ARLINGTON - When Bill Elliott first took a coaching job at Celina in 1992, there were 150 people in the high school and one flashing light. Now there’s over 43,000 in DFW’s next booming suburb.

But the more the town’s changed, the more Elliott has fought to keep Celina football the same.

“Because of the great tradition and culture Celina’s had for so long, I’m trying to maintain that with who we are and what we stand for,” Elliott said.

Friday afternoon’s 55-21 victory over Kilgore in the Class 4A Division I State Championship was Elliott’s first as the head coach, but it was the Bobcat’s ninth overall. Yes, the town’s booming. But this is still a one-high school title town.

Except Celina football ended a state championship drought dating back to 2007 because they evolved on the field from a run-oriented to a balanced attack. Running backs Logan Gutierrez and Harrison Williams still did their damage, but Offensive MVP quarterback Bowe Bentley had one of the all-time great state championship games.

Bentley had the same number of incompletions (five) as he did touchdown passes. Oh, and one of those incompletions was a dropped touchdown pass on an out route. He finished 9-of-14 for 265 yards.

“In the past, we might’ve been able to run the football, but we couldn’t throw as well, or didn’t have the receivers we needed,” Elliott said. “This year, we had such a combination of all that. It makes it hard for a defense to adjust and stop us at what we’re doing.”

In the middle of the fourth quarter, AT&T Stadium’s jumbotron focused on Bentley on the sidelines and told a roaring Celina crowd that Bentley’s five touchdown passes tied for second most in a Class 4A state championship.

“It’s been a childhood dream to win a state championship, but to do that is pretty cool,” Bentley. “I was hoping I was going to get six. But you can’t get everything.”

Bentley’s heroics were especially impressive considering they came against a Kilgore defense that surrendered just 9.2 points per game in the playoffs. Kilgore head coach Clint Fuller said the team rotated through four different fronts and swapped personnel on the front seven three different times.

“I’m a defensive guy, I think I’m pretty good at what I do,” Fuller said. “But, crap, you gotta tip your hat to the kid. He’s got it all.”

While the offense evolved into a more aerial attack in 2024, it was only effective because the offensive line maintained that signature Celina swagger.

“Coach Elliott always says, ‘Who’s going to be the hammer? And who’s going to be the nail?’” senior captain Ty Hughes said. “We’re usually the hammer this year.”

Bentley’s first two touchdown passes were to senior wide receiver Ethan Rucker, who finished with three catches for 95 yards and two scores. But Rucker’s biggest impact after the first two drives came when Celina’s coaching staff inserted him into the game at defensive back. The Bobcats gave up a touchdown on Kilgore’s first two offensive drives, but then managed just one touchdown, two interceptions and five punts the rest of the game.

Defensive MVP Luke Biagini (nine tackles, .5 sacks) got the first turnover on a pick-six, and Rucker immediately followed with one of his own on the next series.

“Ethan coming in on defense was a huge thing,” Elliott said. “He hadn’t played there all year, but we’d been working him, getting him ready for this moment. He stepped up and did a great job.”

BOX SCORE

Kilgore Passing

Kilgore Rushing

Kilgore Receiving

Celina Passing

Celina Rushing

Celina Receiving

Kilgore Defense

Celina Defense