Arlington – They call him Mr. Automatic for a reason.

China Spring kicker Thomas Barr strolled up to the ball, which was about to be snapped toward him from the Boerne 3-yard line, and nailed a 20-yard field goal to secure the Cougars' their second-straiight 4A Division I UIL State Championshiip, 24-21.

Getting the opportunity to make that kick in that situation looked bleak early on as the Cougars fell behind 21-0 in the second quarter.

The first half was dominated by the Baize brothers, with the older brother Jaxon slinging touchdowns to his younger brother Braden. The pair combined for two touchdowns, including one that had a fortuitus bounce to land in the hands of the younger Baize.

Bolstering the dominance Boerne had in the first half, Brendan Levada would jump a route and secure an interception from China Spring. TJ Dement then tacked on a rushing touchdown halfway through the second quarter.

But that’s where the balance would flip in favor of China Spring. Just before halftime, eventually offensive MVP Cash McCollum got China Spring on the board with his 11-yard touchdown pass to Tristan Exline. The pair would be key to getting the Cougars the state championship win. McCollum threw another touchdown pass to Kyle Barton, and Exline would tie things up at 21 with his 66-yard touchdown run.

Exline also operated heavily on the defensive front with his 15 tackles to earn him defensive MVP.