Turnovers turn Rebel lead into Anderson victory

Hays running back Torrance Smith breaks free for a touchdown in the first half against Anderson. The Rebels built a 28-14 lead, but ultimately fell 41-28 at Shelton Stadium. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)

By JASON GORDON

Anderson ambushed Hays in the second half and the Rebels had no answer.

One week after using turnovers to turn their season opener around in a victory against Akins, the Rebs coughed up the football and ultimately the game against the Trojans in a 41-28 loss Friday night at Shelton Stadium.

Hays led 28-14 midway through the third quarter before three costly turnovers led to 27 unanswered Anderson points.

“The game was there for us to win,” Hays head coach Bob Shelton said. “We just made too many mistakes.”

Hays took six minutes off the clock during the opening drive of the second half and took a 28-14 lead when Torrance Smith handed the ball to Michael Romero from the wildcat formation. Romero scampered into the end zone from 24 yards out and the Rebels looked to be in control.

Anderson came right back, as tailback Devonte Dewitte was running down the left sideline and appeared to be home free before JT Sivils ran him down from behind and stripped the ball. Jaxson Schaubhut recovered for the Rebels on the Hays 5-yard line to end the threat.

Hays didn’t capitalize on the good fortune, however, as Caleb Kimbro had to fall on a low snap on a punt attempt and Anderson took possession at the Rebel 8-yard line, leading to a Dewitte 1-yard touchdown run to make it 28-21.

“We made a huge play to recover a fumble down near our goal line,” Shelton said. “But we gave it right to them. You just can’t make mistakes like that.”

It was all Anderson (2-0) from there as Hays fumbled the ensuing kickoff after a massive hit by Conner Sheehan forced the turnover.

Less than a minute later, Anderson quarterback Sam Wehmeyer found Justin Clark with a 35-yard touchdown pass to tie the score 28-28 late in the third quarter.

Hays (1-1) couldn’t get any offense going in the fourth quarter and Anderson wasn’t slowing down.

Dewitte scored on a 12-yard run to make it 35-28 with seven minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the game, and after Leo Parra recovered another Hays fumble the Trojans put the game away on a 6-yard Adam Hochman touchdown jaunt.

“We have playmakers on both sides of the football,” said Anderson head coach Mark Reiland. “They definitely made some plays and changed the momentum in the second half.”

Hays built a 21-7 lead in the first half keyed by a 46-yard touchdown run by Smith out of the wildcat formation, and a 79-yard touchdown run by Michael Romero on a slot receiver-reverse play.

Anderson put together a drive late in the first half to get back in the game, as Wehmeyer hit Clark with a 7-yard quick-slant pass on the last play of the second quarter to cut the gap to 21-14 at the break.

“We just had a bunch of mental breakdowns,” Romero said. “We seemed to let down and didn’t have the same composure we did at the beginning of the game.”

Hays will have to regroup quickly as old rival San Marcos High School will visit Shelton Stadium next Friday night.

“We’ll be ready for San Marcos,” Romero said. “We’re going to work as hard as we can to fix the things we did wrong tonight.”

Kimbro played the entire game at quarterback for the Rebels against Anderson. Offensive coordinator Chris Smith said Kimbro and junior signal-caller Mason Cervenka, who was out against the Trojans with a knee injury suffered late against Akins, will be splitting duty behind center Friday against the Rattlers.