Michael Norris / Amarillo Globe-News Bushland receiver Crockett Gillmore grabs a high pass as Crane defender Alex Shetter defends Dec. 5 during a quarterfinal playoff game won by the Falcons. Gillmore scored a touchdown on the play. Bushland faces Daingerfield today for the state title.

If the Bushland Falcons are to win a state championship in their first appearance in a title game, they will have to do it against a Daingerfield program that is going for its fifth title overall and second in a row.

The teams that will play for the Class 2A Division II title at 6 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls are virtually a mirror image of each other.

Each runs a spread offense and uses a three-man defensive front with five linebackers and three in the secondary.

''They have tremendous speed and quickness,'' said Falcons head coach David Flowers. ''We probably haven't seen that kind of speed this season.''

The Tigers are old hat in the playoffs. They are 68-27 all-time, including 11-straight playoff wins the last two seasons. Bushland is playing its eighth playoff game and is 5-2 thanks to five straight wins this year.

These are two of the highest-scoring teams in the state. Daingerfield enters with 629 points, averaging 41.9. The Falcons have scored an all-time, single-season Panhandle-area best 753 points, averaging 50.2.

In 15 games, the Tigers have allowed 141 points (9.1 per game), while Bushland has allowed 160 (10.6). The Falcons have surrendered 62 in the last two games.

What stands out most about the Tigers is their defense. They allow 84 yards per game rushing and 53.6 passing (137.6 overall).

Bushland enters with more than 7,400 yards total offense, averaging nearly 500 per game. It figures to be a huge test for the Falcons to move the ball consistently and put points on the scoreboard.

The fact these teams are meeting for the title is not a huge surprise. Texas Football Magazine picked this matchup in its annual publication that hit the newstands in August. They picked the Tigers to come away with their second straight championship, and according to the Harris Ratings, Daingerfield is a 7-point favorite.

The Tigers returned more than 30 players from last season's team, including seven offensive and six defensive starters.

Tigers' second-year head coach Barry Bowman said his team had numerous goals this season, including a deep playoff run.

''Our first goal was to get through a rugged nondistrict schedule,'' he said. ''We play some very good teams early and we wanted to build confidence.''

They did that in going 4-1, losing only to Gilmer, the Class 3A Division I state champion for the second year in a row.

They haven't lost since.

''Our next goal was to win our district,'' Bowman said. ''When we did that, we just wanted to take it one game, one week at a time in the playoffs.''

After going 9-2 and 10-1 the past two years, Flowers knew his team had a chance to be successful this season.

Bushland returned more than 20 seniors and eight starters on each side of the ball.

The Falcons lived up to the preseason hype.

They didn't play a close game until two weeks ago when they got past Crane, 35-28, in the state quarterfinals. That was followed by last week's 42-34 win against Callisburg in the state semifinals in a game that could have gone either way.

''The deeper you go in the playoffs, the better the opponent is,'' said Flowers. ''And this final one is simply a great team.

''If we can get off to a good start and keep the game close entering the final quarter, I think we will have a chance.

''Of course we'd love to get out in front early and pull away, but you can't count on doing that against a team as good as Daingerfield.''

How They Got Here

Daingerfield (14-1)

Date Opponent Result

Aug. 28 Atlanta 21-14

Sept. 4 at Omaha Pewitt 46-0

Sept. 11 Celina 27-13

Sept. 18 at Commerce 41-0

Sept. 25 at Gilmer 20-43

Oct. 9 Hughes Springs 35-6

Oct. 16 Linden-Kildare 35-8

Oct. 23 at Jefferson 27-6

Oct. 30 Ore City 58-0

Nov. 6 at Queen City 69-0

Nov. 13 New Diana 68-14

Bidistrict

Nov. 13 New Diana 68-14

AREA

Nov. 20 Garrison 56-7 REGIONAL

Nov. 27 East Chambers 64-14

Quarterfinal

Dec. 5 Newton 27-6

Semifinal

Dec. 12 Refugio 35-10

Bushland (15-0)

Date Opponent Result

Aug. 28 Lubbock Cooper 48-9

Sept. 4 Perryton 48-21

Sept. 11 at Borger 52-7

Sept. 18 at Stratford 35-9

Sept. 25 Floydada 55-0

Oct. 9 at Sanford-Fritch 49-0

Sept. 16 Spearman 62-7

Sept. 23 at Panhandle 63-8

Sept. 30 River Road 48-14

Nov. 6 at Highland Park 62-0

Bidistrict

Nov. 13 Floydada 48-6

Area

Nov. 20 Post 44-7

Regional

Nov. 28 Henrietta 62-10

Quarterfinal

Dec. 5 Crane 35-28

Semifinal

Dec. 12 Callisburg 42-34

Starting Lineups

Daingerfield

Offense

Pos. Player Wt. Yr.

QB Tyler Boyd 180 Jr.

RB KoKo Smith 170 Sr.

Rec Keyarris Garrett 185 Jr.

Rec Joe Lafayette 175 Sr.

Rec Chris Jones 170 Sr.

Rec Floyd Chism 180 Sr.

T Shayvion Hatten 255 Jr.

G Pete Moore 245 Sr.

C Keaton Smith 205 Sr.

G Jesse Hanson 245 So.

T Donald Bryant 230 Jr.

Defense

Pos. Player Wt. Yr.

E Chris Robertson 190 Sr.

N Josh Nielson 215 Sr.

E Kane Holloman 225 Sr.

LB Joe Lafayette 175 Sr.

LB Billy Walker 175 Sr.

MLB Steve Edmond 240 Jr.

LB Josh Evans 190 Sr.

LB Scott Irvin 170 Sr.

CB David Mims 165 Jr.

S Garrett Hughes 180 Sr.

CB Aaron Lewis 155 Jr.

Bushland

Offense

Pos. Player Wt. Yr.

QB Brett Wilhelm 180 Jr.

RB Caleb McGuire 165 Sr.

Rec Michael Matthews 210 Sr.

Rec Crockett Gillmore 230 Sr.

Rec Travis Latham 180 Sr.

Rec Thomas Cleveland 145 Sr.

C Colton Blessen 205 Sr.

G Caleb Mendoza 210 Sr.

G Michael Welch 245 Sr.

T Brennan Chapman 230 Jr.

T Brett Sickles 240 Jr.

Defense

Pos. Player Wt. Yr.

E Crockett Gillmore 230 Sr.

N Brennan Chapman 230 Jr.

E Brett Sickles 240 Jr.

LB Caleb McGuire 165 Sr.

LB Tyler Moore 155 Sr.

LB Garry Walsmith 170 Sr.

LB Caleb Mendoza 210 Sr.

CB Cameron Kleinschmidt 145 Sr.

CB Mason Harris 170 Jr.

S Thomas Cleveland 145 Sr.

S Michael Matthews 210 Sr.

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Directions, please

# Here's How to get to Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls: From Amarillo, take U.S. Highway 287 through Clarendon, Childress and Vernon. Exit 287 at FM 369 about eight miles from Wichita Falls. Stay on 369 and it will lead you directly to the stadium.Up Next

# The Game: Bushland Falcons (15-0) vs. Daingerfield Tigers (14-1), Class 2A Division II state championship, 6 p.m. today, Wichita Falls' Memorial Stadium.

# Radio: KPUR (107.1-FM) and TSRNsports.com, 5:45 p.m.

# Follow the game with a live blog from Amarillo Globe-News sports editor Lance Lahnert and sports writer Lee Passmore HERE. See Sunday's edition of the Globe-News and amarillo.com for coverage by sports writer Les Giles and photographer Michael Norris.