A TALE OF TWO HALVES – Hennessey Eagles vs Oklahoma Christian School Saints
Statistically speaking, Friday night’s football game in Edmond was a tale of two halves, as the #19 Ranked Hennessey Eagles began District 2A-1 play on the road at the #13 Oklahoma Christian School Saints (3-1, 1-0).
The Eagles began the game with a 12 play, 68 yard drive, using every part of their offensive arsenal with (#9) Titan Hix passes to (#2) Weston Smith, (#44) Langston Smith, and (#4) Seth Simunek, adding runs from Hix and (#1) Sebastian Gonzalez, and a beautifully designed (and executed) (#15) Jessin Hardin 26 yard run on a 4th and 9 fake punt. The drive was finished off with an 8 yard 4th and goal Hix pass that Simunek snatched out of the air just as he was hit, but still had enough power to reach for the goal line for the game’s opening score.
The Saints first score came two possessions later following a Hix interception that set OCS up with a short field, using 6 plays to travel 43 yards, scoring on a 1 yard QB sneak.
The Eagles and Saints traded blows for much of the remainder of the first half, with the Eagles missing out on a scoring opportunity, turning the ball over on downs inside the OCS 15 yard line to begin the 2nd quarter. Two possessions and two punts later the Saints took their first lead of the game with a 1 play drive on a 66 yard run.
After the game’s next four drives ended in punts, the Eagles took their 7th possession of the first half 73 yards in 44 seconds, made possible first with a 48 yard Hix pass to (#10) Kevin Trillo, and finished off with a 38 yard Sebastian Gonzalez half-back pass to Langston Smith. Titan Hix ran in the 2-Point Conversion giving the Eagles a 15-14 lead going into half.
This ‘tale of two halves’ can best be told by the first three drives of the 3rd quarter. On the first play of the second half Saints Running Back Brandon Orme peeled off a 48 yard run. 4 plays later Orme scored from 2 yards out, with the Saints reclaiming the lead less than 2 minutes into the 3rd quarter. The Eagles tried to answer on their first possession of the second half, putting together a 15 play drive, eating up almost 6 minutes of the clock and 76 yards of turf, only to have it ended with a Gonzalez pass intercepted at the Saints 4 yard line. That drive was marred with Titan Hix going down with a knee injury that ended the game for him near the mid-point of the 3rd quarter. The Saints only needed 3 plays to travel the 96 yards, finishing that drive (and the Eagles) with a 67 yard Henry Rothwell Touchdown Run.
The Saints added a 4th quarter score as the Eagles struggled offensively, throwing another interception and turning the ball over on downs three times, dropping game 1 of the district slate 35-15.
Before leaving the game in the 3rd, Titan Hix threw for 221 Yards with 1 Touchdown and 1 Interception, rushing for 18 Yards.
Sebastian Gonzalez added 62 Yards through the air which including his 38 Yard TD Pass to Langston Smith. Gonzalez ran for 13 Yards on 3 Carries on the ground.
Jessin Hardin was the Eagles leading rusher with 39 Yards, followed by (#17) Zack Tillman’s 25.
Weston Smith had the team lead with 12 Catches for 71 Yards. Seth Simunek had the most Receiving Yards with 85 off 5 Receptions with 1 Touchdown. Langston Smith added 41 Yards and 1 TD, and Kevin Trillo brought down 2 grabs for 59 Yards.
Trillo added 6 Tackles on the defensive side, with (#21) Mauricio Valles having another stellar night with 4 Tackles and 3 Assists, behind the lead of fellow Linebacker Jessin Hardin who finished with 8 Tackles and 2 Assists. Zack Tillman and (#7) Brandon Valles each had a QB Sack to go on their defensive ledger.
Final Score OCS 35, Hennessey 15
The Eagles (2-2, 0-1) now turn their focus to the Perry Maroons (2-2, 1-0), coming off their 46-6 win over Blackwell. Homecoming 2022 is this Friday night, September 30th, with Kickoff scheduled for 7 pm.
-EAGLEVOICE, Photos by Kenda Copeland
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