Methodical offense, paired with a smothering defense, carried the Hays Rebels to an emotional 35-13 district opening win Thursday over the Anderson Trojans at Nelson Field.

But amid the postgame revelry came the realization that sports often times takes a back seat to everyday life. Getting a chance to honor Hays junior running back Jake Jackson, who on Friday begins chemotherapy to battle a form of bone cancer, meant just a little bit more.

“It is on our minds and it puts it in perspective,...