FOREMAN – For the second straight year, Junction City is headed to Little Rock to play for a state title.
Dhante Gibson had a monster evening, racking up 250 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries, as the Dragons downed Foreman 40-20 in the 2A state semifinals Saturday night.
A year ago, Junction City finished as the state runner-up in 3A.
Now the Dragons will try to win their first state title since winning the 2A state crown back in 2014.
The team the Dragons beat for their last state title will also be their opponent next week in Little Rock.
Hazen, the 6-2A champions, beat Mount Ida 42-0 to advance to the championship game.
Junction City (11-2), the 8-2A champions and winners of 10 straight games, rolled up 475 yards of total offense in eliminating the Gators (10-2), the defending 2A state champions.
The Dragons drew first blood by capitalizing on a turnover.
After Jakiron Cook intercepted a pass, Gibson scored on a 19-yard run on the first play of the drive to give the Dragons a 6-0 lead.
Junction City led by the same score after the opening period, but extended their lead in the second quarter.
After the Dragons stopped a Foreman drive at their 27, Junction City again struck with Gibson scoring on a 44-yard run to make it 12-0.
The Gators cut into the Dragons’ lead with Chase Boyd capping a 44-yard drive with a 7-yard run that made it 12-7 with Shea Logal’s extra point making it 12-7 with 2:20 to play in the half.
However, the Dragons answered.
With Gibson shouldering the load with seven carries on the drive, the Dragons scored just before intermission on a 1-yard run by Brady Hutcheson with Jack Smith’s extra point giving the Dragons a 19-7 lead at halftime.
Junction City then padded its lead by scoring on the opening possession of the third quarter.
Cook, who had 93 yards on 10 carries, scored the first of his three touchdowns in the game on a 24-yard run with Smith’s extra point pushing the lead to 26-7.
The Gators drew closer with Boyd scoring on a 1-yard run for his second touchdown of the game to make it 26-13 with 4:48 to play in the third quarter.
Again, the Dragons answered.
Hutcheson, who was 6-of-7 passing for 108 yards, found Kevontae Haynes for 36 yards to give the Dragons a first down at Foreman’s 37.
Staying with their running attack, Cook capped the drive with a 2-yard run to make it 32-13 with 2:08 to play in the third.
Kyren Batey, who had 206 yards on 37 carries, scored on a 9-yard run with Logal’s extra point bringing the Gators to within 32-20 with 21 seconds left in the third.
But that would be as close as Foreman would get.
On the ensuing drive, Cook capped a 34-yard drive with a 4-yard run with Hutcheson’s run on the two-point conversion making the final margin.
Boyd had 83 yards on 17 carries along with his two scores for the Gators, who had 325 yards of total offense.
Haynes caught four passes for 97 yards for the Dragons.