By Clay Whittington
Messenger Correspondent
The Hornets saw their chances at victory slip away in a mere 38 seconds.
Looking to win a third consecutive game for the first time since starting last season 5-0, Gatesville was in position to keep pace with visiting Whitney on Friday, but in almost an instant, the opportunity vanished.
Trailing by 13 points late in the second quarter, the Hornets lost complete control as the Wildcats sandwiched a pair of two-play touchdown drives around Gatesville’s turnover on downs, and the surge propelled Whitney to a 58-38 win.
Wildcats senior quarterback Kobe Haynes, who is committed to TCU, punctuated a 21-second drive with a 19-yard run into the end zone, giving Whitney a 23-3 advantage, and less than 80 seconds later, it happened again.
Haynes connected with Rex Gatlin, a junior, for a 39-yard completion and followed with a 17-yard pass to senior K.J. O’Hearn, inflating the cushion to 27 points, 30-3, with 50 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Hornets never completely recovered.
Whitney (3-1) and Gatesville (2-2) exchanged touchdowns on eight consecutive drives in the second half, but it was not enough.
Highlighted by successive scores, the Wildcats produced 365 total yards in the first half, including Haynes’ 11-of-17, 260-yard, three-touchdown passing performance, which was complemented by his 13 carries for 81 yards.
He finished with 428 yards and five touchdowns passing and 127 yards and three touchdowns rushing.
After trading fruitless possessions to open the evening, Whitney scored first on a 35-yard pass from Haynes to Gatlin, but Gatesville trimmed the deficit to four points at 7-3 following junior kicker Leo Leon’s successful 28-yard field goal as time expired in the first period.
On the ensuing possession, the Hornets forced a turnover on downs at their own 1-yard line, but the result turned into a safety for the Wildcats. Then, a 41-yard touchdown pass from Haynes to O’Hearn increased the lead to 16-3, setting the stage for Whitney’s momentum-stealing drives to close the half.
The Hornets came alive offensively in the second half, generating 357 of their 435 total yards during the final two quarters thanks in part to receiver Grady Keeton.
The junior caught nine passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns on catches of 99, 69 and 11 yards, while junior quarterback Elijah Phillips completed 13 of 30 attempts for 322 yards and four touchdowns.
Stefon Boyd, a junior, also caught a 24-yard touchdown.
Despite having home-field advantage and identical records, the Hornets were walking into a difficult situation against high-octane Whitney.
The Wildcats averaged 56.3 points through their first three games and fell one point shy of defeating Cameron Yoe on the road in a Week 2 shootout. The Yoemen produced a 29-point fourth quarter to win 62-61.
Prior to Friday, Gatesville scored a combined 68 points in a trio of contests.
Regardless of the result, the Hornets intend to benefit from the experience prior to opening their District 13-4A, Division II schedule, and there is still one more opportunity remaining to evolve even further.
Gatesville travels to Burnet on Friday for its league finale before receiving a bye in Week 6.
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 0-4 record after losing 28-7 at Blanco, but based on recent history, they are due for a victory in the series.
Since 2014, the teams have alternated wins and loses with a stretch of seven seasons separating encounters at one point.
The rivalry resumed in 2024, when the Hornets lost 23-17 at Burnet before gaining revenge with a 15-9 victory at McKamie Stadium last year.
Gatesville, which travels for four of its next five games, starts district play Oct. 9 at Waco Connally.