ARLINGTON, Texas—One final game of the high school football season will determine the best. Pleasant Grove (13-2) clashes with Cuero (14-1) in the Class 4A, Division II state football championship at 11 a.m. today at AT&T Stadium.
 

The Hawks are the defending state champions and are coming off a 49-14 rout of Iowa Park in the state semifinals. The Gobblers edged Silsbee, 29-24, in their semifinal game. The Hawks are attempting to become the first Texarkana, Texas, team to earn two consecutive championships.
 

"Cuero has been ranked in the top three all year in Class 4A, Division II," Pleasant Grove head coach Josh Gibson said. "They are extremely athletic and very fast. They have one of the best football players in the nation at WR/FS Jordan Whittington. He also plays wildcat QB.
 

"We are extremely proud of our players and coaches. This is a huge accomplishment that these kids have worked extremely hard for. This is our last week together and we are going to enjoy the process one more time on the biggest stage."
 

Quarterback Ben Harmon is the Hawks field general and has thrown for 1,937 yards on 88-of-158 passing with 30 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
 

WB Bruce Garrett leads Pleasant Grove in rushing with 1,796 yards on 243 carries and 17 TDs. James Wiggins has totaled 1,252 yards on 193 attempts and 10 scores.
 

WR Jackson Cobb is the Hawks' top receiver with 25 catches for 568 yards and eight touchdowns. WR Brett Walker is second on the team with 18 grabs for 386 yards and nine TDs.
 

The Hawks are averaging 38.9 points per game and give up an average of 19.3. Pleasant Grove averages 415.3 yards per game—283.9 rushing and 131.4 through the air.
 

One of the secrets to the Hawks' success is the great community support.

"We are enjoying the process: the state send-off with our community here supporting our kids, the trip, playing on national television and just enjoying more time together," Gibson said. "Hawk Nation fans are awesome. We are truly blessed. We have the best fans in the state and they are so supportive throughout the week by serving breakfast, decorating cars, locker rooms, hotels, etc. If there is a need it is going to be met with top-notch service. On game days, Hawk Nation travels very well and our fans are loud. We couldn't ask for more."
 

Pleasant Grove gives up an average of 135.9 yards of passing and 144.9 rushing yards per contest. Cuero averages 50.5 points and 406.2 yards per game (251.7 rushing and 154.5 through the air).
 

Chance Albrecht is the Gobblers' leading rusher with 1,524 yards on 190 totes and 30 touchdowns. Kieran Grant is not far behind teammate Albrecht with 1,410 yards on 164 carries and 25 touchdowns.
 

The aforementioned Whittington has racked up 512 yards of rushing on just 31 carries and nine scores. He has also caught a team-high 46 passes for 905 yards and 12 TDs. D'andre Lang is second on the team with 31 receptions for 602 yards and eight touchdowns.
 

Micahel Barta throws the passes for Cuero. Barta has hit on 104 of 155 attempts for 2,098 yards and 25 TDs with seven interceptions. Albrecht, Grant, Whittington and Barta are all seniors.

The Black Hawk defense will try to slow down the Gobblers' offense. Tyler Kelley leads Pleasant Grove in interceptions with eight, while teammate Kamren Woods has six. Ryan Pickelman has made four interceptions. Bladen Reaves is the Hawks' leading tackler with 130 stops. Nick Martin has made 128 tackles, Caleb Hemphill 110, Kelley 92, and Pickelman 79. Pleasant Grove uses its front defensive three—Jaime Lewis, Marcus Burris, and Cameron Weekly—to help direct runners into the arms of its four linebackers.
 

"Playing a clean game and not beating ourselves is key," Gibson said. "We need to contain Cuero and not give up the big plays. We need to continue to play physical and put pressure on Cuero on both sides of the ball. Special teams have been huge for us and we need to win the battle in that phase of the game as well."
 

The Hawks have won nine straight games, while Cuero comes in with a 13-game win streak.

The game will be broadcast on KTRG, 94.1 FM, starting at 10:30 a.m. with a pregame.