Cedar Hill Longhorns Continue Their Championship Climb
Exactly a week after winning an overtime thriller, the Cedar Hill High School Football Team ensured that the Class 6A Division II State Semifinals would be decided within four quarters.
The Longhorns (12-1) played a balanced game, overcoming two first half turnovers, in a 27-17 victory over Denton Guyer on Saturday afternoon at McKinney ISD Stadium.
Cedar Hill will play Katy (12-1) at 1pm on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in the UIL Class 6A Division II State Championship Game. The Longhorns will play for their fourth state championship and first since 2014.
The Guyer win was significant, because Cedar Hill lost to the Wildcats (11-3) twice in 2019, including the second round of the playoffs.
Cedar Hill senior quarterback Kaidon Salter, a Tennessee signee, scored three touchdowns – one passing, one rushing and one receiving. He now has 46 touchdowns on the season, including his first touchdown reception of the year.
Salter completed 19 of 25 passes for 190 yards and carried the ball 31 times for 120 yards.
The Longhorns usually have a different senior wide receiver step up, and on Saturday, it was senior Anthony Thomas IV, who had seven catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The Longhorns led 21-10 at halftime and for the second time this season, Cedar Hill had a half of play without a touchdown.
The six points on two Jadon Cardell field goals proved to be instrumental for the Longhorns, who held Guyer on the final drive to a field goal attempt, which was missed.
Longhorns senior Amarian Williams, a Liberty signee, recorded two interceptions, both in the first half, and Jaheim Lowe had a key interception in the second half.
Cedar Hill improved to 5-0 in state semifinal games. They are 3-1 in state championship games.
It will be Cedar Hill head coach Carlos Lynn’s first appearance in the state championship game as a head coach. He was the Longhorns’ defensive coordinator when Cedar Hill won state in 2006, and he won a state championship as a player at Wilmer-Hutchins in 1990.
On Saturday, Lynn won his 80th game as a head coach.
Cedar Hill’s District 6A-11 is now 12-3 in the postseason.