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ALLEN — So many others at Denton Ryan ran out of time. You can’t come back from a playoff loss if you’re a senior, and that’s been the only send-off for those who have graduated from the football powerhouse the last 17 years.

But this year’s senior class had one more chance. Running back Emani Bailey, in his fourth season on varsity, could end his high school career a different way than his predecessors — a different way than his last three seasons ended. The team had an opportunity Saturday to avenge three straight losses in the state semifinals, if it could only get past the top-ranked 5A team in Texas.

Ryan didn’t just break that losing streak, the Raiders destroyed it, beating Frisco Lone Star, 35-7, to advance to the school’s first state championship since 2010.

Many wondered what would happen to undefeated Ryan when it played a team of its caliber. The Raiders answered emphatically. They celebrated after the game by raising a trophy and chanting, “We want all the smoke!“

“We plan to go out and demolish everyone we play,” said Bailey, who had two touchdown runs.

After leading 14-0 at halftime, Ryan broke the game open with a Drew Sanders touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter. A pick-six by Billy Bowman Jr. on the next drive all but sealed Ryan’s state championship berth.

“You play this game long enough, you’re going to get your butt kicked at some point,” said Frisco Lone Star coach Jeff Rayburn, “and that’s what happened today.”

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Lone Star wide receiver Marvin Mims broke the state record for most career receiving yards in the third quarter, breaking the mark set by former Burnet and Texas receiver Jordan Shipley. He finished his career with a five-yard touchdown catch with four seconds left, bringing his career total to 5,485 yards. Those would be the only highlights for Lone Star in a game dominated by Denton Ryan.

Ryan will play Alvin Shadow Creek, last year’s state runner-up, on Friday at 7 p.m. at AT&T Stadium. It’ll be the second time two Denton ISD teams play in the state championship in the same year, joining Denton Guyer, which beat Spring Westfield 35-17 to earn its first trip to the state championship since 2010. Both teams lost that year.

Losing is something Ryan hasn’t done a lot recently. The Raiders are 70-4 since a 5-5 season back in 2014. They have a 50-game regular-season winning streak, but it’s the last game of each season that’s defined Ryan, especially the last three years. Breaking through to the state title game is special, Henigan said, especially after a dominant 28-point victory.

“What a wonderful feeling,” said senior linebacker Ahmad Terry, who had an interception in the first quarter. “We finally got over the hump.”

Once the game was over and the celebration slowed down, Terry’s thoughts turned to someone who ran out of time at Ryan. He got on the phone and FaceTimed his brother Reynal Caldwell, a star defensive back who graduated from Ryan in 2012. Caldwell screamed in joy when he answered, Terry said. He may have been in Colorado, but the two brothers soaked in the moment together.

The two had talked all week about the game’s importance. Caldwell, according to Terry, had some advice for his younger brother.

“He told me if I play my game than nobody can outdo us,” Terry recalled.

Not even the top-ranked team in the state, as Denton Ryan showed on Saturday.

Twitter: @JoeJHoyt

Denton Ryan RB Emani Bailey has been on varsity all four years. Each of his three seasons ended here, at the state semifinals. Year No. 4? He and the Raiders make it to the state final. @SportsDayHS | #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/k7uBktIe3z — Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) December 14, 2019