High School Sports: Abilene VS Hays

Cowboys Suffer Close Loss to Hays Indians

by Gabe Johnson

The Abilene Cowboys did just about everything they needed to win against district opponent Hays High School.  Most of the team, Abilene fans, and anybody inside that stadium are still trying to comprehend how the Cowboys were unable to leave Hays without a victory Friday night.  How they lost being set aside, the Cowboys have one final opportunity to clinch a playoff berth in their final game of the regular season against Buhler.  To move into the playoffs, the Cowboys will need to beat their old nemesis, the Buhler Crusaders, by at least 16 points.

Leading up to the game, all talk was around Hays quarterback, and Kansas State commit, Alex Delton.  On the first play from scrimmage of the ball game, junior quarterback Harley Hazlett quickly showed Delton wasn’t the only quarterback that deserved some notoriety.  Hazlett faked a handoff to the left side of the line, then paused and waited for his blockers to set up to his right side.  He darted 68 yards up the right side of the field for a touchdown and put the Cowboys on top 6-0 just seconds into the game.  Senior kicker Alex Espinoza knocked the PAT through the goalposts, making the score 7-0.

The Hays Indians would reply with a 9-play drive, resulting in a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Isaiah Blackmon.  The snap on the PAT flew over the holder’s head, helping the Cowboys maintain the lead at 7-6.

Tanner Hoekman makes an open-field tackle - photo by Denise Youtsey

The Cowboys moved the ball down to the 1-yard line after a long pass connection from Hazlett to senior tight end Zach Barbieri.  The play set up a 1-yard touchdown from senior running back Tanner Hoekman.  Espinoza completed the extra point, pushing the score to 14-7.

Dalton Goodwin (28) clears the way for Zach Barbieri - photo by Denise Youtsey

Blackmon scored his second touchdown of the night on the Indians’ next drive.  He punched the ball in from the 2-yard line, and Hays converted on their 2-point conversion to tie the game at 14-14.  The Cowboys were unfazed, as Hazlett connected with Hoekman on a short pass to the right side of the field, where Hoekman was able to sprint straight up the field 76 yards for his second touchdown of the game.  Espinoza converted the PAT, and the Cowboys led 21-14.

Hays responded once again, as Delton led his offense down the field, finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.  The PAT tied the game knotted the game at 21-21.

Tanner Hoekman (25) dives into the end zone, giving the Cowboys the lead at halftime. - photo by Denise Youtsey

The Cowboys held the ball on what would be the final drive of the half.  They pushed the ball down the field to the 1-yard line with three seconds left.  On the final play before halftime, Hoekman lunged into the endzone, giving the Cowboys a 27-21 lead over the Hays Indians after the blocked PAT.

After his interception, Dalton Goodwin looks for running room. - photo by Denise Youtsey

In the third quarter, the Cowboy offense drove the ball down to the Hays 5-yard line after senior safety Dalton Goodwin intercepted Delton at midfield.  On fourth down from the 5, Harley Hazlett was stopped while trying to get around the right side of the line, resulting on a turnover on downs.  Alex Delton took the ball 90 yards down the field on the very next play to tie the score at 27-27.  Luckily for the Cowboys, the extra point clanged off the left upright, keeping the score tied.

Harley Hazlett follows his lead blocker, Wyatt Youtsey (63). - photo by Denise Youtsey

The following drive, Hazlett completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Hoekman to give the Cowboys the lead once again.  The extra point was blocked, finalizing the Cowboys’ lead at 33-27.

Continuing the shootout, Hays moved the ball down the field to the 15-yard line.  Delton rushed in from 15 yards out for yet another touchdown, tying the game at 33-33.  The extra point from Hays split the uprights, giving Hays their first lead of the night at 34-33 with 8:38 left in the contest.

The Cowboys were able to move the ball down to the Hays 24-yard line, but a failed 4th-down conversion put the ball back into the hands of the speedy Delton.  The Indians ran the football down the middle with Delton until the clock had expired, and the Hays Indians escaped with a 34-33 victory.

Logan McDowell hangs on for a quarterback sack. - photo by Denise Youtsey

The loss knocked the Cowboys down to 6-2 on the season (0-2 district).  Hays extended their record to 7-1 on the season (1-1 district).

After McPherson defeated Buhler 44-42 the same night, District 8’s two playoff spots are still up for grabs for any team.  Despite Abilene having the most difficult road to make the playoffs of any team in the district, if any football team out of Abilene High School is going to fight and claw their way into the playoffs, it will be the team that takes the field October 31 versus Buhler.