By Moses Leos III
The need to “out physical” the Lehman Lobos is what Hays Rebel Head Coach Neal LaHue preached before Friday’s showdown against Lehman at Shelton Stadium.
“We talked all week that they are going to be physical. We needed to be more physical than [Lehman]” LaHue said.
It took only one half for Hays to accomplish that goal. A 24-point first half blitz carried Hays to a 45-23 win over Lehman. The Rebels’ win marks their ninth straight over the Lobos.
“It’s a great win [over] our cross town rival,” Hays running back Cody Gandy said. “It (also) gets us that much closer to the playoffs.”
Hays asserted its physicality on the first offensive drive. The Rebels stormed 80 yards on five plays, with Cody Gandy rumbling 49 yards for the opening touchdown.
The Rebel run attack was the predominant theme on the evening. Hays’ offensive line generated leverage against the Lobo defensive front. Their success created cavernous run lanes for Rebel runners.
LaHue lauded the team’s physical mentality, primarily on the offensive line.
“Our offensive line did a great job,” he said.
The Rebels’ onslaught continued into the second quarter. Guided by Gandy and the offensive line, Hays scored 17 points to take a commanding 24-0 lead at intermission.
While the Rebels thrived, the Lobos struggled to get off the ground.
Penalties on offense and defense hindered Lehman success. The Lobos committed six total penalties for 75 yards, including four penalties for 55 yards in the first half.
Penalties and miscues forced the Lobos to deviate from their game plan, according to Lehman head coach Todd Raymond. Their plan, focusing on screens and quick passes, was meant to loosen the Rebels’ defense.
Facing difficult down and distance situations, the Lobos were forced to adjust. Lehman relied on the running ability of quarterback Jeremy Schilhab.
“We were playing behind the chains,” Raymond said. “Penalties, dropped passes … we couldn’t get out of our own way.”
Adding to their struggles was the Hays defense, which held the Lobos offense to 293 total yards.
Hays defensive lineman Johnson Elrod said adhering to a fast start allowed the Rebels to claim momentum.
“[Lehman’s] offensive line is big and good, but we knew if we ran to the ball and played hard every snap, things would go well for us,” Elrod said.
The Rebels put the game away in the third quarter. Hays concocted a pair of five play scoring drives within a four minute span, aided by a fumbled kickoff by Lehman’s special teams.
All ten plays in the two scoring drives were run plays, with Hays junior quarterback Braeden Kent punching in a pair of one-yard touchdowns.
Gandy said the Rebels’ game planned for the run. They also took advantage of a Lehman defense that struggled to flow to the ball.
“We came out and did what we needed to do,” Gandy said.
For the Lobos, their struggles defensively stemmed from tackling and assignment issues. Fatigue also played a factor, as the Lobos’ defense was on the field a majority of the game.
“At first, we weren’t hitting the gaps. We were trying to ankle tackle the whole time. That ruined it for us,” Lehman defensive back Brett Wagner said.
But the Lobos never backed down. Lehman first got on the board via a safety, cutting the lead to 38-2 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.
Lehman went on to outscore Hays 21-7 in the final 13 minutes of the contest. Schilhab guided the Lobos rally, scoring two touchdowns, highlighted by a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jon Herrera.
“Our kids don’t stop fighting. We fight until the bitter end,” Raymond said.
The Lobos now look toward district leader Lake Travis next week. Raymond said working on making the small plays will be the focus.
Hays prepares for a short week leading up to its game against Anderson on Thursday. It kicks off a grueling seven week stretch, which will define the Rebels’ quest for a playoff bid.
“We had a great effort all night. I’m proud of our kids. It’s a big district win,” LaHue said. “We’ll enjoy this … but we have eight weeks of this, so you have to keep going hard,
