VAN -- Howe scored the most points in school playoff history and left Van Memorial Stadium with a 52-30 win against Hughes Springs. The Mustangs ended their season with an 8-4 record.

Hughes Springs led after one quarter with two long runs from Fred Hopkins and two-point conversions from Malik Chisum and Gabe Dubose. Trailing 16-7, however, Howe (7-5) put up 30 points in the second period and entered the break up 37-22.

Anthony Hawthorne scored five touchdowns in the Bulldogs' winning effort, including long runs of 44, 35 and 22 yards. He finished with a game-best 229 rushing yards on 22 carries.

Howe took the lead with a four-yard run from Hawthorne with 1:39 to play in the first half.

A late Hughes Springs turnover set up another Bulldogs score with 34 seconds to play before the break, a 12-yard run from freshman Brandon Wall. Hawthorne expanded the lead to 43-22 with his 44-yard run at the 6:46 mark of the third quarter.

Hughes Springs countered with a 5-yard Dubose run and a two-point score on Chism's pass to Fred Hopkins late in the third period, but Howe closed the game's scoring with Hawthrone's one-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs will return 30 letter winners from the 2014 team next season. Howe moves on to play Waskom in the Region II semifinals.

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