By Moses Leos III.
Smothering run defense, and a hard-nosed run game helped Hays High clobber San Antonio Brackenridge (Brack) 45-20 on Friday night at Shelton Stadium, advancing them to the area round of the playoffs. Hays will have a rematch with Leander Rouse at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Nov. 22) at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.
Hays dominated Brack from the get-go. The Rebels needed only 87 seconds to take the opening kick 70 yards on five plays. Running back Cody Gandy capped off the drive by punching in an eight yard score to give Hays a 7-0 lead.
From there, the Rebels set the tone of the evening. Hays controlled the ground game, using a variety of plays to attack the Brack defense.
Their run game thrived, taking a 17-0 lead after an eight-yard scamper from quarterback Jeff Jordan.Gandy believed Brack’s man defense would limit the pass game. He felt the run game could open up.
At top, Hays wide receiver Luke Park stiff arms San Antonio Brackenridge safety Louie Perez during the bi-district playoff game on Friday at Shelton Stadium. A punishing run offense and strong defense helped Hays win 45-20, advancing to meet Leander Rouse in the area round. (Photo by Lincoln Ramirez) |
The offense also spread the ball around through the air. Six Rebels caught passes, aiding Jordan, who threw for 156 yards. Jordan credited his wide outs with finding the open spaces in the Eagle defense.
However, Brack answered back. After a Hays fumble at the Brack 47 yard line, Brack quarterback Ramon Richards and the Eagle offense swiftly moved 53 yards on only four plays. Richards ended the drive by lobbing a 34 yard touchdown pass to Romonique Anthony. Brack cut the Rebel lead to 17-6 after a missed extra point conversion to end the first quarter.
Rebel defenders worked to contain the elusive Richards. Often, the Oklahoma State commit escaped pressure, flipping a lengthy loss into a moderate gain.
Defensive lineman Justin Diaz complimented him, saying he was “hard to take down.” In addition, he felt the defense was going too shallow, allowing Brack’s offensive tackles to push them in. It gave Richards the ability to run free.
At half, Diaz and the defense forced the tackles out, making a significant impact in the second half. The Rebel defense was relentless, pressuring Richards and holding down the Brack offense.
“When we changed that,” Diaz said, “we made more plays.”
Team speed was the mantra for Brack head coach Willie Hall, who felt the Eagles held that advantage.
But Hays’ defense often proved too fast to handle.
“We thought we had the edge in the speed factor. But we could never turn the corner, or … get over the top,” Hall said.
Hays proved that point in the second quarter, as linebacker Trey Solis picked off a pass, and rumbled 35 yards for a pick-six.
The moment was gratifying for Solis and the defense, which worked to limit underneath routes to the Brack wide receivers. It was a struggle, as Brack racked up 279 pass yards on the night; 160 going solely to Anthony.
“We were having trouble with (their) crossing routes. My coach told me to keep eyes on (Richards),” Solis said. “I took a deep drop and I saw (the wide receiver) come across. As soon as I saw (Richard’s) eyes on him, I sprinted for it. I cut him off and took the pick to house.”
Solis’ interception added to the Rebel lead, making it 31-6. Hays took a 38-12 lead going into the halftime break.
The second half saw the Rebel offense utilize their depth to their advantage. It was apparent in the third quarter, when fullback Adam Castro rumbled 42 yards, giving Hays a 45-12 advantage.
Helping the cause was the Brack defense, which played into the Rebels’ hands. Gandy said often the defense “flowed right into” Rebel lineman.
Anthony’s six yard rushing touchdown late the fourth was too little, too late.
Head coach Neal LaHue was happy with the balanced offensive attack, and mostly pleased with the team’s drive.
“Our effort was outstanding. Our kids were focused,” he said. “They were excited to be in a playoff game, and they played like it.”
LaHue and the team celebrated their win, but now focus on next week.
Hays’ area round foe will be Rouse, which handed the Rebels a 29-20 loss on Sept. 13.
LaHue felt it will be an “interesting challenge” to face them again. Solis was interested in taking on mobile quarterback Billy Rae McCrary again.
But having already played them is an asset. Jordan felt it will boost team confidence going into next week.
Diaz hopes to get a shot at redemption.
“I want payback, but it’s not going to be easy. We have to prepare a lot,” he said. “We know they are a good team, they have great athletes. But we have good athletes too. We have a good shot if we try hard and our passion stays there.”
