Friday, April 19, 2024
For the third straight season, the Gatesville Hornets head into their final regular-season football game with a chance to clinch a postseason berth.
A win over Madisonville would have given the Hornets the inside track to the No. 2 spot in District 11-4A. But after dropping a 38-19 decision to the Mustangs, the Hornets will aim to clinch the No. 3 spot when they travel to Robinson this Friday.
Connally and Madisonville – both 2-0 in district play – currently occupy the top two spots with the Hornets in third place by virtue of their win over the Salado on Oct. 14. The Eagles are currently slotted fourth in the district playoff race.
In order to secure a third straight trip to the postseason, the Hornets will need a third straight win over the Rockets. In 2020, Gatesville won 17-6 at McKamie Stadium and in 2021 they won 37-20 at Rocket Field.
The Rockets come into the game 3-5 overall and 0-2 in district. They dropped their district opener to Salado 33-24, then fell to Madisonville 65-23.
In welcoming Madisonville on Senior Night, the Hornets hosted their third opponent that has spent time in the Class 4A Division II top 10 state rankings this season. Glen Rose came to Gatesville ranked 8th, while Waco Connally and Madisonville have each appeared in the rankings.
Defensively, the Hornets were led by Lucas Garcia, Ashtyn Culley, and Lawson Mooney.
Garcia had six tackles and added a forced fumble, a tackle for a loss, and a sack. Culley had 15 tackles including two for a loss while Mooney had 14 tackles – one for a loss – and intercepted a pass for the second straight game. He also recovered an onside kick in the third quarter.
The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead Friday, and the Hornets were unable to fight their way all the way back.
Madisonville led 24-0 in the second quarter when quarterback Jacob Newkirk put the Hornets on the scoreboard with a five-yard touchdown run to make it 24-6 just before the half.
In the second half, Madisonville extended its lead to 31-6 before Newkirk hit Kyle Shafer for a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-12.
Down 38-12, the Hornets scored once more in the fourth when Newkirk found Tyler Shea for a 62-yard touchdown. On the play, Shea reached over two defenders for the catch before outrunning both to the end zone.
The catch was one of three Shea had on the night, en route to 128 yards. He and Newkirk also connected for 55 yards in the first quarter.
Newkirk finished with 226 yards passing, completing passes to six different receivers. Kyle Shafer had four catches and Trevor Smith had three. Rayshon Smith, Adrian Smith, and Sean Aguilar had one catch apiece. Rayshon Smith led the team in rushing with 48 yards.
