Sports is a world of conflicting dichotomies. More often than not, players who perform the best are the ons most focused on team success rather than their own elevation.
The athletes who prove to be the most valuable, are the ones who are willing to do whatever is best for the team.
As Aledo cruised to a 51-8 victory over Smithson Valley for the program’s 12th state championship and second consecutive, the most valuable players on the night were a pair of seniors who’ve made a career out of giving their all in whatever situation the team needed them in at the time.
In his first season at Aledo in 2022, Hawk Patrick-Daniels quickly earned the job as the team’s starting tailback. As a junior he shined coming out of the backfield for the Bearcats on the way to helping capture State Title No. 11.
But, with young Ray Guillory moving into the district at the start of the 2023 and Jalen Pope pursuing his collegiate career at Oklahoma State, what was best for the program was for Patrick-Daniels to spread his wings elsewhere.
His selfless commitment to the team meant surrendering the starting job at running back and moving to wide receiver. With no complaints or arguments to be had, he faced the challenge head-on simply because it was best for the team.
Spending most of the season as a wide receiver and a backup tailback when the time came was as natural a transition from play-to-play as anyone could hope. Patrick-Daniels’ mix of vision, speed, agility, and burst made him a phenom in both positions whenever his number was called.
When Guillory struggled with injuries late in the season, Patrick-Daniels was there. When the young tailback went down for the rest of the year during the postseason with another injury, Patrick-Daniels was there.
One could surmise it is only fitting that a player so willing to do whatever is best for the team, would have his best performance on the grandest of stages.
That’s exactly what he did.
In the state championship, Patrick-Daniels carried the ball 16 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He had touchdown carries of 23 yards, 7 yards, and his longest run of the night was his final touchdown of the game that went for 51 yards. Averaging 11.6 yards per carry for the contest, he solidified his spot as the Offensive MVP of the game.
“It’s amazing,” he said after the game, crediting his blockers. “I can’t do it without my o-line. I gotta give credit to my o-line. Hands down the best o-line. They created holes for me even when it wasn’t possible. I gotta give credit to my o-line for getting me those touchdowns.”
In true fashion, when asked what he credits his ability to successfully make the transition between running back to wide receiver and back to running back while earning an Offensive MVP in the state championship, Patrick-Daniels said, “I gotta give credit to our head coach (Robby Jones). Anything he needs me to do, I’m gonna do it. Wide receiver, running back, defense – anywhere he needs me, I’m there.”
Patrick-Daniels will continue his football career next season as a freshman at Tyler Junior College.
On the other side of the ball, Davhon Keys has been everything the Bearcats needed him to be as their starting linebacker and captain. The biggest game of the year, and the last game of his high school career, was no exception.
Keys had a hand in a dozen defensive stops for Aledo in the final game of his prep career. He stuffed Smithson Valley ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage twice and earned the defense’s only sack of the game.
As if his performance on the defensive side of the ball wasn’t enough, head coach Robby Jones opted to call Keys’ number on a fourth-and-1 from the Aledo 48 with 9:36 left in the third quarter. Keys took the handoff from quarterback Hauss Hejny and powered his way through the line before contacting the Smithson Valley secondary. Churning his legs through the tackle attempt, he picked up several yards after contact before finally being brought down with the use of his facemask after a 9-yard gain that kept the drive alive for the Bearcats.
“Coach Jones has done an incredible job,” Keys said of the head Bearcat. “We’re a rowdy group of teenagers. It gets kind of hard to reel us all in. But, coach Jones did a great job of that and got us to a point where we’re focused on the goal and didn’t slack off.”
After he graduates from Aledo this month - along with Patrick-Daniels - Keys will transition from a Bearcat into a Tiger, as he has committed to play football for LSU next season.
“I’m excited and extremely blessed,” he said of the opportunity to play in the SEC. “The Lord put me in a great position. I’m just going to take advantage of what He gave me.”
All-American Bowl
selections
Keys isn’t quite finished playing high school football as a Bearcat. He announced Saturday via Twitter that he will participate alongside Hejny in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 6, 2024.
The All-American Bowl is a showcase of the top 100 high school players across the nation. That game will air on NBC at noon.
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