Johnny Ball, Code Red defense rally late to lead Wimberley to state finals

SAN ANTONIO — Good things happen when the football is in Wimberley running back Johnny Ball's hands.

Ball walked off the Alamodome turf Friday with 184 yards and the game's pivotal touchdown. He also sported bloody cuts on both elbows and had respect from all of his teammates.

Ball energized his mistake-prone team in the second half to help Wimberley rally for a 42-36 victory over Cuero in a Class 4A Division II playoff thriller. That included his 64-yard go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, which proved to be the margin of victory.

Wimberley (15-0) advanced to the state championship game and will play Carthage at 11 a.m. Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Texans coach Doug Warren said his staff made a strategic change at halftime with his team down 27-18.

"We needed to get (Ball) more touches, and we started to feed him the ball in the second half," Warren said.

Ball, who rushed for 303 yards in last week's 49-30 playoff victory over Lago Vista, broke tackle after tackle, putting his team on his shoulders. He pounded Cuero's defensive front with consecutive runs of 38, 20, 12, 9 and 8 yards before breaking free on his long touchdown run.

"I'm humbled they decided to put the ball in my hands," he said.

This was a hard-hitting game that was as close as the scoreboard indicated. Cuero (13-2) had a 421-407 edge in total yards, but three costly turnovers doomed the Gobblers. Their final offensive play was a game-sealing interception by junior safety Zach Patek.

Wimberley quarterback Cody Stoever had a terrific game, passing for 118 yards and rushing for 110. He accounted for three touchdowns but deflected praise to Ball. He also recalled a halftime chat with his senior teammate.

"I looked at Johnny and told him this is a grown man's sport and you're a grown man," Stoever said. "They've never played a running back like him, man. That guy fights for yards every time he gets the ball. He put this team on his back today and gave us everything we needed."

After Cuero took a 30-17 lead on a short field goal by Will Carbonara with 7 minutes, 27 seconds to play in the third quarter, Wimberley got tough. The Texans went on a 25-0 scoring run that was capped by the game's most bizarre play.

Ball broke a pair of tackles and ran for 14 yards before Cuero forced him to fumble. Teammate Cayden Heatly, following on the play, scooped up the ball and ran the final 12 yards for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass from Stoever to Jack Riser gave the Texans their biggest lead.

While Ball took over the offense in the second half, a defense led by linebacker Ty Thames, lineman Shay Shroyer, end Troy Heugly and nose guard Owen O'Neal stiffened. The Texans gave up just nine point in the final two quarters.

"That is what we do," Thames said of his defense. "This is what we work for, and that's the pride we have on this team. Code Red defense. That's what we do."

When Warren gathered his players for a postgame huddle, he said the Texans probably will be underdogs in the championship game. But as they showed in the semifinals, they don't back away from a challenge.

"We've hung our hat on the Code Red defense all year long, and today they got it done when it mattered," Warren said.