Gordon football tops Rankin for third consecutive Class 1A DI UIL State Championship

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ARLINGTON — The Gordon football team continued its remarkable run Wednesday at AT&T Stadium.

The Longhorns took down Rankin 69-22 in a contest that ended with 6:46 left in the third quarter due to the 45-point mercy rule.

Gordon’s Stryker Reed notched 160 yards rushing and four touchdowns for Gordon on seven carries, also completing each of his two pass attempts for 53 yards, earning Offensive MVP honors. Brayden Walters was named Defensive MVP after accumulating 11 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception.

With the victory, Mike Reed’s team claimed its third consecutive state championship, and fifth in school history, as well as the group’s 44th straight victory. Gordon finishes the 2025 campaign with a 14-0 record despite playing on the road nearly all season after a tornado damaged the school’s football field in May.

Game-changing plays

Gordon wasted no time finding the end zone, as senior quarterback Noah Kostiha connected with Asher Salinas for a 25-yard touchdown to give the Longhorns an 8-0 lead on the team’s first offensive play.

Ry Reed ran in a score from 1 yard out, then Brayden Walters grabbed an interception before catching a touchdown pass to put the Longhorns ahead 24-0.

Rankin got on the board during its next drive as Matthew Ramos broke multiple tackles and reached the end zone for a 20-yard rushing touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-8. Reed responded with a 48-yard score on Gordon’s next play from scrimmage.

Stryker Reed, an Air Force pledge, got in on the action next, running for a 68-yard touchdown that extended the Longhorns’ advantage to 40-8 midway through the second quarter. Stryker Reed and Rankin’s Matthew Ramos traded scores on the next two drives before another Stryker Reed touchdown pushed the score to 55-16 heading into halftime.

Rankin recovered the opening kickoff out of the break and reached the end zone two plays later. Kostiha found Ry Reed for a touchdown on the ensuing drive, then Stryker Reed scored to enact the mercy rule and secure another title for the Longhorns.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Gordon football defeats Rankin in Class 1A DI UIL State Championship

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