Wearing their infamous allblack uniforms and shiny orange helmets, the Hippos (3-2) defeated district opponent Round Rock Westwood Warriors (1-5) 42-24 in their homecoming showdown.
Hutto’s offense exploded to start the game, with their first three possessions ending in touchdowns. It began with a 7-yard touchdown run by junior running back Keilan Chavies, followed by a 34-yard, one-handed touchdown grab by sophomore receiver Jaiden Fields. A 63-yard touchdown pass to Chavies gave the Hippos a 21-3 lead at the start of the second quarter.
“Our thing all week long was keeping the main thing the main thing,” Hutto head coach Will Compton said. “Just focusing on the game and executing the game plan was great for us on those first three possessions.”
Hutto’s momentum stalled when junior quarterback Kaden Stefek made his first error, throwing a pick-six to senior cornerback Scott Ukelman for the Warriors’ first touchdown. After another unsuccessful drive following the turnover, the Hippos’ defense stepped up with an interception by junior safety Carlos Sorto.
The Hippos capitalized on the turnover as Fields’ 21-yard catch for his second touchdown reception and Stefek’s third touchdown pass of the night extended Hutto’s lead to 28-10 by halftime.
Coming out of halftime, Stefek threw his second interception, giving the Warriors some momentum. They capitalized, cutting the deficit to 28-17. Hutto fumbled on their next drive for their second consecutive turnover, but the defense held strong, preventing back-to-back touchdowns.
“Kaden made some mistakes, but I thought he showed resilience as his guys picked him up on the sidelines,” Compton said.
Hutto’s offense bounced back as Fields grabbed his third touchdown reception of the night on a 70-yard screen pass from Stefek, stretching the lead to 35-17. The Warriors quickly answered with a touchdown pass to begin the fourth quarter, trailing 35-24.
The Hippos slowed down their tempo and secured Stefek’s hat trick with a goal-line fade touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Braeton Anderson, sealing the final score at 42-24.
Hutto will now go on the road to face Round Rock High School (5-1) as they seek to continue climbing the 6A Region IV District 25 standings. Kickoff between Hutto and Round Rock is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Dragon Stadium in Round Rock, Texas.
