December 14, 2009
COLLEGE STATION — The 2009 football season ended for the Dawson Eagles at Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M University as the No. 1 state-ranked Lake Travis Cavaliers showed why they have won 45 straight games and two-consecutive Class 4A state championships after posting a 57-12 win over the Eagles.
Turnovers certainly played a role in the loss as the Eagles lost one fumble while suffering four interceptions to a very aggressive and fast Lake Travis defense.
Four of the five miscues turned into 29 points for the Cavaliers who jumped out to a 43-0 lead before Dawson finally got on the scoreboard when Piaget Gauthier caught a 9-yard scoring strike from QB Darian Lazard with 17 seconds left in the second quarter. The two-point conversion was no good leaving the Eagles trailing 43-6 at intermission.
Despite the lopsided score - the Eagles never quit fighting and playing hard.
It was more of the same in the second half as the Cavaliers outscored Dawson 14-6 as Marcus Vaughn scored the lone touchdown for the Eagles on a 9-yard pass from Lazard with 7:41 left in the third quarter. Lake Travis scored on their first possession of the second half to make the score 50-6 before Dawson posted their final points on the board 50-12.
Travis added one more score late in the third to make the final score 57-12 as the Cavaliers played the reserves the rest of the way.
Lazard, despite the four INTs, had 277 total yards to end his season with 2,297 yards passing and 1,306 rushing for 3,603 total yards and 36 touchdowns. The Utah commit leaves the Dawson football program as the leading passer, rusher, total offensive leader, and scoring leader.
For Dawson - it was a season to remember and head coach Eric Wells, his coaching staff, and the players have nothing to be ashamed of for the 2009 football campaign.
Pearland Dawson fans need to remember that there were only four Division I 4A teams in the entire state playing on Saturday, December 12. All the other teams were sitting at home.
Dawson finished with a school-record 12-3 overall record and the first senior class at Dawson has every right to be proud of setting a winning tradition at a new school.
The Eagles have a 16-7 overall record in their first two years of competing at the varsity level and they have never had a losing season. As a first-year junior varsity team in 2007, this current crop of players were 9-1. While a JV record doesn't transfer over to the varsity record - the three-year mark is 25-8 -- which is the foundation for greater days ahead.
The game against Lake Travis had far deeper ramifications when the final buzzer sounded to end the 4A state semifinal contest.
There were emotions that hit the coaches and players that can only be understood by those who have been a part of a close knit team experience.
While others try to express the action of the game -- only those who have experienced the blood, sweat, and tears of banding together, not just as a team, but as a brotherhood -- can fully understand the emotional tears that flowed out of the hearts of the coaches and players when the season finally came to an end.
"I am really proud of these young men," said an emotional Eric Wells. "I hurt with them and hate to see them hurt like this."
Wells certainly understands and can empathize with these young players as he won state championships as a player and a coach.
There were tears from parents who saw their son play his final high school game. While a few of the Dawson players will get the opportunity to play at the next level -- for the majority of the others -- this was it.
This final season will go down in the hearts of these players for the rest of their lives. It will always be a topic of discussion at their 10-year class reunion - and every reunion beyond. These seniors will remember certain plays or games that will never be forgotten as if it was just yesterday.
One thing for sure -- they will never forget each other or the coaches who influenced their lives. They will find themselves recalling certain things a coach said to them during the past three years that will have nothing to do with football - but with important life lessons.
The Dawson Eagles are to be congratulated on a great season! Thank you for all the exciting action and memories that will last a lifetime. You have made all of Pearland proud!