Look: Hauss Hejny's 6 TDs lead Aledo to 64-21 win over Burleson Centennial
BURLESON, Texas - Hauss Hejny threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 175 yards and two more scores to lead Aledo to a 64-21 win over Burleson Centennial on Friday night.
With the victory Aledo extended its district winning streak to 109 games.
"Defense is the one who set the tone, honestly,” Aledo head coach Tim Buchanan said after the game. “We felt like we could score on them, and we had to match them score for score early in the game. That’s exactly what we did. Then we went up on them by two touchdowns."
Hejny's favorite target was Jalen Pope, who caught seven passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Aledo wasted no time getting on the board when Hejny found Pope on a post route for an early touchdown. A missed extra point kept the score at 6-0.
The Spartans took the lead on the ensuing series when they mounted a 77-yard drive, capped off by a four-yard touchdown keeper by quarterback Phillip Hamilton.
Hamilton amassed 54 total yards and a touchdown in the game.
It only took one play for the Bearcats to reclaim the lead as Hejny kept it himself on the read option and raced 75 yards to the end zone. The two-point conversion was good and Aledo took a 14-7 lead.
Two big plays put Centennial deep in Bearcat territory on the ensuing drive and fullback Elijah Zeh tied the game on a second effort from two yards out. The game stood at 14-14 after one quarter.
Zeh led the Spartans offensively with 110 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns.
From there, it was all Aledo. After both teams traded punts to open the second quarter, Hejny again found Pope in the end zone to take the lead for good. The Spartans appeared to be on a drive to tie the game again, but a big sack on fourth down gave the ball back to the Bearcats.
Two plays later, Hejny did it on the ground again with a 52-yard keeper to make the score 28-14 at halftime.
The fireworks continued early in the second half. After another defensive stop, Hejny threw to Gavin Olenjack on the crossing route and he took it 42 yards to pay dirt. Olenack finished the game with two catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
Centennial only needed one play to respond as Zeh broke free and ran 83 yards for the score, bringing the tally to 35-21.
Two plays into the next Aledo drive, Hejny again found Olenjack on the screen. Olenjack dodged two defenders and broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run, making the score 42-21 after three quarters.
The Spartans fumbled on the ensuing drive and Andrew Parkhurst came up with it, setting Aledo up in excellent field position. Three plays later, linebacker Davhon Keys came in at running back and broke multiple tackles before scoring from 16 yards out. A fumbled snap resulted in the Bearcats throwing for two points to make the score 50-21.
After a botched kickoff return gave the ball back to the Bearcats, Hawk Patrick-Daniels found pay dirt with a seven-yard scoring run. Another Centennial fumble set up Aledo in plus territory, and Ryan Cox put the finishing touch on the game with a 14-yard scoring run to bring the final score to 64-21.
“I’m really confident,” Hejny said about what lies ahead. “The main thing is keeping the guys level headed and humble. I don’t want anybody to get too high and underestimate Denton Ryan. They’re still a good football team, I know Burleson [Centennial] beat them but we still gotta stay disciplined and focus on what we can control, and go into that game like any other game.”
Aledo (6-2, 6-0) will look to continue its district winning streak and secure a district title at 7 p.m. Friday, October 21 when the Bearcats face the Denton Ryan Raiders (4-2, 4-1) at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex in Denton.
Centennial (6-1, 4-1) looks to bounce back when it hosts the Brewer Bears at 7 p.m. Friday, October 21 at Burleson Stadium.
Check out SBLive's exclusive photos from the game:
(All photos by Brian McLean)
