SAN ANTONIO — The Martin’s Mill Mustangs (36-1) captured the UIL Class 2A Division 2 state boys basketball championship with a 55-43 victory over the Lipan Indians (33-5) on Thursday at the Alamodome.

Senior guard Jak Kinder scored a game-high of 19 points and was named the Most Valuable Player, and junior guard Archer Schneider had 18 points, including going 8-of-12 from the free throw line, and filling the stat sheet with seven rebounds, one steal, one assist and one block.

“Hat’s off to Lipan. Play that game 10 times and they’re going to win five and we’re going to win five,” said Martin’s Mill head coach Greg Jenkins. “We’re not better than they are in our programs. We were just a little better today.”

The two teams met up earlier this season at the competitive Tenaha Tournament, where Martin’s Mill bested Lipan 39-36 in the third-place game. Jenkins fully expected the championship game to be another defensive struggle.

Thursday’s final saw the Mustangs start slow, trailing 7-0 before Schneider put their first points on the board with free throws. Jenkins had called a timeout and directed the team to get some inside buckets instead of going for threes.

“You saw tonight with Archer, what he means to us in both ends of the court … He kind of calmed the game,” said Jenkins.

Martin’s Mill tied the game up 11-11 with Kinder’s first 3-pointer to end the quarter, and when they inched ahead for their first lead in the second, they never trailed again. Kinder would finish the game with three triples and 6-of-13 overall from the field along with two rebounds, two assists and one block.

A 23-20 lead at halftime widened to as much as 42-32 during the second half and solid defense from the Mustangs’ Cooper Wright and Sawyer Moore. Jenkins highlighted those two players’ work guarding Lipan’s Court Gaylor and Brayden Harrison.

“We couldn’t let Court or Harrison go off on us. I promise you without Sawyer and Cooper, you know, we’re not here,” said Jenkins. “Those guys have kind of done the dirty work for us and carried us. While other people are scoring points and point guard Travis Baber guides the ship and everyone else gets the limelight.”

Schneider and Kinder both attributed their program’s success to their Christian faith and the support of their community’s parents.

“I just want to give all the glory to God. That was a major part of our pregame talk… Win or lose in basketball, your identity is in your Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” said Schneider. “I love all these guys and the guys in the locker room that aren’t getting recognition right now… We hang out outside of basketball all the time. It’s just a great group to be around. Our senior Jak’s leaving, which is heartbreaking, but we’ll be back next year. I’m just excited to do it again with this amazing group.”

Kinder wanted to highlight teammate Jack Milligan, who didn’t play in the championship but has been a pillar for the Mustangs all season.

“[Milligan] said the reason we were gonna win the state championship is our brotherhood, and I think that’s 100% on the money,” said Kinder. “I mean, all the love that we have for each other and the love that we have for our coaching staff. And the trust that we put in our point guard and our big men, our shooters… That’s just a reflection of our relationship with Jesus and also a reflection of our parenting as well.”

“They’ve got parents that are the greatest parents in the world,” added Jenkins. “I’ve done this 23 years and all parents are not the greatest parents. Martin’s Mill has great parents.”

The boys’ championship win comes in the wake of the Martin’s Mill girls’ championship win last week. They defeated Farwell 43-41 in OT for the program’s second title in a row and eighth title in school history.

Ryder Marsh had six points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks for Martin’s Mill. Moore added six points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, Baber two points, one rebound, two assists and two steals and Wright four points and two rebounds. Cade Schaeffer and Lex Coker had a block each.

Evan Lott scored a team-high of 10 points for Lipan and finished with three rebounds and three assists. Darius Steed recorded eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks, Gaylor nine points and four rebounds, Harrison nine points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal, Payton Cornelius two points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal, Billy Smith five points and Colby Scott two rebounds.

It was Martin’s Mill’s first appearance in a state championship game since 2007 and second overall. The other appearance came when the Mustangs won the Class B championship in 1949.

Lipan had won a state championship the past two seasons and six state titles overall, was playing in its ninth state title game and fourth consecutive.

Team members for Martin’s Mill are 6-5 junior Archer Schneider, 6-3 junior Cooper Wright, 6-0 sophomore Briar Russell, 6-5 junior Jack Milligan, 5-11 junior Sawyer Moore, 5-11 senior Jak Kinder, 55-10 sophomore Slayde Runyon, 6-0 sophomore Cade Schaeffer, 5-7 sophomore Gaitlin Mewbourn, 5-11 junior Travis Baber, 6-7 junior Ryder Marsh, 5-11 sophomore Carson Schaeffer, 6-1 freshman Austin Baber and 6-1 freshman Lex Coker. The head coach is Greg Jenkins, and he is assisted by Hayden Jenkins, Logan Jenkins and Will Schneider. Support staff are managers Oak Hopkins, Kason Lindsey and Luke Wright; statistician Carrie Jenkins; student trainer David Womble; and athletic trainer Joel Gangross.