New Diana’s Season Ends Against Gunter, 62-13

ROYSE CITY – Defending state champion Gunter put on a clinic in all three phases on Friday night.
Now, the Tigers’ win streak stands at 30 games and counting.
Jumping ahead early, Gunter blasted its way to the state semifinals with a dominant 62-13 win against New Diana at Royse City ISD Stadium in the Class 3A, D-I, R-II final.
Gunter moves to 14-0 on the season a year after taking the state title with a spotless 16-0 mark. New Diana’s season wraps up at 10-4 with a trip to the state quarterfinals for the first time since the early 1970s.
With its machine-like offense, Gunter capitalized on New Diana miscues in the first quarter, jumping to a 21-0 lead using short fields each step of the way. Zach Lowe had two scores and Dylan Jantz had two first-stanza scores and the Tigers took a 24-0 lead into the second on a 40-yard boot from Evan Gonzalez.
New Diana was picked off twice and lost one fumble in the first quarter.
Jantz hit the hat trick early in the second quarter before New Diana got its first traction of the night, marching to the Gunter 21 before a 29-yard field goal attempt with the Eagles down 31-0 missed wide right.
Braiden Clopton got his first of three scores on the night and Lowe added his second to put Gunter ahead 45-0 at the break. The Tigers had 217 yards to the Eagles’ 49 at intermission.
For New Diana, Jackson Sampson finished with 204 passing yards and had two-second half touchdown passes, one to TJ Rogers for 38 yards and the second to Dennis Drennon on a nine-yard hook up late in the fourth quarter.
Clopton had two third-quarter scores and Gonzalez added a second field goal in the second half for Gunter, who stands two wins away from a repeat title season.