When Doug Brooks started playing little league football at age six, he insisted that his one-year-younger brother – Dalton – be allowed to play too. On the biggest stage in Texas high school football, those same brothers came through for Shiner.
On Post’s first drive of the 2A Division I State Championship Game, junior defensive lineman Doug Brooks ripped the ball out of Post QB Slayden Pittman’s hands, ran all the way to the goal line and then handed the ball off to teammate Max Machacek so he could score the touchdown.
“At the beginning of the year, I told the defensive and offensive lines that if I get the chance, I’m gonna give y’all the touchdown,” Doug Brooks said. “I just took my opportunity. They don’t get the credit like they should.”
However, younger brother Dalton doesn’t take a back seat to anyone. Post cut the lead to just two points early in the second quarter, but Brooks knew he had to respond. Dalton earned one of his six carries and took it 18 yards for a touchdown.
The biggest plays of the day came in the third quarter for these brothers. Up just 21-20 over the Antelopes in the third quarter, Doug Brooks broke through the line, blocked a punt and recovered it with his foot just inside the goal line for a huge touchdown. Later, he added a violent stiff arm to his highlight reel that immediately went viral.
“We tell Doug quite often, we’re glad he’s on our team,” Shiner coach Daniel Boedeker said. “He’s a force wherever you put him on the field, offense, defense, special teams.”
Six minutes later, the younger Dalton found the corner on one of his six run plays and took the ball 24 yards for a score against a feisty Post defense. From that point, the blowout was on.
“Making plays, it gives the whole team a boost,” Doug Brooks said. “When I’m on the field, my feelings help towards everyone else’s feelings. If I keep playing hard, everyone else will follow me.”
Doug finished the day with three tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown. Not to be outdone, Dalton led the team with seven tackles and two rushing scores. Naturally, the Brooks Brothers were named Defensive and Offensive MVPs of the state championship game respectively.
The Brooks Brothers name will be remembered in Shiner, Texas, forever. And even scarier? Both will be back for more in 2021.
“They’re not only great athletes,” Boedeker said. “They’re great students, they’re great people, they come from great families. They’re real humble and great young men who mean a lot to a football game because they’re game changers on both sides of the ball. Both of them definitely did that today.”
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