Staff report
The Austin Maroons snapped the Hays Rebels’ three-game win streak Friday as they claimed a 26-17 win at House Park.
Hays (4-3, 3-2) now holds a half-game lead over Austin High (4-2, 2-2) and Del Valle for fourth place in 14-6A.
Austin High took a 7-0 first quarter lead after a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Beau Kahlbacher to Rudy Saenz.
It took the Rebels almost the entire first half to get on the scoreboard. But a 4-yard touchdown run from Cody Gandy with 21 seconds left before halftime knotted the score at 7-7.
Austin High countered with a touchdown late in the third frame. Kahlbacher tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Traudt to give the Maroons a 14-7 lead. Kahlbacher finished the game with four total touchdowns.
A field goal from Jax Kell in the fourth quarter cut further into Austin’s lead. But the Maroons continued to stay one step ahead of the Rebels. A 30-yard touchdown pass from Kahlbacher to Miles Brown gave the Maroons a 20-10 lead after a missed extra point.
But the Rebels responded when quarterback Issaac Castilleja launched a 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dustin Bruno. Hays’ touchdown cut Austin’s lead to 20-17 with 7:14 left in the game.
Hays, however, couldn’t close the gap on the Maroons, which put the game away with a late touchdown pass from Kahlbacher.
