District coaches break down Hawley/Cisco rematch
Photo: Gary Stennett
Photo: Cinco_Cinco_Productions
Although a majority of the Big Country is excited to see it, district rivals Hawley and Cisco meeting in a playoff rematch is not as rare as you may think. The Loboes and Bearcats are one of nine games this week featuring district foes meeting again. The first time Hawley won a 36-33 thriller to clinch the district title. This time around the stakes are quite a bit higher with the regional title and a trip to the state semifinals on the line.
As I thought of a way to preview this highly anticipated contest set for Friday night at 7 at ACU, I figured who better to break down the contest than the coaches of teams the two had played this season? So a big thank you goes out to Colorado City’s Monty Leaf, Stamford’s Britt Hart and Winters’ Matt McCarty for their time in helping take a look at this matchup of great teams. Cisco beat Colorado City 54-0, Stamford 47-14 and Winters 60-6 while Hawley knocked off C-City 61-7, Stamford 32-0 and Winters 60-6.
OFFENSE
The Loboes and Bearcats are both potent offensively, but put points on the board in different ways. Cisco is a ground and pound running attack, for the most part, while Hawley is balanced and very good at both running and passing. Cisco averages 35.8 points per game, Hawley checks in at 40.5. The Loboes are averaging 397.5 yards per game, 290 of those on the ground, while the Bearcats are barely better at 398.9 yards per contest – 216.3 passing and 182.6 rushing.
Photo: TexPix.com
Hunter Long runs the show for Cisco and is beating or close to matching his ridiculous numbers from his junior year. He has thrown for 1,388 yards and 19 touchdowns (with just two interceptions) and run for 2,024 yards and 26 scores. Trent Huston has topped the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season at running back with 1,021 and 15 touchdowns, and Cade Gayle is the top pass catching threat with 30 grabs for 652 yards and ten touchdowns. The Loboes offensive line, a bit of a question mark entering the season due to losses from graduation, has improved as the season has gone on.
Photo: Big Country Blitz
Hawley attacks you in a number of ways, but the tone setter is running back Austin Cumpton. He missed this game last season due to injury and has picked up 1,719 yards and 33 touchdowns so far this year on the ground. Rodey Hooper has topped his numbers from a year ago and been very efficient, throwing for 2,691 yards and 29 scores against just six interceptions. He has a great quartet of receivers to throw to as well in Diontay Ramon (41 rec, 922 yds, 9 TD), Chandlin Myers (33 rec, 604 yds, 7 TD), Will Scott (36 rec, 624 yds, 7 TD) and Kason O’Shields (29 rec, 495 yds, 7 TD).
Leaf: “Cisco is a line it up and mash your face off offense. If you can’t match it, it sucks to be you. They’re so big and physical. Hawley has the ability to pound you but they have skill kids that can spread you out and put your defense in a bind. They can empty your box because of the receiver threats and the tailback is a stud. It's pick your poison."
Hart: “Cisco is known for their ground and pound and controlling the clock. Hunter Long is a difference maker. Just when you think he’s going to run, he’ll throw. He’s got a great arm and is accurate. He makes Cisco tougher to defend.”
McCarty: “Hawley can move the ball any way they want with Austin Cumpton back there. There aren’t many kids in 2A with that kind of size and speed. With all the wide receivers they have you can’t just zero in on one. Cisco has the size advantage and it all runs through Long. They have good running backs, a big tall tight end and a fast receiver in Cade Gayle.”
DEFENSE
Both teams excel on this side of the ball as well. The Loboes give up 13.1 points per game, 11th best in the state in 2A Division I, and Hawley allows just 9.2, fourth best in 2A D1. The most points Cisco gave up in a game this year was the 36 Hawley scored, and the same is true for the Bearcats, who gave up a season-high 33 to Cisco. Hawley pitched three shut outs and held eight opponents to single-digits, while Cisco has two shut outs and limited five teams to under ten points.
Photo: Cassie Gang
Hart: “Hawley’s defense is built to stop the run and pass. If they can get a couple stops, keep Long contained and eliminate the big play it will be a great game for them.”
Leaf: “Both teams are fast to the football. They’re both physical and Hawley may be a bit more athletic.”
McCarty: “Cisco is solid defensively in everything they do. They have the bigger kids but Hawley has a ton of speed on defense. Having Diontay Ramon at end makes it hard to throw over him. He can pass rush and the smaller linemen shoot the gaps and make plays that way.”
Photo: Big Country Blitz
SPECIAL TEAMS
This one is a bit of a question mark because of the status of Hawley’s Kason O’Shields. He played last week against Sonora but did not handle extra point duties, which he has done so well over his career. O’Shields stars at many special teams positions, along with receiver and safety, and him being completely healthy would give the Bearcats a bit of an edge in this department. He did return a kickoff 55-yards against Sonora and pick off two passes on defense.
For Cisco, Gayle has returned a punt for a touchdown, Long averages a respectable 37.1 yards per punt and returns kicks sometimes and Julius Profitt has gone 16-20 on extra points since taking over kicking duties five weeks ago.
Hart: “Assuming O’Shields is healthy he is just one more weapon they have. He’s a tremendous football player. He is a threat on the edge on offense, he eliminates the deep threat at safety on defense and he can also kick a 40-to-45-yard field goal. If he’s healthy it gives Hawley a better chance.”
Leaf: “It always boils down to special teams in a game like this. It’s not like O’Shields is a great athlete that they put at these positions and he does alright—he’s the best in the district in all the positions he plays.”
McCarty: “O’Shields can sway this game one way or another.”
Photo: Big Country Blitz
COACHING
Cisco’s Kevin Stennett is 32-9 with three trips to the quarterfinals since taking over for Lobo legend Brent West. Mitch Ables has turned Hawley from a laughing stock with three playoff appearances in 46 seasons before he took over to a program enjoying its ninth straight postseason trip and coming off its first state title game appearance a year ago. His record is 94-22.
Hart: “I think it’s going to be a really good game. Both teams are extremely well-coached. It’s going to be a back-and-forth battle with tremendous athletes on both sides. I like both coaches, they’re friends of mine and will have their teams well prepared. They’ll do what they do on offense and defense. They probably have some trick plays they haven’t used yet you may end up seeing as well. It’s going to be a physical football game.”
Photo: Big Country Blitz
REVENGE?
Cisco knocked Hawley out of the playoffs 54-20 in 2020 in the third round and the Bearcats got back at them with a 17-14 quarterfinal victory at Shotwell Stadium last season. Now Hawley, thanks to the win in the regular season finale, has won two in a row over Cisco. The old saying goes it’s hard to beat the same team twice, but looking at the numbers from recent playoffs, it’s not the case. There were 20 rematches in the quarterfinals of the 2021 UIL playoffs and the same team won 17 times. The same team won 12 of the 16 playoff rematches in 2020. We already have one rematch winner in 2022 thanks to Happy’s victory over Nazareth for the second time this year in the 1A Division 1 playoffs last week.
PREDICTIONS (OR LACK THEREOF)
The coaches I talked to for this story declined to make a pick, mainly because they have to line up against both squads again next season in District 4-2A Division I play. But they all think it will be another outstanding game that comes down to the wire.
Leaf: “I’m staying away from a prediction. I could see either team winning. It should be a very close ballgame that will come down to execution.”
Hart: “Whoever wins it has got a really good shot of getting to the state finals.”
