Thursday, April 25, 2024
For Gatesville senior defensive back Ayden Necessary, there were some very odd similarities to be found when comparing the season openers of his junior and senior football seasons.
Both were Gatesville wins. Both were punctuated with game-sealing interceptions. Both ended with Necessary on the turf surrounded by teammates.
That’s where the similarities stop, and the differences abound in the best way possible.
In 2021, Necessary suffered a first quarter knee injury in the Hornets 27-7 win over Llano that forced him to miss his entire junior football, basketball and baseball seasons.
On Friday, his pick of Taylor’s Ryan Valdez left Necessary flat on his back, surrounded by screaming teammates, and it sealed the Hornets 22-21 win over the Ducks.
The win happened 364 days after his injury against Llano.
“Ever since I learned last year that I wouldn’t be able to play anymore, I had been waiting on this game and sometimes I questioned if I would ever make it back,” Necessary said.
For head coach Aaron Hunter, there was never a question of whether Necessary would be back or be effective.
“Ayden is exactly what I think of when I think of what it means to be a ‘Fighting Hornet.’ His effort, enthusiasm, and attention-to-detail are second-to-none,” Hunter said.
In addition to his interception, he had nine tackles including one for a loss in the win against Taylor. A healthy, effective Necessary will be necessary – no pun intended – for the Hornets to feature the smart, sound, physical defense they like to play.
For Necessary, Friday was more than a win on the scoreboard. It was a win for him and for a program that preaches family.
“All in all, I was really glad to be able to be out there again and play the game I love with the people I love,” he said.
