ARLINGTON – Gunter entered the Class 3A Division II state championship game on Thursday night as a sizeable favorite. They received a challenge in the first half before the defense locked down the Tidehaven offense in the second half, while Walker Overman accounted for 321 total yards in leading Gunter to a 30-14 victory.

The victory is the fourth state football title since 2016 and marks the first time Gunter (16-0) has won back-to-back championships. The Gunter defense allowed two touchdowns and 190 total yards in the opening stanza. The second half was a different story, with Gunter allowing a mere 89 yards in total.

Tidehaven’s Joseph Dodds gave his best effort to pull off the upset, rushing for 166 yards and one touchdown while adding 17 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. His receiving touchdown gave Tidehaven (14-1) the lead in the first quarter. 

The Baylor commit took a handoff 43 yards to the Gunter three-yard line and finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown reception from Kale Russell. Dodds's second touchdown was a 61-yard jaunt that pulled Tidehaven within three points heading into halftime.

The Gunter offense was held to a field goal in the first half but scored at least one touchdown in the remaining three quarters. Brock Boddie’s two-yard plunge gave his Tigers their first lead of the contest with 6:58 left in the first half. Boddie added another two-yard rushing touchdown 2:40 later to give Gunter a 17-7 advantage.

The Gunter defense held the Tidehaven offense in check in the second half while the offense extended the Gunter lead to 10 points following a 68-yard touchdown reception from Overman to Cannon Lemberg late in the third quarter. Overman added the icing on the contest with a one-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter.

Overman was selected as the Offensive Most Valuable Player after completing 10 of 15 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown while adding 172 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Gunter’s Major Thornhill was the Defensive MVP after registering eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack.