For the first time in program history, the Wagner Thunderbirds (13-1) have advanced to the state semifinals after beating Mission Veterans Memorial 54-21 in the Region IV Class 5A, Division 1 final Saturday at the Alamodome.
It's a dream come true for the Thunderbirds.
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“It is, it is,” quarterback Tobias Weaver said. “This has never happened to me before. And this has never happened to this high school before, so it's a great opportunity. We want to take advantage of it and stay humble.”
Wagner led 21-7 at halftime and kept the pedal to the metal in the third quarter, scoring 21 points to lead 42-21 after three.
“It's just special,” head coach Charles Bruce said. “We are very blessed. These guys have worked hard from day one since I took over the program. I'm so excited for the football team and for these fans.”
The Thunderbirds’ offense is a scoring machine, averaging 54.5 points per game this postseason. Defensively, they are allowing 14.75 points per game. They sacked Mission Vets quarterback Landry Gilpin five times and held the Patriots to their second-lowest output of the season.
“The statement that we are making is that we’re here,” defensive lineman Dejoun Price said. “We’re here. We've been in the shadows for so long. Now we're trying to show you all that we’re here, and we're ready to play, baby.”
Winners of 12 straight games, Wagner will play Alvin Shadow Creek (14-0) in the Class 5A state semifinals. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston.