'We weren’t leaving without a trophy': Hitchcock rallies to edge Diboll for state berth

Staring at a nine-point deficit early in their regional final matchup against defensive-minded Diboll, the third-ranked Hitchcock Bulldogs knew they had to fight fire with fire. 

Hitchcock head coach Chris Jordan said it came down to two things for his program.

“We knew defense and rebounding were going to be key for this game,” Jordan told The Galveston County Daily News.

The Bulldogs successfully rallied to topple Diboll 60-52 and capture the Region III-3A championship, the publication reported.

Mark Zuckerberg was an unknown underclassman at Harvard the last time Hitchcock held a ticket to state – in 2004.

The Bulldogs and the Lumberjacks fought it out at Waco's Midway High School, exchanging the lead a dozen times and knotting the contest six.

After falling 22-13 in the second quarter, Hitchcock was jolted by sophomore Damien McDaniel's five quick points and then proceeded on an 8-0 run to take a 30-29 lead at the break, The Galveston County Daily News reported.

The game grew more competitive in the second half as neither Hitchcock or Diboll had a lead of more than four points, the publication reported.

With just a couple of minutes left, the Bulldogs erased a 49-47 Lumberjacks lead on an unmatched 7-0 run to punch their ticket to state.

McDaniel, who led all scorers with a game-high 26 points, couldn't stand the thought of going back home to Galveston County empty-handed.

“We weren’t leaving without a trophy,” the underclassman told The Galveston County Daily News. “Since the beginning of the season, coach Jordan has been stressing working hard, effort, physicality and we’ve been doing it all season.”

Seniors Christian Dorsey and Aaderius Blanks combined for 20 points to complement McDaniel's superb evening.

Next up for Hitchcock is a matinee matchup against San Antonio Cole, Shaquille O'Neal's alma mater, in the Class 3A semifinals at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 10 at 3 p.m., the Houston Chronicle reported.

The Hitchcock-Cole victor will face the winner of the Wichita Falls City View-Dallas Madison matchup in the state title game on March 12 at the same gym.

For the Bulldogs, they hope their third trip is the charm.