By Clay Whittington
Messenger Correspondent
Entering Week 2, Jose Aguirre had one goal for his team — improve. The Hornets responded.
After opening the season with its first shutout loss since 2021, Gatesville returned to the field looking to simply eclipse the showing and continue building toward its District 13-4A, Division II schedule.
Facing longtime rival Glen Rose, however, the Hornets did more than just play better, they excelled.
Gatesville tripled its offensive output while producing critical stops when necessary, and the combination resulted in a 27-19 victory.
Following the contest, Aguirre admitted the outcome was special but not only for the obvious reason.
“The way they responded to our coaching this week means everything,” Aguirre said. “If I was only in this profession for the wins or money, I would have quit a long time ago. We are trying to pour into these young men that it is about believing in the process, and if they do that, then they can exceed any threshold or limit.
“That is what I’m most proud of. When I get to see that start to happen each year, it is really cool to see, because they are believing in each other and themselves.”
The Hornets displayed the progression late in the game.
Clinging to a one-point lead following junior dual-threat quarterback Elijah Phillips’ seven-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Gatesville forced consecutive turnovers on downs and sandwiched the win-securing touchdown in between.
The last stop occurred on a fourth-and-2 play, allowing the Hornets to run out the clock, and celebrate their first victory.
Of Gatesville’s 364 total yards, 232 came on the ground as Phillips finished with a game-high 112 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries to go along with completing eight of 11 passes for 132 yards.
His rushing effort was complemented by sophomore Bennett Eggeling, who had 80 yards and a score on a dozen attempts, while junior Grady Keeton (5-122) served as Phillips’ primary target.
Despite the statistics, the Hornets were far from flawless.
“Our focus every week is us,” Aguirre said. “Every week, we want to get better, but there were times when we were sloppy. We were in control of the game, and then there would be a momentum shift.
“We challenged our guys to just weather the storm, though, and they did that. They didn’t get too high on the highs or too low on the lows.”
After turning its first possession over on downs, Gatesville (1-1) fell into a hole as the Tigers covered 73 yards in nine plays, culminating with a 14-yard touchdown run from junior quarterback Judd Connally.
The 7-0 advantage carried over into the second quarter, but with 4:27 remaining in the first half, the Hornets produced their first points of the season.
Facing third-and-3, Phillips ended the drought with a 24-yard run into the end zone, tying the score 7-7, and Gatesville was not done.
On the heels of amassing just 137 total yards in the season-opening 21-0 loss to visiting Lampasas, the Hornets topped the mark in the first half alone thanks in part to Eggeling, who scored on a 12-yard run with 67 seconds left on the clock.
The drive was sparked by a fumble recovery by Gatesville senior lineman Brody Brown at the Tigers’ 32-yard line, and the possession’s final snap gave Eggeling 73 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Gatesville entered intermission with 156 yards rushing on 29 carries as Phillips added seven rushes for 52 yards and completed three of four passes for 28 yards.
Glen Rose (1-1) had 97 total yards in the half.
The outcome gives the Hornets back-to-back victories versus the Tigers, but now, Gatesville must now turn its attention toward another longtime foe.
The Hornets open their road schedule Friday at China Spring, where they intend to continue their winning ways.
Between 2004 and 2021, the Cougars were in complete command of the rivalry, winning 14 of 16 games, but Gatesville turned things around of late. Two years ago, the Hornets beat their former district opponent 35-28, and they followed with a 27-7 win last year.
The Cougars enter the home opener with a 1-1 record after 29-23 at Waco University on Friday. They defeated Waco Connally 45-12 on the road in Week 1.
Once again, Aguirre’s focus this week will be simple.
“It is a cheesy answer,” he said, “but we need to keep getting better at everything. It’s across the board.
“Offensively, defensively and on special teams, we have to get better.”