Staff report
The playoffs were well out of reach for the Hays Rebels by the time their delayed game against the Akins Eagles kicked off at 2 p.m. Saturday.
But for Hays, the 24-hour delay didn’t stop them from ending its three game losing streak as they punished the Akins Eagles in a 32-0 rout at Shelton Stadium.
Hays’ win caps off a 5-5 season where the Rebels went 4-4 in 14-6A play. But Hays’ playoff fate was sealed two days before hand, as Austin High’s win on Oct. 29 knocked the Rebels out of playoff contention. It marks the second consecutive season Hays will have missed the playoffs.
The Rebels’ season finale was pushed back after Friday’s flood event caused havoc across most of eastern Hays County. Hays CISD postponed the event after classes across the district were suspended by midday due to the torrent of rain and heavy flooding.
Hays’ offense responded on Saturday by slamming on the gas-pedal from the get go.
The Rebels needed less than two minutes in the first quarter to put points on the board. Hays quarterback Issaac Castilleja. connected with wide receiver Brandon Hunter for a 15 yard score. The touchdown gave Hays a 8-0 lead after a two-point conversion.
That score held until the second frame when Hays exploded for 21 more unanswered points. The barrage was kick started by a 32-yard touchdown pass to Hunter from Castilleja.
The score was followed less than two minutes later, as quarterback Tyler Conley tossed a 26-yard touchdown strike to Austin Maulding.
The Rebels led 22-0 and never looked back from there. Senior running back Cody Gandy capped off his Rebel career with a one-yard touchdown that put the Rebels ahead 29-0.
Senior kicker Jax Kell tallied a 38-yard field goal late in the third quarter to score the final points of the Rebel season.
