Miles beats Brady to win 7-on-7 state title in West Texas showdown

It’s never a bad time to start a winning streak, and Miles put one together Friday at Veterans Park in College Station to win the Texas State 7-on-7 Tournament Division III championship.

The state title is the first for Miles, and it is believed to be the first state 7-on-7 title in any division for a Concho Valley school.

Miles won all five games in the single elimination championship bracket Friday after dropping two of three pool games Thursday in their second appearance at state.

Miles beat Brady 35-19 in the championship game. To get to the championship, Miles dispatched Flatonia (27-22), Chilton (34-18), Hearne (34-14) and Gunter (34-19).

Miles lost to Stratford and Lexington Thursday, beating only Garrison during pool play.

“We just kept our heads up and kept pushing each other,” said rising junior Devin Medina, who hauled in six interceptions over the weekend. “We came in as a team and came out as a team: strong.”

The Miles squad not only had to figure out a way to start winning but against a field of mostly larger schools.

Miles competes in Class 2A Division II during the 11-man football season, while Flatonia and Hearne are both 2A Division I teams. Gunter and Brady are 3A DII schools. Chilton and Stratford were the only Miles opponents who also compete in 2A DII.

“It was pretty exciting,” Medina said. “Knowing (Brady) was 3A, and we were only a 2A, there was a lot of motivation. They were pretty physical, but we didn’t let that stop us. We just kept going and putting it on them.”

Carson Ellison, an upcoming senior, said the team relied on attention to each play that was in front of them.

“Honestly, I don’t really think we were thinking, I just think we were playing,” said Ellison, whose team was ousted in the first bracket game last year by eventual champ East Bernard. “Everything we’ve gone through as a team, all the relationships we’ve built. ... that brotherly love, that family, is what pulled us through today.”

Both Ellison and Medina said they believe the win will carry over to the fall when the Bulldogs play their third season for head coach Jayson Wilhelm.

“Absolutely, it gives us a new spark,” Ellison said. “It shows how dangerous we really are. As long as we give our quarterback enough time in the pocket on a pass play, we’ve got a chance.”

Miles scored every time it had the ball on offense during Friday’s games. Miles quarterback Hayven Book, who was an All-West Texas selection last year as a sophomore, threw just one interception on Friday after throwing multiple picks in pool play.

"Our receivers stepped up big. They were making plays left and right," said Book, noting the Bulldog passing game has "really improved a lot."

Book said he thought it was a true team effort but that Ellison, Manuel Torres, Cooper Ellison and Jaylen Torres were leaders on the field.

The quarterback said defense played a big part in making the offense look good.

"It all starts with defense; without them, it probably would have been just a back and forth game," Book said.

Others on the team included Jacob Vega, Preston Tapia, Keagan Walz, Dillon Medina, Tanner Wood, Jackson Petillo, Dylan Garza, Eric McFarland and Austin McFarland. The Miles team was coached by Ike Garza and Bubba Ellison.

Brady, which returns a lot of offensive firepower from last year’s team that won two playoff games, lost only to Harmony in pool play, and then to Miles in the title game to finish up its most successful state tournament appearance.

The Bulldogs beat Santa Rosa 25-19, Lexington 27-21 and Crane 41-19 before defeating Harmony 39-27 in the semifinals rematch.

In Division I pool play, San Angelo Central beat Plano 26-24 but fell to Midlothian 19-18. The Bobcats finished with a 20-15 win over Clear Brook to finish second in the pool behind Midlothian, which won all three games.

It is the Bobcats’ 10th appearance in the state tournament and first since 2019.

San Angelo TLCA, making its first appearance at the state tournament, won its opening game Friday, beating Stratford 21-18. The Eagles, however, were ousted from bracket play with a 19-12 loss to Harmony.

Amy McDaniel is a multimedia sports journalist. Send news tips to amy.mcdaniel@gosanangelo.com. Consider supporting West Texas journalism with a subscription to GoSanAngelo.com.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Miles beats Brady to win 7-on-7 state title in West Texas showdown