Torrance Smith bounces to the outside on one of his three touchdown runs that helped lead the Rebels to a 47-21 homecoming win. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
By JASON GORDON
The Hays Rebels watched a similar movie earlier in the season and the first time around it didn’t have a Walt Disney ending.
The Rebs held a 21-7 advantage at home last month against Anderson before everything fell apart in the second half in a loss at Shelton Stadium.
It looked like déjà vu Friday night, as the Rebels extended a 21-7 halftime lead to 27-7 before Clemens made a bid to spoil Hays’ homecoming.
The Buffaloes took advantage of a Hays turnover to trim the margin to 27-21 before a scrambling Mason Cervenka found receiver Ty Green open down the left sideline.
Aided by a bone-crushing block from Michael Romero, Green sprinted away from the Clemens defense for an 81-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter and Hays cruised from there in a 47-21 win over the Buffaloes.
“I thought Ty’s touchdown was the single biggest play in the game,” said Hays head coach Bob Shelton, who tied Gordon Wood for second place on the state’s all-time games coached list at 503. “Clemens had all the momentum before that play.”
Rebel running back Torrance Smith stole the show in the first half with two electrifying second quarter touchdown runs to help give Hays its halftime lead.
With the score tied 7-7, Smith took the ball on a handoff up the middle and made a side-stepping move at the line and then exploded 31 yards down the right sideline for a score.
Minutes later, Smith made a mirror-image move on a dive play and burst free 69 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown that put Hays up 21-7 at halftime.
“We know if we run a play inside to Torrance he always has the ability to break it outside,” Hays quarterback Caleb Kimbro said. “He’s such a great athlete.”
Kimbro backhanded a pass to Smith for 25 yards set up his third rushing touchdown, which came on a 6-yard sweep into the right corner of the end zone to give the Rebs a 40-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Clemens (3-3, 1-1 27-4A) tried to rally, but Rebel defensive backs Taven Mayberry and Francisco Marin picked off Shaun Rutowski passes to help Hays stave off the Buffaloes.
Kimbro found Cervenka with a quick pass he turned into a 41-yard touchdown late in the game to cap the scoring.
Smith finished the game with 134 yards on only 12 carries for the Rebels (4-3, 2-1), who had 475 yards of total offense on the night. Kimbro was 7-for-7 passing for 125 yards, Cervenka added 95 more yards through the air and Romero tallied 82 yards on 12 rushes.
Even though Hays still has three more District 27-4A games remaining, the Rebels would have been fighting an uphill battle toward the playoffs if they had lost against Clemens.
“Coach Shelton said we had to put it all together if we want to make the playoffs,” Cervenka said. “I think we did that tonight.”
Hays is back in action next week at Lockhart. A win there would likely clinch a postseason spot for the Rebels.
