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Gordon HS wins state title after devastating tornado
Gordon High School is now a three-time state champion. The Longhorns defeated Rankin High School 69-22 for a 1A Six Man state title. The win comes just months after a tornado destroyed their football field.
ARLINGTON, Texas - A North Texas high school football team is celebrating a state championship despite a tornado destroying their school’s football field.
The Gordon Longhorns had only one home game during the season as their community worked to rebuild.
Gordon State Champions
What's new:
Gordon High School defeated Rankin High School at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday for a Conference 1A Six-Man Division 1 state title.
The Longhorns dominated the Red Devils throughout the game. A 44-yard rushing touchdown late in the third quarter sealed the deal for a final score of 69-22.
This is Gordon's third straight state title.
What they're saying:
"It feels great, ma'am, to win three in a row. That's something crazy to do," said quarterback Hudson Campbell.
Gordon Tornado
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Gordon ISD students return to tornado-damaged campus
The first day of school on Thursday marked a fresh start for students in Gordon, about 65 miles west of Fort Worth. Last spring, an EF-1 tornado damaged the main school building and the athletic fields. The district was forced to end the school year early.
The backstory:
In May of this year, an EF-1 tornado tore through the town of Gordon, which is located about an hour west of Fort Worth in Palo Pinto County.
Dozens of homes were destroyed. The high school was also badly damaged. The twister took out all of the athletic facilities, including the football field.
But the community came together to rebuild. And about a month ago, the football team played its first and only home game at the district’s newly built football facility.
The district went all out for that final game of the regular season, celebrating both homecoming and senior night.
The Road to Victory
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Gordon High School Football heads to State Championship
Seven months after a tornado tore through the small town of Gordon, their high school football team is now headed to the Texas State Championship.
FOX 4 has covered the town's struggle to rebound, including how its student athletes journeyed forward despite all odds.
What they're saying:
"It's just surreal. You can't find an adjective for one that would describe it. But we are appreciative of everything FOX 4 has done for us and our family and helping our community move forward," said Head Coach Mike Reed.
On the bus Wednesday morning, Coach Reed said he was hoping for a positive outcome for his team because of how much adversity the players overcame.
"I think it's molded us and brought us to an even tighter bond, of what family is already there. And I think as you go through the journey of life, it's really those hard times that really solidify you and make you stronger. So I'm pretty confident the team that is going to be rolling into AT&T Stadium is going to be one of the greatest teams to ever roll in there because of the story. It has molded us and solidified us together," he said.
The Source: The information in this story comes from live coverage of the game and interviews with the head coach.