When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Shelton Stadium
Records: Hays 3-0; Lehman 1-2
Last week: Both teams idle
Last meeting: Hays 28,
Lehman 27 (2011)
Lehman offense: Spread
Lehman defense: 4-3
Hays offense: Multiple
Hays defense: 3-4
What they’re saying: “Keeping the streak alive against Lehman is important to us as a team and to our school. It’s about bragging rights, and even though we share the same home field we consider it ours since it’s on our campus. We always have to protect it,” Hays cornerback Christian Rodriguez.
Players to Watch:
Hays: QB Caleb Kimbro, QB Jeff Jordan, QB Adam Castro, WR Granger Studdard, OL William Trevillion, OL Reed Darragh, Slot receiver Taven Mayberry, WR Hayden Cagle, TE Banner Steele, DE Kyle Cox, LB Devin Jennings, CB Christian Rodriguez, CB Jared Rodriguez, LB Colin Hubert.
Lehman: OL Kenny Higgins, QB Josh Guerrero, RB Paul Brown, TE Tyler Dodero, WR Kelton Powell, FS Tyler Hyss, CB Kyron Morrissette, LB AJ Armonta, LB Ben Mitchell.
Intangibles: Honestly, the biggest intangible in this game is whether or not Hays quarterback Caleb Kimbro will play. If the talented senior, who had 30 total touchdowns in leading the Rebels to the area playoffs last season, and who has racked up 10 total touchdowns rushing and passing this year in just over seven quarters of play, is healthy enough to start against Lehman it makes the Rebs a prohibitive favorite to stretch their streak to seven wins in a row against the Lobos. If Kimbro’s shoulder injury he suffered in the second quarter of Hays’ win against Rouse keeps him out of the lineup Friday night in the district opener for both teams, it greatly evens the playing field. Hays had trouble moving the ball and the offense looked lost at times without Kimbro. If Kimbro can’t play, the Rebels will need to find a way to put points on the scoreboard even if the talented Hays defense is doing its job against the Lobos. After a rough first two games, Lehman has some momentum heading into the contest with the Rebels after a last-second win against Anderson two weeks ago. Although Lehman has averaged less than two touchdowns per game, running back Paul Brown is a legitimate threat. The Lobos have come up big three years in a row against Hays, only to leave Shelton Stadium on the losing end of the score. No loss was more painful than last year’s well-documented 28-27 defeat after the Lobos led 19-0. Despite the fact Rebels may be without its star quarterback, the call here is Hays wins its seventh straight in the series and remains unbeaten all-time against Lehman.
Hays Free Press prediction: Hays 35, Lehman 7
