Sports

Playoff picture sharpens for Lady Dogs

Playoff picture sharpens for Lady Dogs

Though the Lady Bulldogs dropped a pair of district contests last week in Lipan and at home versus Santo on Friday, they entered this week firmly seated in fourth position with a 6-5 record behind unbeaten in district Lipan at 11-0, second-place Santo at 9-2 and Hico with a 7-4 district record and a head-to-head victory over the Lady Dogs. Four-win Graford, two-win Poolville and winless DeLeon are relegated to wrapping up their regular seasons this week with no hope of a playoff bid.

POSTSEASON SUPERLATIVES:

POSTSEASON SUPERLATIVES: Additional postseason honors have been bestowed upon members of the 2025 2A Division I State Champion Hamilton Bulldogs over the past couple of weeks, with more likely still to come. The Padilla Poll recognized seven Bulldogs with all-state accolades, and the Waco Tribune-Herald recently named 13 of Hamilton’s state champions to the 2025 Super Centex Team. Six Bulldog seniors earned Academic All-State honors as recognized by the Texas High School Coaches Association. Fourth-year Athletic Director and Head Coach Ryan Marwitz was named Coach of the Year by both the Waco Tribune-Herald and Padilla. After leading last year’s 14-1 Bulldogs to the state semifinals for the first time in program history, Marwitz led this season’s 14-2 Bulldogs to a second ever 14-win season and the program’s first state football championship in 111 years. The displayed graphics presenting Hamilton’s most recent postseason football award recipients were designed by HHS Yearbook and Business Teacher Angela Burgan, with photos by Tracy Cox.

THE AVENGERS

THE AVENGERS

Avenging a nine-point road loss to Poolville in the first round of district competition, the Bulldogs bounced back on Friday in Hamilton by railroading the visiting Monarchs by 30 points in a 70-40 shellacking. Three Bulldogs reached double-digits scoring, including seniors Dixon Kellner with 23, Pierce Summers 14 and Grant Bauman 12. The previous Tuesday, the Dogs dunked DeLeon 58-44 on the road with Summers and Bauman leading the charge with 16 points apiece. At 10-4 on the season and 5-3 in district, the Bulldogs sit tied with Poolville in third position in the current District 11-2A standings behind only first in state-ranked and unbeaten in district Lipan and fourth-ranked Graford with a 7-1 district record. Despite playing half the games as most teams in the state due to an VICTORY TAG: Hamilton’s junior varsity red squad improved to 6-3 on the year and 4-3 in district last Friday night with a 5037 home-victory over Poolville in the Larry Eilers Gymnasium. The 13-point win exacted revenge for a first round road-loss to the Monarchs. All eight members of Hamilton’s roster contributed offensively. Eduardo Ramirez led Hamilton with 12 points, followed by Oliver Summers with eight and Thomas “Tag” Gruetzner, pictured netting two of his seven points scored on a breakaway layup. Bryan Ibarra and Jonathan Hurst each bagged six points, including two long range threes by Hurst, and Easton Marwitz chalked five, Cayce Fletcher four and Nathan Hall two in the win. After attempting to avenge a first round loss to Lipan on the road Tuesday, the JV Red Dogs are scheduled to host Santo this Friday at 5 p.m. before traveling to face Hico at 5 p.m. this coming Tuesday.

101 N. Rice
PO Box 833
Hamilton, TX 76531
254-386-3145