Hornets grind out win over Eagles, 24-21

  • SHAKING OFF THE DEFENSE -Sudan quarterback, Trent Wilson, stiff arms a Ropes defender on his way to a solid gain in the second half of the Hornets’, 24-21, victory over the Eagles on Friday. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    SHAKING OFF THE DEFENSE -Sudan quarterback, Trent Wilson, stiff arms a Ropes defender on his way to a solid gain in the second half of the Hornets’, 24-21, victory over the Eagles on Friday. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • LADYWOLVERINE JUNIOR HIGH MEDALIST - Springlake-Earth competed at the Littlefield Invitational on Saturday where Maribel Villanueva placed third overall with a time of 14:39. (Submitted Photo)
    LADYWOLVERINE JUNIOR HIGH MEDALIST - Springlake-Earth competed at the Littlefield Invitational on Saturday where Maribel Villanueva placed third overall with a time of 14:39. (Submitted Photo)
  • LADY WOLVERINE VARSITY MEDALISTS - Springlake-Earth competed at the Littlefield Invitational on Saturday where senior, Taytum Goodman, brought home first place and sophomore, Aabriella Villanueva finished eight overall. The Lady Wolverines places fourth as a team with 106 points. (Submitted Photo)
    LADY WOLVERINE VARSITY MEDALISTS - Springlake-Earth competed at the Littlefield Invitational on Saturday where senior, Taytum Goodman, brought home first place and sophomore, Aabriella Villanueva finished eight overall. The Lady Wolverines places fourth as a team with 106 points. (Submitted Photo)

The Sudan Hornets’ varsity football team went on the road on Friday night and rallied past the Ropes Eagles, 24-21.

With the win, the Hornets improved to 2-1 overall on the season.

Sudan totaled 474 yards of total offense, including 302 passing yards and 172 rushing yards.

Sudan’s opening drive ended with a punt, giving Ropes the ball on their own 13-yard line. The Eagles were able to drive the ball up to their own 31-yard line, before they were forced to line up for a punt with 5:51 to play in the opening quarter. The punt was blocked by Jaden Conley and recovered by Andrew Larson at the Ropes 22-yard line.

Marcello King took a sweep around the right side, but the Hornets were flagged for holding, backing them up to the Ropes 32yard line. Trent Wilson hit Alan Flores over the middle for a solid gain, and on second and six, Wilson kept it himself, taking it up the middle for three yards. The Hornet’s drive would stall out, as they turned the ball over on downs with 3:55 to play in the first quarter.

The Hornet defense stood strong, as a seven-play drive that ended in an Eagles’ punt with 1:27 to play in the quarter.

Sudan took over at their own 20-yard line, as Wilson hit Caleb Groetken over the middle for a first down up to their own 40-yard line. Two plays later, Wilson hit Jaibryn Ornelas on a pass over the middle for another Sudan first down, down to the Ropes 38-yard line.

Wilson took a keep to the left for a solid gain, down to the Eagles’ 14-yard line to set up first and 10. King tried a carry up the middle, but was stuffed for a loss, as the first quarter came to a close.

Wilson’s pass to the left fell incomplete looking for Sal Juarez and on the next play, the Hornet’s were flagged for a false start, backing them up to the 21-yard line. However, on third and long, Wilson connected over the middle with Groetken for the 21-yard touchdown pass with 11:55 to play in the first half. The PAT by Groetken was no good, leaving the score, 6-0.

Ropes took over after the kickoff at their own 21-yard line and was able to take a 13-play drive down the field, capping off things with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Jacob Wyatt with 7:03 to play in the half. The PAT by Reese Williams was good, putting the Eagles in front, 7-6. That score would stand going into the locker room at halftime.

Both teams came up empty on their first possessions of the second half, and after the Sudan defense forced a three-and-out with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter, they took over after a punt return from Juarez, at the Ropes 30-yard line.

On first and 10, Wilson took a quarterback keeper to the left and the Eagles were flagged for a later hit out of bounds at the end of the play, taking the ball all the way down to the 11-yard line. King would punch it in on the next play for the 11-yard rushing touchdown with 4:37 to play in the third. The two-point conversion run by Conley was no good, putting the Hornets back in front, 12-7.

After muffing the kick-off, the Eagles took over at their own 15yard line on offense. Kade Franklin connected over the middle with Colton Mortensen to move the chains for Ropes. With a fresh set of downs, Wyatt took a carry up the middle but he was tackled for a loss by the Hornet defense. On the next play, however, Franklin tossed a pass out to his right that was caught by Kolter Dockery, who took it 75-yard to the house for the touchdown. The PAT by Williams was good, putting Ropes back on top, 14-12, with 2:57 to play in the third quarter.

Williams booted the kick-off for Ropes into the endzone for a touchback, giving the Hornets the ball at their own 25-yard line. King got the drive started with a run to the right, and Wilson followed it up with a pass to Flores for a first down up to the Hornet’s 38-yard line. Wilson picked up nine yards with the quarterback keeper on first down and on the next play, he connected with Ornelas for a huge gain, taking the ball down to the Eagles’ eight-yard line to set up first and goal. On the next play, Braxtyn Harrell caught an eightyard pass from Wilson to put them back in front, 18-14, after the failed PAT by Groetken, with 1:13 remaining in the quarter.

Ropes would close out the third quarter with an 18-yard touchdown pass, as Franklin hit Branson Beck in the corner of the endzone. The PAT was good by Williams, putting them in front, 21-18, going into the final quarter of play.

The Hornets would not go away, as they opened the final frame with a 14 play, 83-yard dive, that was capped off, when Wilson hit Juarez on the slant route for the 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:34 remaining in the contest. The PAT by Groetken was no good, putting Sudan back in front, 24-21.

The Eagles would be picked off by King over the middle with 4:19 to play in the game, and Sudan’s offense would go on to kill the clock, taking the contest on the road, 24-21.

Wilson finished the game 22-35 passing for three touchdowns and one interception. He also added 17 carries for 93 rushing yards.

In the rushing attack, King tallied 19 carries for 86 yards and one touchdown.

Flores led the receiving attack with seven catches for 88 yards, while Ornelas tallied four catches for 87 yards, and Groetken chipped in five catches for 78 yards and one score. Juarez contributed four catches for 40 yards and one touchdown, while Harrell added one catch for eight yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, Flores led the defense with 14 total tackles, including three for loss, while Conley added 13 total tackles, including five for loss and a blocked punt. King added nine tackles, one for loss and an interception and Ornelas also hauled in an interception, while adding two tackles, one for loss. Derek Rosa also had a fumble recovery.