CONVERSE – Hays Rebels players and coaches embraced each other with hugs and teary eyes Friday after a tough 49-14 loss to the Judson Rockets in the 6A Bi-District playoff at Rutledge Stadium.
The loss ends a successful 2018 football season for a Hays program under first-year head coach Les Goad that finished above .500 for the first time since 2013.
“First of all, we just thanked them for the work and the kind of commitment that they made to this season, I’m proud of them,” Goad said. “I told them I’m sorry we weren’t able to have them more prepared for the kind of things we needed to be able to do tonight to turn it a little bit more in our favor.”
Judson jumped out to a large lead early in the game with explosive plays on the offensive side of the ball. A 10-yard touchdown run by running back Sincere McCormick, followed up by a 50-yard pass from quarterback Mike Chandler II to Kameron Lopez, and a 54-yard rushing touchdown by De’anthony Lopez set up the Rockets with a 21-0 lead in the first quarter of play.
“They are just such a physical team, and big plays and the big pass to start down there and got them in scoring position early,” Goad said about getting down early. “Just the big plays by their offense.”
Those big plays hurt Hays on offense as well, as the Rebels were constantly trying to play catch-up in the first half, a style of play that doesn’t suit the Slot-T offense.
“Hopefully we’ve demonstrated enough that people can see that we are doing the right things and we have a good plan and the program is a quality program.”
–Les Goad,
Rebel head coach
The Rockets’ stout defensive line held the Rebels in check for most of the first half, but multiple personal foul penalties late in the second quarter set Hays up in scoring position. The Rebels punched it in on a 1-yard run by Devin Hines. Hays mustered up only 75 yards of total offense in the first half, while Judson had almost triple that amount in passing yards alone.
“Our offense, we would get a first down or two and we couldn’t convert the next one,” said Goad. “We had some opportunities, had a couple pass plays that it looked like we had a play but just didn’t connect. So just near misses. Then we get into that mode where we are trying to play catch-up and their pass rush was really tough on us. Can’t take those negative yardage plays.”
The second half was a better offensively for the Rebels as they were able to sustain multiple drives down the field. However, Hays was only able to convert once with a 19-yard spinning touchdown run by Xavier Green.
Judson’s offense continued to march down the field at will in the second half as they put up 21 more points on Hays defense. McCormick scored his third touchdown of the night on a 6-yard run in the beginning of the third quarter, while De’anthony Lopez showed off his speed for a 31-yard score one drive later. The Rockets were able to get in the end zone again in the fourth quarter from a 32-yard pass from backup quarterback Lucas Coley to Davion Wilson when the game was already out of reach.
Despite the loss, Goad loved the commitment and fight that his team showed throughout the game and all season long. Goad said he will always remember the big wins late in games earlier in the season and the buy-in that his seniors showed in his first season with Hays.
“Hopefully we’ve demonstrated enough that people can see that we are doing the right things and we have a good plan and the program is a quality program,” Goad said. “That’s what these seniors enabled us to do. You have that success early like we did, and then people start to believe in it. They established that confidence in what we are trying to do.”
