Hawley’s Historic Run Ends a Win Shy of a state title

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Brooks brothers proved to be too much for an injury depleted Hawley Bearcat squad in the 2A Division I state championship. They scored five of the Comanches seven touchdowns in a 47-12 victory to earn their second consecutive state title.

Doug Brooks ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries while younger brother Dalton picked up 196 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries to help Shiner pull away from Hawley in the second half.

Doug Brooks dances into the end zone for Shiner

“Shiner’s a good ball team, I don’t have to sugarcoat that,” said Hawley head coach Mitch Ables, who has led the Bearcats to eight of the 11 playoff appearances in program history. “I’m extremely proud of our guys. We didn’t have any quit in us. They’ve been like that all year. We fought through injuries and these guys fought all the way to the final buzzer and I’m extremely proud of them.”

The Bearcats fell behind 7-0 on Dalton’s first rushing touchdown in the first quarter but got right back in it after Will Scott recovered a fumble. Diontay Ramon scored from 49-yards out on the next play to pull the Bearcats within 7-6 after a blocked extra point. That would be the high point of the Bearcat rushing game, however, as Ramon only picked up one yard on his other nine carries in the contest.

Hawley sophomore Diontay Ramon runs for a 49-yard touchdown

Brooks scored again to make it 14-6, but Hawley used the passing game to get closer once again. Rodey Hooper hit Aeneas Segura for 25 yards, Chandlin Myers for 27 yards and finally Scott for a four-yard touchdown on a great catch in the corner of the end zone to make it a 14-12 ballgame. Hooper threw for 123 yards and three interceptions in the game. Segura was his top target, making five grabs for 50 yards

Will Scott catches a second quarter touchdown

The Bearcats were close to keeping it a two-score game heading into the halftime break, but Doug Brooks broke loose for a 28-yard sixer to give Shiner a 21-12 advantage.

Ables said, “It was huge. It was a dogfight in there and to give up a touchdown was just a back breaking kind of deal. We felt like still going in we had a chance but the ball didn’t bounce our way.”

The Comanches turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, starting with an interception by Ryan Peterson on the Bearcats first drive of the third quarter that set Shiner up with good field position at the Hawley 33. Dalton Brooks found the end zone from ten yards out eight plays later to give Shiner a 28-12 lead.

That would be the score after three quarters but Shiner continued to wear Hawley down with the ground game to put the game away in the fourth quarter. The Comanches rolled up 419 yards on the ground and limited the Bearcats to just 41 yards rushing and 164 yards overall.

“They (the Brooks brothers) are special,” said Ables. “I watched a little bit of film and I’d have to turn it off and get some TUMS and watch a little more and watched a little more and had to get some more TUMS. They’re dynamic. They’re special and they’re hard to tackle. They’re good football players. They’ll be playing on Saturday one day and maybe Sunday before you know it.”

Despite the loss, the Bearcats will hold their heads high after completing the best season in program history. Segura said, “I’m proud of every one of them. They fought to the end in every game. The last four or five games have been to the very end and we stayed together in the face of adversity.”

Ables added, “We’re going to get back in the locker room with our guys and probably cry a little bit and hug a little bit. These guys, this senior class, they set something to strive for. Hopefully this is something we can build on and hopefully you’ll see us again next year and we’ll be in the other press conference.”

Hawley will lose some key leaders like Segura, Corley Williamson and Kyle Nichols, but many big-time weapons like Scott, Hooper, Diontay Ramon, Kason O’Shields and Austin Cumpton will be back. “The future is bright,” said Segura. “The sky is the limit. They can be back here next year and the year after.”