A consistent ground game and an oppressive defense were critical factors in a dominant 35-3 Hays Rebels win over the Anderson Trojans Friday at Shelton Stadium.
With the victory, Hays improved to 3-0, which is the program’s best start since the 2012 season. Hays’ offense pounded the ground for 325 yards and four touchdowns, while the Rebel defense limited Anderson to only 157 yards of total offense in the game.
Coming Up
Hays continues district play Friday when they travel to play Bowie at Burger Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
“The guys have just worked real hard and it’s been three hard fought games, although we kind of pulled away there at the end,” Hays Head Coach Les Goad said. “This one was still another physical, tight game and I think these kind of games are good for us to help us get better at who we are and what we are doing.”
Senior fullback Nash Danford and junior halfback Xavier Green carried the workload and the majority of the carries for the Rebel offense. Danford finished the game with 21 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns, while Green ran the ball 17 times for 94 yards and one touchdown. Senior tailback Sam Scott also contributed in key moments and finished the game with 86 yards rushing on 10 carries.
“I’m proud of us, we just kept driving the ball on them and that’s our offense,” said Danford. “I’m proud of our offense, you know it’s a new one, last year was different, so I think we are coming a long way. It’s going to bring Hays to another level.”
Danford scored the first touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run that capped a 16-play, 72-yard opening drive that encompassed roughly eight minutes. Later in the first half, Green punched in a 10-yard touchdown run giving Hays a 14-0 lead heading into halftime.
Green lauded the play of the offensive line and added he “couldn’t do what I did without them.”
“O-line is the hardest position, and the most important position on the field,” Green said. “Without our O-line you can’t move the offense. I give those guys props. To me, best O-line out here.”
After a lightning delay at halftime halted the game for an hour, Anderson responded by booting a 25-yard field goal, cutting the Rebel lead to 14-3.
Hays recaptured momentum in the fourth frame when Danford punched in his second touchdown of the night to increase the Rebel lead to 21-3.
Junior running back Joeangel Carrasco scored Hays’ fourth rushing touchdown on a 21-yard run late in the fourth quarter, increasing the lead to 28-3.
On the other side of the ball, Hays defense played stingy throughout the game and kept the Trojans out of the end zone.
“Coach Chavis and the defensive staff and those players are just playing great,” Goad said. “They (Anderson) are a predominately run team, and they came out and spread somethings out and started to try to throw the ball a little bit more. They did catch us on a few, but we got some pressure on the quarterback at different times, made some big plays, broke up some passes, and then of course the interception there at the end to cap it off.”
Hays prevented the Trojans from getting any momentum on offense. Rebels senior safety Jaidon Bialaszewski sealed the game with an interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
