By JASON GORDON
SAN MARCOS-The Hays Rebels are quickly finding out head coach Blake Feldt is a hard man to please.
The Rebs posted their highest point total of the young season in a 49-27 win over county rival San Marcos at Bobcat Stadium Friday night, but it was the four Hays turnovers and 10 penalties that had Feldt concerned after the game.
“I want us to play good, mistake free, disciplined football where everyone on the field is fundamentally sound,” Feldt said. “We absolutely have to stop turning the ball over.”
Quarterback Caleb Kimbro and running back Jaxson Schaubhut helped Hays overcome those mistakes by combining for nearly 250 yards rushing.
Kimbro accounted for six touchdowns, three on the ground and three more through the air.
In addition, the Hays defense was up to the task for most of the night against San Marcos’ new all-out passing game, picking off Rattler quarterback Zach Sterling four times.
“Our linemen dominated the line of scrimmage,” Kimbro said. “There were some pretty big lanes to run through out there.”
After San Marcos (0-2), which hasn’t won a game since 2009, cut Hays’ lead to 12-7 early in the second quarter on a 27-yard pass from Sterling to Blain Bagley, Hays (2-1) drove down the field and scored when Kimbro faked a handoff right and then strolled into the left side of the end zone from 22 yards out.
After a Mark Oldham interception set the Rebels up deep in San Marcos territory, Kimbro lofted a pass into the right corner of the end zone to Trevor Ragsdale for a 20-yard score to make it 28-7 at halftime.
Kimbro helped the Rebels start to break the game open in the third quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Michael Romero. Following a Nate Paez interception, Kimbro’s 19-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter made it 41-14.
“I think we were all ticked off after losing last week,” Schaubhut said. “We knew we had to come out and play a lot better tonight.”
San Marcos tried to rally, as Sterling threw two late touchdown passes, one to CJ Gutierrez another to Daniel Nieto, but Christian and Jared Rodriguez both picked off passes for the Rebels in the fourth quarter to keep the Rattlers from getting any closer.
Kimbro capped the scoring with a 36-yard touchdown run and then powered his way forward for the 2-point conversion run afterward for good measure.
Kimbro finished with 128 yards rushing and 120 passing, and Schaubhut added 118 yards on the ground for the Rebels.
Hays will be back at home next Friday night when the Rebs host the Hutto Hippos at Shelton Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
