Hippos win 66-63 shoot out over Vikings
HUTTO — The Hippos have turned it around on the gridiron this season. A late field goal by the Hutto High School varsity football team helped them clinch a playoff berth for 6A-District 12 with a thrilling 66-63 victory over Bryan High School Friday night.
Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, Hippos senior standout quarterback Will Hammond drove the Hutto offense downfield and scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown to knot the game up with the Vikings 7-7 early in the first quarter.
After Bryan scored twice to take a 21-7 lead, the Hippos answered back in a huge way as Hammond connected on a 75-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Alex Green to get within 21-14 towards the end of the opening quarter.
With Hutto down 28-14 in the second quarter, the Hippos’ offense again picked up the slack as sophomore running back Keilan Chavies scored on a one-yard touchdown run and Hammond then threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Green to tie the game at 28-28 right before halftime.
The shootout between the Hippos and Vikings continued throughout the second half in a must-win game for both squads. In a game that was tied 56-56 at the end of the third quarter, Hutto lit up the scoreboard with a 28yard touchdown run from Hammond, an 81-yard touchdown pass from Hammond to Green, another 28-yard Hammond touchdown on the ground and an 88-yard touchdown pass from Hammond to Green.
Hammond would score on a oneyard touchdown run with 5:47 left in the fourth quarter, but Bryan drove downfield to tie the game up 63-63 with just over one minute remaining. That was plenty of time for Hammond and the Hippos’ offense to drive down field and get into field goal range as senior kicker Gabriel Sorto kicked a gamewinning 22-yard field goal to give the Hippos the victory over the Vikings on senior night.
Hutto High School varsity football junior defensive back Cashton LaPlante (4) goes up to make a leaping interception Oct. 27 during the Hippos’ 66-63 victory at home against Bryan High School. Photo by Larry Pelchat
With a spot in the playoffs secured, Hutto (4-5 overall, 3-2 district) will travel Thursday, Nov. 2, for the regular-season district finale at 7 p.m. against the Wolves of Pflugerville Weiss High School at The Pfield.
