Blitz Picks — State Championship Edition
The final week of the season is here and the Big Country is in the mix for state championships once again.
Jim Ned got the job done in 2020, now Hawley, May and Wesbrook have a shot to end the year at the top of the heap.
Plenty of work goes into a season, especially a 16-game season, so you can only imagine how much time these players and coaches have spent on the field, in the weight room and watching video to get their team to this point. Best of luck to all three as they head to Arlington this week to battle to be the best.
I missed on the Albany/Stratford pick but got the Hawley one right last week to put my season percentage at 79.6.
Season: 375-471, 79.6%
Week 1: 31-41, 75.6%
Week 2: 29-41, 70.7%
Week 3: 30-37, 81.1%
Week 4: 31-41, 75.6%
Week 5: 33-38, 86.8%
Week 6: 23-28, 82.1%
Week 7: 25-31, 80.7%
Week 8: 28-41, 68.3%
Week 9: 31-40, 77.5%
Week 10: 33-37, 89.2%
Week 11: 32-39, 82.1%
Week 12: 24-29, 82.8%
Week 13: 14-15, 93.3%
Week 14: 6-7, 85.7%
Week 15: 4-4, 100%
Week 16: 1-2, 50%
1A DIVISION I State CHAMPIONSHIP
May(14-0) VS Westbrook (10-4) - Wednesday, 11 a.m. - At&T stadium, Arlington
The Tigers are back at Jerry World to try to make a disappointing ending to 2020 right in 2021. Fellow Big Country six-man powerhouse Westbrook stands in their way. The Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in the state since early October, while May has been a force to be reckoned with all season.
Westbrook got past Happy 54-20 in the semifinals to punch the program’s first ever ticket to the state championship game. The Wildcats were just 2-4 after a 56-44 loss to Garden City on Oct. 1, but have won eight in a row since then, including a pair of wins over defending state champ Sterling City, to reach the title tilt.
Photo: Johnna Reynolds/Texas 1A Fan
May had arguably the toughest route to Arlington as they had to get past unbeaten Jonesboro, unbeaten Water Valley and unbeaten Abbott over the past three weeks to get back to the championship game. Abbott proved to be the Tigers closest game of the season and no doubt will motivate them as they prepare for the Wildcats.
Photo: Dency McClure/Texas 1A Fan
While Cedric Ware and Jimmy Roberts have carried the load offensively for Westbrook in the playoffs, the Tigers have plenty of talented players to lean on in Kaden Halk, Avery Williford, Blake Harrell and Damian Salinas to name a few. May has been extremely good at taking the ball away this season, forcing 45 turnovers, 14 they’ve taken back for touchdowns.
Both teams have faced Borden County, Sterling City and Water Valley this season. The Tigers beat the Coyotes 51-6 in week one, Sterling City 104-80 in week two and Water Valley 70-49 in the state quarterfinals, while the Wildcats shut out the Coyotes 48-0 in week two, topped Sterling 60-50 and 44-41 and fell to Water Valley 55-34 back in week four. The Wildcats are certainly battled tested as well, having also faced both 1A Division II state championship representatives in non-district play. Westbrook fell to Motley County 46-30 in week one and to Strawn 68-52 on Sept. 24.
May is in the state championship game for the seventh time. They won it all in 1977 but lost in 1976, 1984, 2013, 2014 and 2020.
THE NUMBERS
How they got here: Westbrook beat Ira 64-14 in bi-district, beat Rankin 86-38 in area, beat Sterling City 44-41 in regionals, beat Happy 54-20 in semifinals; May beat Irion County 68-20 in bi-district, beat Jonesboro 84-55 in area, beat Water Valley 70-49 in regionals, beat Abbott 50-48 in semifinals
Points per game: May 66.8 — Westbrook 53
Points allowed per game: May 24. 1 — Westbrook 28.1
Streak: May won 14 — Westbrook won eight
Photo: Johnna Reynolds/Texas 1A Fan
Key Players
Westbrook
SR Jimmy Roberts: 2 rushing TD, interception return for TD vs Sterling City; 78 yds rushing vs Happy
SR Jeremiah Ramirez
JR Cedric Ware: 212 yds, 9 TD rushing, 7 tackles vs Rankin; 2 TD vs Sterling City; 258 yds, 7 TD rushing vs Happy
SR Shammah Stark: 2 TD passes vs Sterling City; 129 yds, 1 TD passing vs Happy
SO Bo Payne: 19-yard TD reception vs Happy
Photo: Dency McClure/Texas 1A Fan
May
SR RB/DB Kaden Halk: 987 yds, 23 TD rushing; 18 rec, 383 yds, 7 TD; 56 tackles, 4 int
SR RB/DL Avery Williford: 872 yds, 21 TD rushing; 15 rec, 415 yds, 10 TD; 96 tackles
SR QB/RB/LB Blake Harrell 50-82, 1,246 yds, 23 TD passing; 633 yards, 12 TD rushing; 98 tackles
JR OL/DB Damian Salinas: 187 yds, 6 TD rushing; 9 rec, 196 yds, 6 TD; 123 tackles
SR OL/DL Brian Kunkel: 77 tackles; 7 rec, 163 yds, 4 TD
SR OL/DL Kaysen King: 55 tackles, 5 fumble recoveries; 10 rec, 261 yds, 4 TD
THE SPREAD DCTF: MAY BY 13
THE SPREAD SIXMANFOOTBALL: MAY BY 32
THE PICK: MAY
2A DIVISION I State CHAMPIONSHIP
Shiner (15-0) VS Hawley (15-0) - Wednesday, 7 p.m. - At&T stadium, Arlington
Hawley continues to make history as they are in the final game of the season for the first time in program history. The Bearcats gritted out a 19-12 win over Marlin to advance and now get set for their toughest test of the season: defending state champion Shiner.
The Comanches got past Timpson 35-28 last week to reach their sixth state championship game. They are 3-2 in title games, including a 41-28 loss to a different Jones County team (Stamford) in 2013.
Photo: Cody Coil/Big Country Blitz
Hawley continues to thrive on a “next man up mentality” as they lose players to injury. Running back Austin Cumpton has not been able to play the past two weeks, but sophomore Diontay Ramon has filled in very nicely, running for 114 yards and a score against Cisco and going for 141 yards against Marlin. Aeneas Segura has also been a standout in the playoffs as defenses focus on Kason O’Shields. Segura has scored six touchdowns in the playoffs, three rushing and three through the air. The skill position players are the beneficiaries of an offensive line that has been great all season.
The Bearcat defense continues to be one of the best in the state, giving up just over a touchdown per game, and they will be tested by the Comanches. The Brooks brothers, Dalton and Doug, combined for 366 yards and four rushing touchdowns in the win over Timpson (Dalton 243 and a touchdown, Doug, who is 6’0, 265, 123 yards and 3 touchdowns). Dalton, a junior four star recruit with offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Texas and Texas A&M, went for 384 yards and six touchdowns the week before against Refugio, while his older brother Doug racked up 179 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries. The Comanches do not throw the ball very often, as quarterback Drew Wenske has tossed just six passes in their last two outings.
Photo: Cody Coil/Big Country Blitz
THE NUMBERS
How they got here: Hawley beat San Saba 56-9 in bi-district, beat Sundown 40-22 in area, beat Coleman 21-7 in regionals, beat Cisco 17-14 in quarterfinals, beat Marlin 19-12 in semifinals; Shiner beat Harper 76-6 in bi-district, beat Three Rivers 62-7 in area, beat Schulenburg 67-21 in regionals, beat Refugio 55-14 in quarterfinals, beat Timpson 35-28 in semifinals.
Playoff History: First meeting. This is deepest ever playoff run for Hawley. Shiner won 2020 2A D1 championship 42-20 over Post, lost 2013 2A D1 championship to Stamford 41-28, won 2004 2A championship 33-19 over Stratford, lost 2003 2A championship 28-27 to Windthorst, won 1986 3A championship 18-0 over Mart.
Points per game: Hawley 39.5 — Shiner 45
Points allowed per game: Hawley 7.1 — Shiner 11.9
Streak: Hawley won 15 — Shiner won 29
Photo: Cody Coil/Big Country Blitz
Key Players
Hawley
JR QB/DB Rodey Hooper: 167-276, 2,392 yds, 27 TD, 12 int
JR RB/LB Austin Cumpton: 991 yds, 17 td rushing; 2 rec, 44 yds, TD (injured)
SR RB/DB Lawson Bailey: 672 yds, 9 TD rushing; 1 rec, 34 yds
JR WR Kason O’Shields: 50 rec, 722 yds, 8 TD; 193 yds, 1 TD rushing; 68 tackles, 7 int, 5 pbu, 2 ff, 1 fr
SR WR/DB Aeneas Segura: 42 rec, 647 yds, 9 TD, 29 yds, 3 TD rushing; 45 tackles, 2 int
SO RB/WR Diontay Ramon: 15 rec, 208 yds, 3 TD; 524 yds, 8 TD rushing; 56 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 int, 1 ff, 4 pbu
JR OL/DL Kyle Nichols: 110 tackles, 13 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries
JR RB/LB Hez Parker: 96 tackles, 1 int, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
JR WR/DB Will Scott: 110 tackles, 8 int, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 8 pbu
SR OL/DL Corley Williams: 89 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 int, 1 fumble recovery
Shiner
JR RB/DB Dalton Brooks: 2,208 yds, 33 TD rushing; 954 yds, 13 TD rushing in the playoffs. 234 yds, 1 TD rushing vs Timpson; 384 yds, 6 TD rushing vs Refugio
SR RB/DL Doug Brooks: 1,755 yds, 26 TD rushing; 722 yds, 12 TD rushing in the playoffs. 123 yds, 3 TD vs Timpson; 179 yds, 2 TD vs Refugio
JR QB/DB Drew Wenske: 4-4, 55 yards, 1 TD passing and 46 yds rushing vs Timpson. 0-2 passing, -1 yds rushing vs Refugio. 5-6, 121 yds, 2 TD vs Schulenburg
SR TE/DL Tyler Bishop
SR OL/LB AJ Patek
THE SPREAD: SHINER BY 27
THE PICK: SHINER
