field goal that barely missed the uprights to send the game to overtime.
In the first two overtimes each team gets the ball at the opponents 25 yard line and they have one drive to put points on the board and then the opponent does the same.
“At that point we just had to approach it as a 0-0 game,” Ervin said. “We had to ignore the missed kick and we’ve got to respond positively right now.”
Ganado opened the first overtime with the ball and Ullman made an impressive run from 11 yards out down to the goal line where he was hit and pinwheeled into the endzone. The play was reviewed and ultimately Ullman was ruled down inches from the goal line. Two plays later the Indians scored.
Stamford answered back with a quick strike to pull the game even again, this time at 28 as the game went to the third overtime.
From the third overtime until the game is over each team got one play to score from the two yard line, a two-point conversion play. Ganado again began with the ball and Ullman found Pena in the corner of the end zone. The throw was high, but Pena went u “I think it was perfectly placed,” Pena said about the throw. “The defender couldn’t get it. (Ullman) saw me. The play isn’t designed to go to me, it usually goes to Cain but he found me and made a good throw.” p and snagged it.
With Ganado now leading 30-28 all that stood between them and a state title was one defensive stand.
Stamford decided to go with a bit of trickery, handing the ball off to Vega, who didn’t find any running room and he tossed it up to his receiver. The throw was good, but Ullman was able to get up high enough to grab the ball and in doing so, Ganado won their fist ever Texas football state championship.
The Ganado community welcomed the State Champion Indians back home late Thursday.
“The town is probably going to go crazy when we get back,” Logan Bures said.
“We’ve always talk about getting a ring on our finger,” Ullman said after the game. “Now our senior year we can mess with all the dads because they make fun of us sometimes because they say they were good back in the day.
“What’re they gonna say now?”
