Class 5A Division I: Denton Ryan knocks off Cedar Park

Published 3:25 am Saturday, January 16, 2021

ARLINGTON — Seth Henigan threw four touchdown passes and Keori Hicks scored two touchdowns to lead Denton Ryan to a 59-14 victory over Cedar Park on Friday in the Class 5A Division I state football championship game at AT&T Stadium.

It was Ryan’s first state championship since 2002. The game attracted a crowd of 7,101.

Hicks rushed for 122 yards on 15 carries as Ryan (15-0), which to Alvin Shadow Creek 28-22 last year, won the third state championship in program history and finished undefeated for the second time, joining the 2001 team. Hicks’ brother Kalib Hicks added 98 yards on 15 attempts.

Cedar Park (14-1) was trying to win its third state title in nine seasons. Instead, it suffered the third-worst loss in a state championship game in the UIL’s second-largest classification in the last 20 years.

Henigan, a Memphis signee who left for college on Saturday so he can enroll early, was named the game’s offensive MVP after throwing touchdown passes to Keagan Cunningham, Billy Bowman Jr., Michael Davis and Ja’Tavion Sanders to give him 47 touchdown passes for the season. Henigan joined James Battle as the only starting quarterbacks in Ryan history to win state titles (Battle won in 2001 and 2002), and Henigan won a championship that eluded Ryan’s recent superstar quarterbacks, Scotty Young and Spencer Sanders.



Dave Henigan won his first state title since he was the offensive coordinator for Denton Ryan’s 2002 team that beat Brenham 38-8 in the championship game. He left the school for 10 years, coaching at Corsicana and Grapevine, but Ryan hired him as head coach in 2014.

Denton Ryan’s Ty Marsh, who had an interception, was named Defensive MVP.

Cedar Park QB Ryder Hernandez hit on 24 of 44 attempts for 282 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

The Timberwolves finish 13-1.

QB Henigan connected on 14 of 22 passing attempts for 264 yards.

Sanders, who has signed with Texas, had five catches for 77 yards and a TD, while Bowman, who has signed with Oklahoma, four receptions for 62 yards.