COLLEGE STATION — The Hitchcock Bulldogs are once again in the championship bracket at the Division II state 7-on-7 football tournament. This time, they are hoping to make a run at the title.
The Bulldogs finished in second place in pool play Thursday, defeating West (42-21) and Bandera (41-27) before falling to pool winner Celina (36-27).
Celina beat Hitchcock in the tournament in 2007 and went on to win the event.
“We faced some good talent in our first two games, but we did a good job taking care of business,” Hitchcock senior quarterback Morris Tuck, said.
“In that third game, we came out focused and played nose-to-nose the whole game with Celina. They just pulled it out in the end.
“But we know Celina is a big powerhouse, so I was real proud of the way we played against them.”
Tuck said the Bulldogs’ intense practice regiment heading into the tournament was a key for their success Thursday.
“We held up well today,” Tuck said. “Practicing in the heat really helped out. It was pretty hot today, but some of the guys were saying it was hotter in practice.
“I actually think we had a slight advantage practicing on our new turf at the school. That surface can get pretty hot. We came out here today playing on grass and it felt 10 degrees cooler.”
This is the third straight season Hitchcock has advanced to the championship bracket in the Class 1-3A tournament.
They haven’t made it past the round of 16 in either of the previous two attempts.
Hitchcock takes on Navasota in the single-elimination tournament beginning at 8 a.m. today at the Penberthy Intramural Fields.
If the Bulldogs win their first three games, they’ll play for the championship at 12:45 p.m. at Kyle Field.
“I feel real good about our chances,” Tuck said. “Today, we were about to focus on pool play and not worry about an elimination game, which was nice.
“Now we can come out in the morning fresh and ready to keep going.”
