The Hutto Hippos football team defeated the Cedar Ridge Raiders 63-56 in a shootout win. Hippos senior wide receiver Braeton Anderson caught the game-winning touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kaden Stefek with 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Anderson had one touchdown in the game, while Stefek accounted for five.
Both teams went back and forth, scoring 28 points each with a few minutes left in the first half. The Hippos built a two score lead before halftime, scoring on a 30-yard touchdown rush by running back junior Keilan Chavies and capitalizing on a muffed punt to make it 42-28 going into the third quarter.
The Hutto defense settled down a bit in the third quarter, getting a couple of stops as the offense continued to build on its lead with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Stefek to make it 49-28.
Hutto junior running back Braylon Beckworth had a 40-yard breakaway run, putting the score at 56-28.
Beckworth accounted for two touchdowns.
After this, it seemed Hutto had put the game away, but the Raiders came back, scoring 28 unanswered points to tie the game at 56-56 late in the fourth quarter. The Hippos responded with a touchdown drive that ultimately sealed the game 63-56.
The Hutto offense continued its hot streak from the start of the season and looked impressive.
Head coach Will Compton praised his offense’s performance and its resiliency. “The offense did a great job. We came out firing; we had a few series where we didn’t click, but when the game was on the line, Kaden (Stefek) and company marched the ball down the field and secured the win for us, so I am extremely proud of those guys.”
Defensively, the Hippos struggled to stop the Raiders’ offense, which scored quickly on big plays down the field. Despite this, the defense sealed the game late with a fourthdown stop with less than a minute to go. Compton commented on the game winning stop: “The guys did a great job, got a sack and overall our coverage was really good,” Compton said.
“Luckily, we were able to make a big stop, and I am really proud of those guys.” The Hippos improve to 2-1, while the Raiders fall to 0-3. Hutto’s next matchup will be on the road against Manor on Friday, Sept. 20. The game will kick off at 7 p.m.
