The Sudan Hornets’ varsity football team saw their season come a close on Thursday night, in the Class 2A Bi-district round of the play-offs, as they fell to the Seagraves Eagles in Slaton, 42-20.
With the loss, the Hornets finish the season with a mark of 7-4 overall.
The Sudan Hornets got the ball to open the contest, but after taking the ball just inside Eagles’ territory, they were faced with a fourth and 10. They elected to go for it, but Trent Wilson’s pass looking for Alan Flores fell incomplete for a turnover on downs with 9:19 to play in the opening quarter.
Seagraves got the ball on their own 44-yard line for their first offensive possession, and they used a heavy dose of the run game to march the ball down the field, capping off the 56yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass, as Jace Humphries hit Dacian Wilborn for the score with 2:27 to play in the first quarter. The PAT by Adrian Rodriguez was good, putting the Eagles in front, 7-0.
Marcello King returned the kickoff up tot he Sudan 40-yard line to give the Hornets great field position as their offense went back out on to the field. Wilson kept it himself for a one-yard run on first down, but on the next play, he was sacked by Evan Martinez and Roman Perez for a 10yard loss, making it third and long from their own 31-yard line.
On third and long, Wilson’s pass to the left looking for Sal Juarez fell incomplete, but a defensive pass interference penalty was called on the Eagles, making it first and 10 from the Sudan 46-yard line. The Hornet’s offensive struggles continued, as they lost three yards before lining up to punt on fourth down. The Punt by King was muffed by Julian Munoz and recovered by Kasen Kauffman at the Seagraves 15-yard line.
On first down, King took a run around the right side for a touchdown with 5.9 seconds to play in the first quarter. The PAT by Caleb Groetken was good, tying the game, 7-7.
Seagraves took over after the muffed kick-off at their own 17-yard line. Laron Hamilton took a dive up the middle for no gain, as the first quarter came to a close.
Hamilton took a run up the middle for six yards on seconds down, before he was brought down by Gabriel Lopez. The Eagles were faced with a third and one, as Hamilton again carried the ball, this time to the left, but the ball was knocked out by Hornet defense and recovered by Juarez with 11:09 to play in the half.
The Hornets looked to capitalize on the turnover with the ball on the Eagles 49-yard line, but just two plays into the drive, Wilson dropped back and delivered a deep pass over the middle looking for Jaibryn Ornelas, but he was picked off by Josiah Conde, who returned it back to the 50-yard line with 10:53 to play in the half.
Both teams were forced to punt on each of their next possessions, and the Eagles took over at their own 46yard line with 5:55 to play in the half.
The Eagles capped off an 11-play drive, as Julian Munoz rushed for a four-yard touchdown with under one minute to play in the first half. The PAT from Rodriguez was no good, putting Seagraves back in front, 13-7. The score would stand going into the locker room at halftime.
Seagraves got the ball to open the second half and were able to take it up to their own 38-yard line before they were forced to punt the ball away with 9:11 remaining in the third quarter.
Sudan could not get anything going offensively, after taking over at their own 30-yard line. Just two plays into the drive, Wilson was picked off by Raymond Rodriguez and the Hornets were flagged for a facemask during the return, giving Seagraves the ball at the Sudan three-yard line.
The Eagles would punch it in on the next play with a run up the middle by Hamilton with 8:09 to play in the third quarter. The Eagles took a time out prior to the extra point and out of the break, Humphries hit Wilborn on the throwback to the left for the twopoint conversion, as Seagraves took a two-touchdown lead, 21-7.
Sudan went three-and-out on their next offensive possession, as King punted the ball away with 7:27 to play in the quarter. The Eagles took over at their own 29-yard line and they needed just two plays to find the end zone again, as Munoz took a pitch around the right side for a 27-yard touchdown run with 6:30 remaining in the quarter. The PAT by Adrian Rodriguez was good, pushing the lead to, 28-7.
Sudan took over at their own 37yard line, as the Hornet offense came back out on the field led by Groetken, who replaced Wilson at quarterback.
Groetken hit Ornelas on a pass to the right for eight yards on first down, but on the next play the run up the middle by King was stuffed by Perez for a five-yard loss, backing them up to third and seven. On third and seven, Groetken connected with Flores over the middle for a first down into Eagles’ territory at the 39-yard line.
With a fresh set of downs, Groetken dropped back on first down, and heaved a deep pass over the middle, that was hauled in by Ornelas for the 39-yard touchdown with 4:42 to play in the third quarter. The PAT by Groetken was good, making the score, 28-14.
Sudan’s defense forced a punt with 3:52 to play in the third, as the Hornet offense took over at their own 19-yard line. Sudan’s next offensive drive extended into the fourth quarter, but on fourth and four, Groetken’s pass fell incomplete looking for Wilson, as they turned the ball over on downs with 11:52 to play in the game.
Seagraves wasted no time finding the end zone, as Hamilton took a run up the middle, breaking it out to the right for a 75-yard touchdown run with 11:40 to play. The PAT byAdrian Rodriguez was god, pushing their lead to, 35-14.
Sudan was able to take the ball into Eagle territory on their next offensive possession, but on fourth and long, Groetken was picked off by Conde, who returned it back up to the Eagles’ 33-yard line with 9:23 to play in the contest.
The Eagles would follow up the defensive play with an 11-play drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown run from Hamilton with 3:11 remaining in the game. The PAT sailed through the uprights, making the score, 42-14.
With just over a minute remaining, Sudan would cut into the lead, as Wilson kept it himself on a run to the left, cutting it back to the middle for an 18-yard touchdown run. The twopoint conversion try was no good, as Seagraves went on to take the contest, 42-20.