Since they started playing pitch-and-catch in pre-kindergarten days, Hamshire-Fannett’s flashy passing combination understandably has developed great chemistry.
It might seem an exaggeration but that’s how many years that juniors Blake Broussard and Dwayne Long have been together. They displayed their considerable talents Friday night as the Longhorns jumped on Little Cypress-Mauriceville early and strolled to a 25-0 victory at Longhorn Stadium.
Broussard took what LC-M’s defense gave him, completing 14 of 16 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Long burned LC-M for a 69-yard touchdown catch-and-dash on H-F’s first offensive snap and grabbed five receptions for 139 yards.
Coupled with the leadership of defensive back Jayden Bell and linebacker Isaiah Reed, the Horns improved to 3-0 on a night where mistakes prevented the Battlin’ Bears (2-1) from making it a closer battle.
But yes, the junior duo maintained they have teamed up together since they practically learned how to run.
“We grew up together,” said Long, who looks faster on a football field than his 4.5-speed in the 40. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play on the same team together.”
“We were four years old when we started playing together on the West Beaumont Bulldogs,” claimed Broussard, who rarely displayed his downfield passing skill due to the Bears’ defensive alignment.
“It’s a numbers game,” he explained. “Their secondary was in a (cover 3) deep zone and they didn’t want us to throw downfield, so we had to take what was there.”
With three H-F receivers aligned near LC-M’s sideline, Broussard took the screen route on a sideways pass to Long. LC-M’s secondary was playing chase immediately. When Long noticed open field, he accelerated mighty fast.
“He’s electric,” H-F coach Mark Waggoner said. “He blocks well and he’s probably the best route runner that I’ve ever coached. He’s had three or four Division 1 offers.”
H-F’s other scoring pass revealed its ability to gobble up yards after catch too. Senior running back Sage Gilder caught a short toss near the Horns sideline midway in the second quarter. But the speedy Gilder saw daylight to the opposite side of the field and took it to the concession stand for a 70-yard score.
Gilder’s scoring dash gave H-F a three-score lead and LC-M coach Eric Peevey knew his offense had a steep hill to climb after that.
Although the Bears tried to keep from getting burned by the big play, H-F’s short passes turned into quick knockout punches. The Bears led in rushing yards, 74-62, and dominated possession time, 27:02 to 20:58.
Those encouraging stats did not seem to console Peevey after the final whistle.
“We mentally busted,” he said. “We killed ourselves. Don’t get me wrong. He (Waggoner) is a great coach and they’re a well-coached group but I thought we took a step backwards tonight in the mental side of it. We’ve got to get ready mentally because (LC-M’s next opponent) Orangefield is going to be tough.”
LC-M moved the ball to H-F’s 5-yard line once in each half but could not score. Defensive back Bell turned away Bears quarterback Jakson Struwe at the Horns 5 with eight minutes left in the game. Linebacker Gunner Forsyth broke Struwe’s throwback pass for Brycen Chargois on the last play of the first half at H-F’s 3-yard line.
Orangefield visits Bear Stadium next Friday while H-F travels to Stafford.
-Tom Halliburton-
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