ARLINGTON — Halston Haile ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns as Hamilton made every red-zone trip count to beat Joaquin 21-7 Wednesday in the Class 2A Division I state championship game at AT&T Stadium.
Haile’s night carried added weight for a program that made its first appearance on the state’s biggest stage. The senior reflected from a year ago, when a ruptured kidney left him hospitalized and uncertain he’d ever play again.
The Bulldogs (14-2) scored touchdowns on all three of their red-zone possessions and finished with just 214 total yards. But they paired efficiency with timely defensive stops in a game where Joaquin owned the ball for 35:08 and ran 70 plays to Hamilton’s 40.
“We felt good coming in defensively,” Hamilton coach Ryan Marwitz said. “Our defense has done a great job all year.”
Joaquin (11-5) struck first on its opening drive, grinding 65 yards in 14 plays and 7:33. Quarterback Trenton Runnels scored on a 1-yard sneak to cap it. Cooper Bragg and Amarion Wilson set the tone early as Joaquin’s slot-T and counter looks moved the chains. The Rams finished with 262 rushing yards on 63 attempts.
Hamilton answered immediately with a drive that flipped the game’s rhythm. Senior quarterback Carson Roberts found Pierce Summers and Devin Eanes to move the sticks with first downs, then hit tight end Colter Johnson for a 13-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in the first quarter to tie the game, 7-7.
“It’s just very thankful that all these guys’ hard work and all the time that they put in, it pays off,” Roberts said. “So many kids come out and play this great sport.”
The turning point in the first half thanks to Hamilton’s defense. Joaquin drove to midfield early in the second quarter, but Hamilton’s coverage tightened and the Rams turned it over on downs at the Bulldogs’ 46. Marwitz said the group’s confidence never wavered as Joaquin tried to establish its pace.
“We’ve been on them all year,” he said. “I feel like the first quarter, it’s like we got to kind of feel out the offense.”
Given a short field, Hamilton leaned into its identity and its senior back. Haile ripped off runs of eight, six and six yards. Eanes threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to the goal line but had to wait for an official replay, which overturned the original ruling of a complete pass. Two plays later, Haile punched in a 5-yard scoring run at 6:27 of the second to give Hamilton a 14-7 lead.
Joaquin kept coming. The Rams ran 11 plays and reached the Hamilton 26 late in the second quarter, converting multiple third downs. However,. Hamilton’s defense held again on fourth down. Joaquin finished 8-of-14 on third down and 2-of-5 on fourth down. But it missed fourth-down chances, paired with three lost fumbles, kept it from turning long drives into points.
Hamilton delivered the decisive sequence coming out of halftime. Roberts hit Summers for completions of 36 and 24 yards to jump start a 55-yard drive. Haile then scored from a yard out with 9:00 left in the third to push the lead to 21-7. Summers finished as Hamilton’s leading receiver with three catches for 71 yards.
“Carson, you got to trust those guys,” Marwitz said. “Our guys do a good job of giving us time.”
Joaquin twice reached the Hamilton red zone after halftime, but a fumble by Jacob Gatlin at the Rams’ 33 ended one push. Then Hamilton’s pass rush, led by Colter Johnson, slammed the door on another. Johnson had 1.5 sacks for 11 yards and teamed with Kennon Lee on back-to-back sacks late in the fourth when Joaquin drove to the Hamilton 11.
Marwitz pointed to the defense’s knack for changing possessions. “Force three turnovers, got stop(s) on downs inside the red zone,” he said.
“At this time last year I was in a hospital bed,” Haile said. “To be sitting here … winning the state championship, it just doesn’t feel real.”
Joaquin outgained Hamilton 315-214 and had three players over 39 rushing yards, Bragg (106), Wilson (86) and Gatlin (39), but Hamilton’s 3-for-3 red-zone finishing and a final fourth-quarter takeaway sealed it. On Joaquin’s last possession, Wilson fumbled and Johnson recovered with 16 seconds left to trigger the celebration.
Looking around the building, Marwitz said the moment matched the support that followed Hamilton from home.
“Looking out at the stands, it was like the whole town of Hamilton and more showed up,” he said.