SAN ANTONIO - As Abilene navigated its way through the postseason, all defensive eyes have been on the Eagles' star running back, junior Herschel Sims, and rightfully so.
Ronnell Sims stole the show in Saturday's state finals.
File photo by Kyle Kantzler
The budding star has come up with big game after big game to help the Eagles get to the Class 5A Division II championship game. But when the Eagles met Katy in the title game on Saturday at the Alamodome, Sims became the ultimate decoy and his cousin Ronnell was the primary beneficiary.
Ronnell, the Eagles' junior quarterback, exploded for 215 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles' halted Katy's bid for a third consecutive title with a 28-17 win over the Tigers.
The win marked Abilene's seventh state title but their first since 1956. The started the week No. 2 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and finished the season No. 2.
Herschel Sims brought gaudy numbers into the title game - 2,236 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns plus 403 receiving yards and five more scores - and the Tigers made sure to focus on him defensively.
As a result, Ronnell Sims was able to run wild throughout the game, scoring on the third play from scrimmage (47-yard touchdown) and three times for the night to wear the Tigers down.
"We know every team that we play is going to focus on Herschel," said Ronnell, who was awarded the game's offensive most valuable player award. "Luckily, he was a good decoy and I got a lot of touchdowns because of it."
Herschel didn't go without making an impact for the Eagles (15-0). Though limited much of the night, he put the game out of reach with a highlight reel-worthy 60-yard touchdown run that would make Reggie Bush proud. That helped him finish with 105 yards for the night on 13 carries.
When Ronnell (1) wasn't running he handed to cousin Herschel.
File photo by Kyle Kantzler
The Abilene defense served as the Eagles' unsung heroes, holding the Tigers (14-2) to just 314 total offensive yards and 110 rushing yards on 32 attempts. Abilene, meanwhile, rushed for an impressive 326 yards on the day.
Other state title football action:
Class 1A Division II: Cayuga 38, Albany 24
Texas-bound running back Traylon Shead capped off his magnificent career with 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns plus a touchdown catch to lead Cayuga to its first state championship in school history.
Shead senior season ends with his footprints all over the Texas high school record books. He is the state's second all-time leading rusher (10,291 career yards) behind Kenneth Hall and Shead leaves Cayuga as the state's all-time career touchdown record holder with 146 (breaking the mark of 136 set by former Lamar Consolidated star and current Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers in 2007).
And though he turned in a solid performance on Saturday, it was Shead's teammate - quarterback Malcome Kennedy - who stole the show. Kennedy ran for 242 yards and two touchdowns and passed for two more scores in the win over Albany.
Class 4A Division II: Aledo 35, Brenham 21
Cayuga's Traylon Shead may have set the career touchdown record, but Aledo sophomore running back Johnathan Gray is more than halfway there with two more years of high school football left. Gray's success - 32 carries on 252 yards and four touchdowns - led the Bearcats to their second state title as they defeated Brenham 35-21 on Saturday at Darrell K.Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Gray, who has 59 touchdowns on the season (50 rushing, nine receiving) already has 74 career touchdowns in his two years of varsity plays.
Gray scored the Bearcats' (15-1) first three touchdowns in the win over Brenham (13-3) then put the game out of reach with an 89-yard scoring run with 1:36 left.
Class 5A Division I: Euless Trinity 41, Austin Westlake 38
Odd years have been kind to Euless Trinity since the middle of this decade and that didn't change on Saturday.
The Trojans won their third title in five years - but required overtime to do it - knocking off Austin Westlake 41-38.
Euless Trinity has won 5A Division I titles in 2005, 2007 and now 2009.
Lake Travis QB Michael Brewer accounted for two TDs in win.
File photo by Jim Redman
They edged the Chaparrals in a dramatic come-from-behind fashion.
Trailing 38-35 in overtime, quarterback Willie Hubbard hit receiver Brandon Carter for an 18-yard touchdown pass on the Trojan's possession for the win. After catching three TDs in the semifinals, it was Carter's only reception of a game that some were calling one of the greatest title games in state history.
Class 4A Division I: Austin Lake Travis 24, Longview 17
The Longview Lobos largely closed the gap that existed between them and the Lake Travis Cavaliers last year when the teams met for the 4A Division I title (a 48-23 Lake Travis win).
But the result was still the same, even if it was closer. With the win, the No. 21 Cavaliers won their third straight state title and have 46 consecutive wins to their credit.
According to the Austin Statesman, Andy Erickson scored two touchdowns and junior quarterback Michael Brewer threw for two as Lake Travis improved to 16-0.
Other title games:
Colt McCoy had to leave Tuscola Jim Ned just a game short of winning a state title and his younger brother Case McCoy suffered the same fate as McCoy's Graham squad fell to Carthage 13-12 in the Class 3A Division II title. Carthage extends their current winning streak to 29 games with the win. ... According to the Associated Press, Daingerfield made quick work of Bushland as quarterback Tyler Boyd threw five first-half touchdown passes en route to a 62-14 win in the Class 2A Division II championship game.
Sam Khan Jr. is a reporter who covers Greater Houston area high school sports for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach him at sam.khan@chron.com. Senior writer Mitch Stephens contributed to this report.
