Mart forces four turnovers, holds off Hamlin for Class 2A Division 2 state title
Mart running back Roddrell Freeman rushed for 168 yards and three scores and the Panthers’ defense forced four Hamlin turnovers in route to a 25-20 victory over the Pied Pipers in the Class 2A Division II championship on Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
It was the eighth state title for Mart (13-3) in 12 appearances and a three-peat for the Panthers. Mart has won four championships in the past ten years in five appearances.
The eighth puts Mart into a tie for second all-time in UIL state history (Aledo, Celina, Katy, Southlake Carroll).
“We’ve graduated a lot of talented kids over the past couple of years and have fourteen sophomores on our roster with seven starting on defense and five on offense,” said Mart coach Kevin Hoffman. “It’s unbelievable that we were able to get back here for a third time with this young of a group, but the leadership from our seniors and juniors was phenomenal.”
Early on, Hamlin looked anything like a team making its first trip to the title game.
The Pied Pipers took the opening kick and drove 61 yards in 10 plays. Jevon Williams capped the march with a 10-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 7:33 left in the first quarter.
After Freeman, the game’s Most Valuable Player on Offense, pulled the Panthers to within 7-6 with 59-yard scoring run, Hamlin was on the march again.
Hamlin quarterback Braydin Warner kept the drive alive with a 13-yard pass to A.J. Ramirez on third down. Two plays later Williams took a counter draw 69 yards to the house and the Pied Pipers led 14-6 with 3:08 left in the opening frame.
From there Freeman and the Panthers’ defense took over.
Freeman, a junior, scored on runs of 10 and 6 yards to give Mart an 18-14 lead. The latter came with 59 seconds left in the half and was set up by an interception by Panthers’ defensive back Keishawn Clater.
Hamlin moved the ball, but kept shooting itself in the foot with turnovers. The Pied Pipers outgained Mart 379-363 in total yards, but the Panthers were able to protect the ball.
A Hamlin fumble was recovered by De’Traevion Medlock at the Mart 25 with 10 seconds left in the half.
Defensive MVP Klyderion Campbell’s 33-yard interception return for a touchdown for Mart with 2:06 left in the third quarter looked like it might be the nail in the coffin for Hamlin.
“I knew that he was going to try to throw the ball to number 15,” said Campbell, one of the 14 sophomores on the roster. “I baited him to throw it straight to him then picked it off and took it home.”
But the Pied Pipers wouldn’t go away.
Hamlin drove down to the Mart 7-yard line midway through the fourth quarter only to fumble the ball away. A shotgun snap was mishandled and before a Pied Piper could find the football, Freeman, who doubles on the defensive line, corralled it.
After a short Mart punt, Hamlin was able to score on a 9-yard pass from Warner to Austin Lozano with 2:22 left, but it was too little, too late.
The Hamlin onside kick was recovered by Kyler Martin and the Panthers were able to run out the clock.
“It’s been a goal of mine since I was in the second grade,” said Freeman, who played in his 48th high school football game in Thursday’s championship. “To go to state four years back-to-back has been my dream. This was three and I have one more to go.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 6:43 PM.