Best team to never win state?

Maybe the 1997/98 Strawn teams are worthy of consideration.
The 97 team lost 3 games. By 15 to Trinidad, 33 to Gordon, and 94-80 in a shootout coming down to the last minute or two with Trinidad in the regional game, or so I've been told. SHS 45'd all others but Buckholts in bi-district who they beat by 30. Trinidad went 12-1, 45ing everybody they played but Strawn, beating them twice by 15 then 14, until loosing state by 4 to Panther Creek in the state semi game.
The 98 Hounds went 13-1. They only beat Mullin by 23 in the second game. And they didn't 45 Richland Springs, they 44'd them, 44-0. Credit to RS for making a full game of it. Game 9 was the closest of the year, Beating the Gordon Long Horns by only 6. They 45'd all others but Highland in the regional, who they beat by 34, 46'ing last years champs Panther Creek in the QF. Then came the buzz saw.
Trinidad went 15-0 that year, 45'ing everybody but Grandfalls-Royalty in week 4 and Coolidge in week 10. Then everybody in the playoff's including Gordon in the QF and Strawn in the Semi, Borden County in the state game.
Damien Jackson was the best pure sixman RB I've ever seen.

Trinidad's Damien Jackson Honored by Six-Man Hall of Fame...

Damien Jackson played football for Trinidad from 1996-1998, and he led them to the state championship. The 6-man board of directors met in Lubbock on January 12th. Damien was voted into the 6-man Hall of Fame. He will be inducted this summer at the 6-man all star game. Damien graduated from Tarle...
www.smoaky.com

An interesting aside. The only non 45 games Trinidad had that year were to Coolidge by 29 and Grandfalls-Royalty by 12 was the closest. IDK if Damien was maybe hurt that game or something.
But the coach of that GF-Royalty team was a still fairly new in his 5th year hc after playing 11 man in hs and college. Though he had learned a little coaching against Vance Jones going, 11-1 in 96/97. In 98 he lost to Trinidad by 12 in that 4th game of the year. Then in the regional he lost to Borden County by 32. Who Trinidad 45'd in the state game.
 
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WesTexas said:
Yes Whitharral got screwed on a 5th down play and Gordon won the state game by 1. After the game referee apologized for not getting the call right. Qb crossed the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball and the referee replayed the down instead of loss of down.
Click to expand...
Yep! I was there and saw it live and in color! One of the craziest endings there is for sure.
 
WesTexas said:
Yes Whitharral got screwed on a 5th down play and Gordon won the state game by 1. After the game referee apologized for not getting the call right. Qb crossed the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball and the referee replayed the down instead of loss of down.
Click to expand...
There was definitive proof (ESPN showed this) that QB didn't cross line of scrimmage and end result should have been a Gordon touchdown. 5th down was a result of a blown call by the Referees.
 
2009 Strawn Greyhounds scored 88 points in the state championship game and still lost That is the best team ever not to win the championship. If the Strawn running hadn't twisted his ankle they would have scored a few more touchdowns.
 
WesTexas said:
Yes Whitharral got screwed on a 5th down play and Gordon won the state game by 1. After the game referee apologized for not getting the call right. Qb crossed the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball and the referee replayed the down instead of loss of down.
Click to expand...
ESPN for some reason was interested in the Gordon team that year. ESPN film exists that shows that the quarterback was clearly not over the line of scrimmage when he threw that pass, & they called that touchdown back in error. That was just one bad call canceling out another bad call. Can't blame that game's results on the Refs. That film is online, but who knows where

Interesting fact: that was a talented QB on Gordon's State Championship team, and his son is among the Freshman on Gordon's Team this year. Freshman kid's mom was a very talented athlete also, from Strawn.
 
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MumsTheWord said:
ESPN for some reason was interested in the Gordon team that year. ESPN film exists that shows that the quarterback was clearly not over the line of scrimmage when he threw that pass, & they called that touchdown back in error. That was just one bad call canceling out another bad call. Can't blame that game's results on the Refs. That film is online, but who knows where

Interesting fact: that was a talented QB and his son is among the Freshman on Gordon's Team this year. Freshman kid's mom was a very talented athlete also, from Strawn.
Click to expand...
What is the name of the ESPN film
 
MumsTheWord said:
ESPN for some reason was interested in the Gordon team that year. ESPN film exists that shows that the quarterback was clearly not over the line of scrimmage when he threw that pass, & they called that touchdown back in error. That was just one bad call canceling out another bad call. Can't blame that game's results on the Refs. That film is online, but who knows where

Interesting fact: that was a talented QB and his son is among the Freshman on Gordon's Team this year. Freshman kid's mom was a very talented athlete also, from Strawn.
Click to expand...
I believe there was also an article in Sports Illustrated that year about Gordon.
 

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