ARLINGTON, Texas — The Tidehaven Tigers from Matagorda County fell to Gunter in the 3A Division II Texas high school football championship game Thursday night in Arlington.
Both teams brought prefect records into the game and it was nearly as close as it could get at halftime, as Gunter took a 17-14 lead into the locker room. But after the first half, it was all Gunter, scoring 13 unanswered points for the 30-14 win and their second straight high school football state championship.
Class of 2024 Top Prospects
Gunter: none
Tidehaven: Running back Joseph Dodds (#117 in Texas, according to 247Sports.com), Baylor commit.
Class of 2025 Top Prospects
Gunter: none
Tidehaven: none
Overview
Tidehaven of Matagorda County was making its first appearance in a state championship game since 1980. That year, Tidehaven played to a scoreless tie with Pilot Point in the Conference 2A title game. Yes, that's right. The final score was 0-0. The game was played in 30-degree weather in Temple, Texas, according to The Victoria Advocate.
Tidehaven won another state crown - in Class A - in 1967.
Gunter has won 30 games in a row and is the defending 3A Division II state champ.
Led by senior quarterback Walker Overman, who's just 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds. Overman, however, plays big. He's thrown 35 touchdown passes this season with only two interceptions, according to MaxPreps. Gunter is trying to win its fourth UIL football championship in the school's history.
Where is Tidehaven High School?
Tidehaven high school is in Elmaton. It's 12 miles west of Bay City. According to texasalmanac.com, it became part of the Tidehaven Independent School District in Tres Palacios. In the year 2000, the population was 140. The school's enrollment, according to the Texas Tribune is 260.
Where is Gunter High School?
Gunter High School is in Gunter, Texas, which is in Grayson County. That's around 50 miles north of downtown Dallas. Gunter's population is around 2,400, according to TexasDemographics.com. The Texas Tribune reports the school's enrollment was 356 in the 2021-22 school year.