Hamilton (13-2) vs. Joaquin (11-4), 7 p.m. Wednesday at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium

We've got two UIL State newcomers kicking off the 11-man slate Wednesday night. 

Hamilton’s making its first trip since it began playing football in 1914.

After finishing third in district, Joaquin has gotten red-hot in the playoffs and its also making its first state appearance after falling in the state semifinals a year ago. The Rams have been playing continuously since 1939.

Hamilton emerged out of a wide-open Region II for the second straight season to take care of Stinnett West Texas in the state semifinals, 28-12.

The Hamilton defense was on the field for much of the first half, but they held their ground and made some key defensive adjustments in the second half to make life difficult for WTHS.

Holding a tenuous 7-6 halftime lead, RB Halston Haile kicked the Hamilton offense into high-gear by running for 201 yards and two scores in the second half. QB Carson Roberts threw for 162 yards and two scores.

The key play in the third quarter came when DB Colton De La Garza picked up a Comanches fumble and sprinted the other way for two points to extend the lead to 16-12. Hamilton scored on the next series on a Roberts to Devin Eanes touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a key two-score lead.

Joaquin got to the title game by stunning No. 1 Refugio, 37-28, on the strength of a 30-point fourth quarter outburst that saw the Rams recover an onside kick and a mishandled pooch kick.

Joaquin’s vaunted Slot-T offense simply wore Refugio down in the fourth quarter as Jacob Gatlin’s two fourth quarter scoring runs were the difference; Gatlin ended the night with three touchdown runs and Cooper Bragg ran for two scores.

The key in this matchup is going to be the Hamilton defense as they try and diagnose the Joaquin offense. Last week, Hamilton faced a physical test in trying to slow the West Texas run game with their huge offensive line and a tough-running QB. Joaquin’s Slot-T offense comes at you from all angles with multiple ball carriers, so being disciplined and tackling well will be vital.

Hamilton’s offense should move the ball well, but if the Bulldogs defense can’t get stops, it’ll be a long afternoon. Luckily for Hamilton, their defense - led by freshman LB Easton Marwitz - has been the rock of this team all year and that unit is the difference in what should be a closely contested game.

Stepp’s Pick: Hamilton 34, Joaquin 28

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hamilton

Sr. RB/LB Halston Haile - Last year, Haile watched Hamilton’s state semifinal from a hospital bed with a lacerated kidney. This season, he led Hamilton to its first state championship game in 111 years with 2,446 all-purpose yards and 28 touchdowns, as well as 71 tackles on defense.

Sr. WR/DB Devin Eanes - Eanes is a ballhawk on both sides of the ball. At wide receiver, the senior leads the team with 1,179 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s a walking house call with 21.4 average yards per catch. At defensive back, Eanes has 78 tackles, 23 pass breakups and 3 interceptions.

Fr. RB/LB Easton Marwitz - Marwitz, the coach’s son, is a freshman with senior-type production. He leads Hamilton with 163 tackles and has added 16 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and an interception. The Bulldogs will rely on this tackling machine to slow down Joaquin’s Slot-T.

Joaquin

Jr. RB/DB Cooper Bragg - If the Slot-T is the devil, then Cooper Bragg is your worst nightmare. The junior has rushed for 1,824 yards and 18 touchdowns. There’s no strategy to escape him, because Bragg has 80 tackles and three interceptions on defense.

Sr. TE/DL Conner Rios - Rios might not play the flashiest position, but you’ll have no problem finding the 6-foot-6, 245-pound senior. The TE is a critical blocker in the run game and a physical mismatch on routes. Rios has 72 tackles and 8 TFL on the interior defensive line.

Sr. QB/MLB Trenton Runnels - Welcome to 2A football, where the starting QB is also the starting MLB. Runnels has only thrown 51 times in 15 games, but he made clutch passes in a comeback semifinal win over Refugio. On defense, he has 89 tackles and 7 TFL.

- Carter Yates

PREDICTIONS

THE PICK