It took Travis Hawkins only a week of practice at Rockville High to realize it wasn’t for him.
He was a big-time player who ached for a big-time program. So he asked his mother if he could leave home, move in with his father, and attend Quince Orchard High.
Two years later, Hawkins realized the promise of his adopted school, scoring the winning touchdown as QO defeated Arundel, 36-30, in the Maryland 4A state championship game Friday night at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Taking a short pass over the middle from quarterback Jaron Morrison in a tie game, Hawkins raced away from single coverage for a spectacular 78-yard touchdown reception with 90 seconds left as the Cougars won their second state title in school history.
It was a triumph for QO and for genetics. Hawkins and his half-brother, Thomas Addison, Jr., made the key plays as the Cougars erased a 23-7 deficit in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Addison, a senior tailback, and Hawkins, a junior wingback, acquired their speed from their father, Thomas Addison, Sr., a football and basketball standout at Wheaton High in the early 1980s.
“Yes, speed was my thing. I was pretty quick,” said the 40-year-old Addison. “I guess I passed it on.”
On Friday night, Addison watched his sons spark the comeback against previously undefeated Arundel. Addison ran 18 times for 224 yards, 158 of which came on his final four carries.
“We kept talking about, ‘Pound the rock.’ Just keep running the ball,” said Addison. “In the fourth quarter, I think they got tired. They weren’t flowing to the ball.”
Down by 16 points with eight minutes left, QO (14-0) appeared down and out. Addison had fumbled twice in the second half, just his second and third fumbles of the season.
“I was frustrated,” said Addison. “Coach Mac (Dave Mencarini) grabbed me by the facemask and told me to keep myself in the game, that the team needed me if we were gonna to win.”
The momentum changer happened when Morrison, under a heavy rush, threw a fluttering jump ball across the field in the direction of Hawkins, who came down with it and raced 39 yards. On the next play, Addison burst up the middle 28 yards for a score, then followed with a two-point conversion run off tackle to make it 23-15.
After Arundel went three and out and punted, Addison followed with an 85-yard touchdown sprint, followed by the tying 2-point conversion run by Dawuan Genies with 5:32 left.
That set the scene for Hawkins’ tie-breaking touchdown catch. With less than a minute left, Addison iced it with a 43-yard touchdown run.
The glorious end was in contrast to last fall when Addison’s season was ended by a broken leg. According to Hawkins, Addison is faster on his mended leg.
“I know it sounds crazy, but he’s way faster,” said Hawkins. “Every time he’s gotten past the linebackers this season, he’s been gone. No one catches him.
BY THE NUMBERS
» Last summer, Hawkins ran a 4.42 and Addison a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash.
» Rushing and receiving, Hawkins and Addison accounted for 376 of QO’s 450 yards in the state final. Of those yards, Addison and Hawkins had 296 in the final nine minutes.
» Addison finished the season with 1,599 yards on 182 carries and 22 touchdowns.
