Hawley falls to defending champ Shiner in 2A Division I state title game

ARLINGTON — Hawley's 2021 season marked the most successful campaign in program history, but it ended with the teams' first loss.

The Bearcats fell 47-12 to Shiner in the 2A Division I state championship game, ending their perfect season. The game got away from Hawley in the fourth quarter.

Shiner outgained Hawley 529-164, rushing for 419 yards as a team.

"They fought all the way until the final buzzer," Hawley head coach Mitch Ables said. "I'm extremely proud of our effort."

Before Shiner pulled away, Hawley kept within striking distance the entire first half.

Diontay Ramon scored a first-quarter touchdown on a 49-yard run and quarterback Rodey Hooper connected with Will Scott on a fade for a touchdown a few minutes later. The Bearcats’ defense forced three fumbles and recovered two.

With time winding down in the second quarter, Hawley trailed 14-12.

But then the Comanches got their spark.

After Shiner forced the Bearcats to punt deep in their own territory, it took the Comanches only three plays to score. Running back Doug Brooks ran for a 28-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left in the half, making it 21-12 at halftime.

“It was huge,” Ables said. “It was just a dogfight in there. It was a backbreaking kind of deal.”

Hawley received the second-half kickoff but could not regain its momentum.

It was all Comanches in the second half. They outscored Hawley 26-0 in the final 30 minutes.

Hawley went for just six total yards in the second half.

Hooper threw three interceptions in the third quarter, and none of Hawley’s backs were able to find holes in the run game.

After Hooper’s efficient first half — during which he completed several fairly deep passes and the fade touchdown to Scott — Shiner’s defense made proper adjustments.

“They knew we were going to start throwing the ball because we were behind,” Ables said. “We got something to build on with Rodey. It’s not a great experience, but it’s good experience — something that will make him grow.”

Defensively, the Bearcats had no answer for the Brooks brothers.

Doug and Dalton Brooks combined for 404 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. They also combined for 74 receiving yards. With 210 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, Doug Brooks was named the game’s MVP.

Ables knew ahead of time how hard it would be to neutralize that duo.

“They’re special,” Ables said. “I watched a little film and I’d have to turn it off and get some Tums. I watched a little more, had to get more Tums. They’re dynamic, they’re special and they’re good playmakers.”

When the clock hit zeros, there were plenty of long faces on Hawley’s sideline — but not Ramon. The sophomore wide receiver went up to his teammates, telling them not to dwell on the loss, but rather, to focus on what the team had accomplished.

“That’s great to see,” Ables said. “We’ve always been positive all year. We try to turn everything into a positive.”

Even after the loss, 2021 was a groundbreaking campaign for Hawley.

The Bearcats had not even advanced the state semifinals. They beat some of the state’s best teams — Coleman, Cisco and Marlin — before losing their only game of the season.

The groundwork is now in place for future success.

“We’re going to get back in the locker room and probably cry a little bit,” Ables said. “These guys set something for us to strive for and we just have to try and talk about that. Hopefully that’s something we can build on, and hopefully you’ll see us again next year.”

Senior wide receiver Aeneas Segura said, “We’ve had a pretty successful last three years, and it just kept building onto how much we wanted it. We worked really hard in the summer, and it paid off.”

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Game summary

► Turning point: With time winding down in the second quarter, Hawley had momentum, until Shiner snatched it right back. Doug Brooks scored on a 28-yard rushing touchdown with 34 seconds left in the second quarter. Shiner scored 33 unanswered points to end the game.

► Player of the game: Doug Brooks, running back/defensive line, Shiner — Brooks, Shiner's 265-pound running back, had a field day. He rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Honorable mention to his brother, Dalton, who ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns.

► Key stat: 419 team rushing yards for Shiner. It's hard to beat any team that rushes for over 400 yards. Hawley had no answer for the Comanches' run game, led by the Brooks brothers.

► Coach Ables said: “We’re going to get back in the locker room and probably cry a little bit. These guys set something for us to strive for and we just have to try and talk about that. Hopefully that’s something we can build on and hopefully you’ll see us again next year.”

► Impact: Hawley falls to defending Class 2A Division I champion Shiner.

Shiner 47, Hawley 12

Hawley ... 6 ... 6 ... 0 ... 0

Shiner ... 7 ... 14 ... 7 ... 19

FIRST QUARTER

SH — Dalton Brooks 3 rush (Ryan Peterson kick), 8:13

HAW — Diontay Ramon 49 run (kick blocked), 2:01

SECOND QUARTER

SH — Da. Brooks 11 run (Peterson kick), 10:07

HAW — Will Scott 4 pass from Hooper (pass failed), 8:24

SH — Doug Brooks 28 run (Peterson kick), 0:34

THIRD QUARTER

SH — Da. Brooks 10 run (Peterson kick), 7:11

FOURTH QUARTER

SH — Do. Brooks 1 run (kick blocked), 11:11

SH — Tyler Bishop 22 pass from Drew Wenske (kick failed), 7:52

SH — Makylin Burchell 7 run (Peterson kick), 3:12

TEAM STATISTICS

.................... HAW ... SHIN

First Downs ... 7 ... 21

Rushes-Yards ... 14-41 ... 52-419

Passing ... 123 ... 110

Comp-Att-Int ... 14-26-3 ... 6-7-1

Fumbles-Lost ... 1-0 ... 3-2

Penalties-Yards ... 9-52 ... 7-68

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Hawley, Diontay Ramon 10-50, Lawson Bailey 2-5, Kason O'Shields 1-(-2), Keagan Ables 1-(-14). Shiner, Doug Brooks 16-210, Dalton Brooks 31-194, Drew Wenske 3-10, Makylin Burchell 1-7, TEAM 1-(-2).

PASSING: Hawley, Rodey Hooper 14-26-123. Shiner, Drew Wenske 6-7-110.

RECEIVING: Hawley, Aeneas Segura 5-50, Chandlin Myers 3-50, Kason O'Shields 2-14, Will Scott 4-9. Shiner, Dalton Brooks 3-63, Tyler Bishop 2-36, Doug Brooks 1-11.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Hawley Bearcats fall in state title game against Shiner