ROUND ROCK, Texas — For the fifth time in six seasons, and after coming just short in 2021, the Mart Panthers are headed to Arlington.
Mart cruised to a 41-14 win against Burton in Thursday’s UIL 2A Div. II state semifinal at Round Rock ISD’s Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.
Burton received the opening kick and went on a nine-minute drive, with Mart making an enormous stop on 4th & short.
Mart’s offense struck quickly on its first few drives, with scoring plays of 46, 79, 64 and 42 yards in the first half to head in to the locker room with a 27-0 lead.
The lead reached 41-0 before Burton scored the game’s final two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
“When you get to the semifinals, which we have now six years in a row, and you don’t get past this game, that feeling is devastating,” Mart coach Kevin Hoffman said after the game. “People remember the teams that get there.”
The Panthers will face Albany in the UIL 2A Div. II State Championship Game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.