Dumas had a Jekyll and Hyde performance during the Texas 7-on-7 state football championships on Thursday and Friday at Veterans Park in College Station, but when it counted the Demons stepped up and showed what they were made of.
For only the first time in school history, the Demons played for a Division II state championship but in the end fell just short to eventual state champion Hampshire-Fannett 18-0 on Friday afternoon.
The tournament sure didn’t start well for Dumas during Thursday’s pool play. The Demons dropped the first two games falling to Glen Rose 28-21 and getting shutout by Panther Creek 28-0.
After inclement weather delayed the rest of Thursday, Dumas lost its final pool play matchup Friday morning to West Orange-Stark 21-14 leading them into the single-elimination bracket play at 0-3.
However, the Demons rallied by beating Brookshire Royal 20-6 in the first round followed by an 18-7 victory against Graham to get to the semifinals. In the semifinals, Dumas then upended back-to-back 7-on-7 state champion Hitchcock 19-14 punching a ticket to the state championship before running out of gas against Hampshire-Fannett.
“I’m super proud of these guys,” Dumas head football coach Aaron Dunnam said. “We challenged them Thursday night. We had team meeting and an opportunity to sit down and talk about the rough start. We knew we had a new beginning in the bracket play and in the last 24 hours we had the chance to grow and that will do a lot for us heading into August.”
The Sunray Bobcats made a strong showing in their second straight trip to the state tournament. The Bobcats, competing at the Division III level, went 1-2 in pool play with their lone win coming against Honey Grove 14-13.
During Friday’s bracket action, Sunray regrouped getting victories over Tioga 15-14 and Daingerfield 20-12 before falling to eventual state champion Gunter in the semifinals 13-6.
Childress and Muleshoe were also playing at the 7-on-7 state championship at the Division III level.
The Bobcats were making their sixth straight appearance. Childress went 2-1 in pool play nabbing victories over Bartlett 21-7 followed by a wild six overtime win against Miles 41-39.
Childress saw the tournament come to an end in the first round of bracket play losing to Morton 15-6.
Muleshoe, making its first appearance at the tournament, went 1-2 in pool play beating New Waverly 34-6. The Mules dropped their first-round bracket clash o Lexington 13-6 in overtime to end the tournament on Friday.