Maliek Hawkins just ended up in the right place at the right time on Thursday night.

With his Emerson Mavericks trailing Frisco Reedy 7-0 in the second quarter, Hawkins corralled a blocked punt near the sideline and rumbled 13 yards to paydirt. That provided all the spark the Mavericks would need in an eventual 21-13 triumph.

And after the game, the four-star defensive back and Oklahoma commit had to think long and hard to recall the last time he found himself in the end zone.

"Uh... middle school," he laughed.

"Aye, that's 'cause of me, though!" proclaimed a voice from the background.

That voice belonged to 2025 LB Agape Lawrence, the two-time Defensive MVP of the district. And indeed, it was Lawrence that had managed to get a hand on the ill-fated punt.

"I was finna say, that's 'cause of him, for real," remarked Hawkins. "Because I was supposed to be the block guy, but they started picking up on me. He came scot-free."

And the blocked punt wasn't the only contribution that Lawrence made on Thursday. Despite sitting out the entire second half with a minor injury, he racked up an unofficial tally of 15 tackles... before the intermission. Lawrence is perhaps generously listed at 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, but his modest stature hasn't prevented him from becoming one of the more productive linebackers in the Lone Star State throughout his varsity career. As a junior in 2023, he racked up an astonishing 170 total tackles, 102 of which were solo tackles.

Those numbers, in conjunction with Lawrence's strong start to his senior year, have prompted FBS interest from several programs... and that includes Oklahoma.