Thursday, May 16, 2024
Rayshon Smith ran for 160 yards and a touchdown, and Logan Biggs, Sean Aguilar, and the Gatesville defense sparked a fourth quarter explosion as the Hornets beat Mexia 44-16 on Sept. 15.
For the fourth time in four games, Gatesville found themselves in a late-game dogfight. Gatesville led 23-16 early in the fourth quarter, but the Hornets slammed the door shut down the stretch – something they didn’t do in their previous two games.
“I like finishing the game. We hadn’t done that in two weeks,” said head coach Aaron Hunter. “I’ve told them this since March, that every game should be like that. Be in every game in the fourth quarter and give yourself a chance to go win in it. I tell our kids to embrace that moment. Don’t panic. Get comfortable in those moments.”
After the Black Cats scored to make it 23-16, they attempted an onside kick that was smothered by linebacker Logan Morgan. Eight plays later, Brayden Saunders punched in his second touchdown of the night to extend the lead to 30-16.
After Mexia turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, the Hornets extended the lead to 37-16 on Smith’s three-yard run.
Their final score of the night came when Biggs delivered a punishing hit on a receiver that knocked the ball loose and allowed Aguilar to scoop it up and race 48 yards for a touchdown.
Biggs snagged his first interception of the season on Mexia’s final possession, and Aguilar had a first half pick of his own. According to Hunter, the big night from his secondary was just a matter of getting comfortable doing what they are supposed to do. Biggs was playing just his fifth varsity game in the secondary, and Aguilar, arguably the most competitive athlete on campus, plays every down like his life depends on it.
“Our def staff does a great job challenging those guys each week,” Hunter said. “(Biggs) is constantly getting better. He’s getting comfortable. (Aguilar) is harder on himself than anyone else. I think he’s starting to realize that he can just go play.”
Joining the defensive standouts were Corey Burns, Amos Phillips, and the ever-present Lawson Mooney. Burns had eight tackles and two sacks, while Phillips had 12 tackles. Mooney paced the defense with 16 tackles.
“Our guys are showing some athleticism and getting after the quarterback. Corey had two big sacks, and that was massive,” Hunter said. “Another guy who’s figuring it out quick is Amos. Every week he shows progress. He’s quickly not becoming a sophomore.”
Mooney – a four-year letterman and all-state safety - had a dramatic impact on both sides of the ball against Mexia. He had 16 tackles on the defensive side, but he also opened Gatesville’s scoring when he caught a 46-yard strike from Jacob Newkirk. In the fourth quarter, he had two carries at running back – one of which was a 21 yard tackle-breaking run on third down.
“He has a different gear than everyone else on the team. He hits that whole so hard,” Hunter said.
Mooney also performed a bit of improv in disguising coverages against the Black Cats.
“Lawson would go show double coverage on his own then roll back into the middle of the field. He did that on his own. We didn’t work that. That’s just him being him. That’s big-time football,” Hunter said.
Perhaps lost in the mix of a stellar defensive night was another dominant night from Smith, Hall, and the Hornet running game. Gatesville picked up 261 yards rushing on 48 carries – good for 5.4 yards per rush.
Smith turned in his third 100-yard effort in four games. He has hit the century mark seven times in 15 varsity games, and his 160-yard performance was the second-highest single game total of his career. Against Mexia, LJ Hall added 43 yards rushing on eight carries.
“Mexia is a good team with some really good players. We ran the ball well. We manhandled them up front,” Hunter said.
Newkirk was 4 for 6 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown. Mooney and Saunders had one catch apiece, and senior Scout Hall had two catches for 48 yards. Hall’s first catch was a tip-toe effort on the sidelines that kept a Hornet scoring drive alive.
“That was a huge catch. He had two really huge catches,” Hunter said.
The Hornets allowed just 49 passing yards against Mexia. Biggs and Adrian had two pass break-ups apiece. Aguilar had 11 tackles in the game, and Tommy Aaron had seven tackles while Zavier Clater, Gage Ford, and Dutch Nielsen had six tackles apiece.
Gatesville traveled to Godley for a rematch of their shootout from 2022. Gatesville won that game 56-42 and will face a Wildcats team that was ranked in the Top 25 prior to the season. Hunter sees it as one more chance to improve.
“Winning isn’t a habit yet for us,” Hunter said. “There is a lot of football left to be played. We have to go get better.”
