Thursday, May 2, 2024
Rayshon Smith ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and Lawson Mooney and Sean Aguilar each had scores as Gatesville turned a 9-0 halftime lead into a 30-0 thrashing of Godley on Sept. 22.
In 2022, the Hornets defeated Godley in a shootout 56-42, and the Wildcats were coming off of a 54-12 win in Week 4 that saw them rack up 41 second half points. Their potentially explosive offense managed just a flicker as the Hornets held them to 86 yards of total offense.
“That defense played lights out. The game plan was great, and our guys understood it. It was just a matter of them doing their job,” said head coach Aaron Hunter.
Great might be an understatement as the Hornets turned in the most complete win of Hunter’s short tenure as head coach. Godley totaled 44 yards passing and 42 yards rushing with an average of 2.1 yards per play. Godley was 1-for-10 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth downs.
In contrast, the Hornets put up 372 yards of offense with 255 yards coming on the ground. The Hornets ran 61 plays compared to just 41 for the Wildcats.
In addition to Smith’s 120 yards, LJ Hall had 89 yards rushing, Mooney had 39 yards rushing and a touchdown, and quarterback Jacob Newkirk was an efficient 6-for-9 passing for 117 yards. He picked up his fifth touchdown pass of the season in the first half when he hit Aguilar with a six-yard strike.
In summary, it was a win that played out just how Hunter envisions it.
“We said Friday night when we got home that this is the vision for what we want with this offense. Hunter said. “We ran the ball well, and it was the first game where we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot with a dumb penalty. And Jacob threw some really big footballs when it mattered. It was a really good night.”
The collective good night was made up of a multitude of individual good nights on the defensive side of the ball, as well as 15 different Hornets had at least two tackles. The linebacking group of Amos Phillips, Zavier Clater, Logan Morgan, and Tommy Aaron totaled 22 tackles – 4 for a loss – and 3.5 sacks in the win. Kaden Coffman picked up his first sack of the season as well.
“We aren’t as big as we were last year, but we have more speed,” said Hunter. “Tommy and Zaviar are smaller bodies, but they are so fast.”
Phillips led the team with nine tackles and two tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Wherever Godley’s all-state running back Landon Thigpen was running, Phillips was there to meet him. Thigpen ran for over 3,000 yards in 2022 but had just 32 against Gatesville.
“We knew there would be a learning curve early, but he’s not playing like a sophomore anymore. He was too fast for Godley, and he’s starting to fit things right,” said Hunter.
For the second straight game the Hornets pass rush – led by Corey Burns and Dutch Nielsen - wreaked havoc on an opposing quarterback. Gatesville has outscored their opponents 51-3 over the last six quarters and has not allowed a touchdown since the first half of their win over Mexia.
“(Corey and Dutch) are really athletic and work really hard,” Hunter said. “Defensively they are starting to click. You see run fits, camaraderie, and the things we are really good at.”
Gatesville got on the board early and took a 3-0 lead when Sergio Buccio drilled a 28-yard field goal. The Hornets extended the lead to 9-0 when Aguilar pulled in a beautifully thrown ball from Newkirk in the back of the end zone.
The bulk of the first half carries came from Hall and Mooney, while Smith took over in the second half. On his fourth straight carry to start the second half, Smith rumbled 42 yards for the longest touchdown run of his varsity career to make it 16-0.
“That running back spot is a tough position, because they get beat up,” Rayshon is reaping the benefits of his habits. He’s practicing hard and working hard.”
Smith punched his second score of the night later in the third quarter to make it 23-0, and Mooney scored his first career rushing touchdown with a leaping, two-yard score in the fourth to push the lead to 30-0.
Mooney was a menace in every facet of the game against Godley. He had 36-yard rushing, 60 yards receiving, returned a punt 43 yards for a near score, and had eight tackles. Mooney – an all-state safety in 2022 and a preseason all-state selection in 2023 – has seen a significant amount of increased time on the offensive side of the ball in the last two games.
He tallied just one rush and no receptions in the first three games of the season in limited offensive snaps. In wins over Mexia and Godley he has three catches for 106 yards, nine rushing attempts for 56 yards, a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown.
Newkirk hit five different receivers on the night. In addition to Mooney’s two catches and Aguilar’s scoring reception, Phillips, Brayden Saunders, and Theron Stone each had receptions.
Aguilar had seven tackles, Aaron and Corey Burns had six, and Clater had five. William Tippit picked up two solo tackles and two assisted tackles for his best night of the season, and Adrian Smith, Logan Biggs, and CJ Morrall had three tackles apiece.
The Hornets welcomed Mineral Wells to McKamie Stadium on Friday night and will open district play on Oct. 6 at Connally. Last season, Gatesville beat the Rams 30-29 on a goal-line stop as time expired.
Despite his team’s recent surge, Hunter is keeping a measured approach as district play looms.
“It is a constant growing process. They are starting to understand that every game is going to be close at halftime, and we have to go win it. It’s going to come down to us executing every week.”
