Alto’s Mikkah Hackett, Van’s Aphonso Thomas help Mary Hardin-Baylor to NCAA D-III title

Published 9:49 pm Friday, December 17, 2021

Sabine’s Tristan Green

Alto’s Mikkah Hackett was named Most Outstanding Player and Van’s Aphonso Thomas rushed for two touchdowns as Mary Hardin-Baylor broke away after halftime to unseat reigning champion North Central (Illinois) College 57-24 on Friday night to win the NCAA Division III national football title at Tom Benson of Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Cru quarterback Kyle King passed for 445 yards and three touchdowns.



Hackett, a linebacker, came up with two interceptions, including one he returned for 42 yards that set up a field goal in the fourth quarter. Hackett intercepted his second pass of the game on the next NCC drive, leading to an 11-yard touchdown run from Kenneth Cormier, Jr. to put the Cru up 43-17.

Hackett had 10 tackles and added two tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Thomas, who gained 65 yards on 13 carries, scored both touchdowns in the third quarter on runs of 15 and 3 yards as the Cru (15-0) extended a two-point halftime lead. He is from Ben Wheeler and a Van High School graduate.

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Brandon Cunningham kicked a 20-yard field goal, his third of the night, to open the fourth quarter.

Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Hackett picked off a dart from Luke Lehnen on fourth down as the Cru had dropped eight players into pass coverage. Hackett returned the interception, Lehnen’s third and final of the game, 26 yards to the North Central 46, setting up Cormier’s touchdown.

The 24-0 run put Mary Hardin-Baylor in control as it headed to its second national championship and first since the 2018 season.

Defensive tackle Tristan Green from Gladewater who graduated from Sabine High School had seven tackles for the Cru. He also forced a fumble.

King broke Mary Hardin-Baylor’s single-game record for passing yards in a game. The previous mark was 397 yards.

North Central (13-1) opened on a high note with DeAngelo Hardy returning the opening kickoff 93 yards, the longest kickoff return for a touchdown in the history of the National Championship game. The championship game loss broke a string of 24 straight wins for the top-seeded Cardinals.

Lehnen finished 18-for-27 passing for 201 yards and a touchdown. Ethan Greenfield picked up 124 yards on 25 carries and scored from the 1 in the second quarter.

Mary Hardin-Baylor took a 19-17 lead into halftime thanks to a Cunningham 22-yard field goal as time expired. The Cru built a 16-7 lead on back-to-back 19-yard touchdown passes from Kyle King to Brandon King and K.J. Miller in the first quarter.

Mary Hardin-Baylor, which ranks third nationally in scoring (48.3), has outscored their five opponents in the postseason, 185-65.

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Other area players joining Thomas and Hackett on the Cru are defensive tackle Preston Johnson of Tyler who graudated from Tyler High School, quarterback Caden Steubing of Groveton, cornerback Trashawn Adams of Jasper, defensive end Caleb Johnson of Corsicana, offensive lineman Jacob Dailey of Quitman who graduated from Alba-Golden HS, offensive lineman Donovan Barrett of Palestine who graduated from Westwood HS, tight end Kenneth Clark of Diana who graduated from Harleton HS, defensive end Omahri Davis of Commerce, wide receiver Darrell Freeman of White Oak who graduated from Pine Tree HS, offensive lineman Hunter McCall of Lufkin, linebacker Jordan Owens of Overton who graduate from Kilgore HS, linebacker Kale Shaw of Canton, offensive lineman Chris Webb of Longview who graduated from Pine Tree HS, defensive back Airik Williams of Lindale and cornerback Zay Woods of Carthage.

The Cru ends the season with a 15-0 record in 2021, reaching the team’s goal of 20 wins during the 2021 year. This is the Cru’s second national title and third appearance in the NCAA Division III national championship game. The Cardinals close out the season at 13-1 with their 24-game win streak snapped by the Cru.