Lehman’s Harvest Trammell made two touchdown grabs that sent the Lobo fans into a frenzy in the first half Friday night. Lehman held the first half lead before Hays rallied in the second half for the win. (Photo by Tony Smith)
by MARK CAUL
You could sense right away that this game had a different feel to it.
The buzz that swirled around Shelton Stadium after Lehman scored the first touchdown Friday night to take the lead against Hays was surreal. Could this possibly be the year that the Lobos would finally give the Rebels a game?
Hays scored just six plays later to silence the Lehman faithful, but Lehman answered back just before halftime with senior receiver Harvest Trammell securing his second touchdown catch of the contest to cap an impressive 99-yard drive and give the Lobos a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Rebel coaches and supporters most likely spent the 30-minute halftime break contemplating what a potential loss to Lehman would mean to their psyche. While many of the folks on the Lehman side most likely harbored dreams of what it would mean to finally have a year’s worth of bragging rights along with the ecstasy of finally slaying the big bully on the block for the first time in five years.
But once the second half began, and Hays’ Tevan Mayberry brought the kickoff back deep into Lehman territory, everybody in the stadium could sense the Rebels were ready to impose their will on their cross-town rival.
Hays scored a few plays later and when Lehman failed on an ill-advised 4th-and-1 try from their 26-yard line on their first possession of the second half, you could almost feel the life being sucked out of the Lobo side of the stadium.
The Lobos never recovered mentally or physically after that point and Hays reeled off the next 20 points to cruise to another win in the series.
Despite having their most talented team to date and giving the Rebels all they wanted in the first half, when it was all said and done – it turned out to be just another bitter loss to Hays that was hard to swallow for a couple of spirited Lobo fans.
“I thought that we finally had them where we wanted them,” said David Aguirre, a Lehman supporter. “We have been waiting five years for this and it was hard to walk out of that stadium knowing Hays won another one.”
Rosa Garcia believes that giving the Rebels a closer game in the fifth matchup between the two schools was a victory in itself.
“As a parent, I get tired of the Hays parents always making fun of us because they beat us every year in football,” Garcia said. “It seems like each year we come closer and closer. This year it just wasn’t meant to be. But we definitely gave them something to think about, that’s for sure.”
For Rebel fans, a win over Lehman in football has almost become second nature. But the celebration was admittedly a little more subdued for Carolyn Carrizales and her family of six as they exited the stadium.
“There was never any doubt in my mind that we would win the game, even when we got behind,” said Carrizales. “But they (Lehman) played our kids tougher than they ever have. It would have been hard to face some of my neighbors if we would have lost because most of them have kids that attend Lehman. We aren’t used to losing to them in football. And we don’t want to start now.”
Hays junior Ashleigh Hancock experienced her first game between the two schools Friday night.
“People at school were talking about it but I really didn’t think it was that big of a deal until I saw all these people here,” Hancock said. “I’m just glad we won the game.”
A conversation overheard between two security guards as the last few fans exited Shelton Stadium may have summed it up best.
“I really thought Lehman was going to get them this year,” one officer said, shaking his head. “But Hays always seems to find a way to beat those guys.”
Almost Famous
• The first Lobo win against Hays looked promising until the Rebels scored 20 unanswered points
