By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Ninth, out of nine. Oh, that preseason District 1-5A coaches poll was a slap in the face for running back Brandon Craig and his fellow seniors on the Haughton football team.
Something to prove? Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than the Buccaneers coming into this season, even after their 3-0 start. Three wins, by a combined 137-36, against lower classification teams with a combined 0-9 record going into Friday night – cue the Shania Twain song, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
But that start, and more, roused the Haughton community, which jammed the home stands at Harold E. Harlan Stadium for Friday’s district opener against a 2-1 Captain Shreve team. The scene around Dak Prescott Field looked and felt like the good ole days, 26 straight state playoff appearances through 2022, before the Bucs hit a skid, with paper-thin senior classes forcing a youth movement sending sophomores out in droves against salty district opponents.
Haughton won two 1-5A games and went 5-15 overall in its first two seasons under proud 30-year-old alumnus Matthew Sewell. No wonder the other district coaches gave this year’s team no preseason respect.
They will now, after the Bucs gutted the Gators 50-36, as Craig scored four touchdowns, fellow senior Taylor Weathersby threw for three, and a Buc who didn’t get on the field last fall, senior defensive end Luke Hensley, matched a school record with five quarterback sacks.
It was put up or shut up time, and Haughton felt it all week long.
“Coming to this game, it was like just something different. I shed a tear when I woke up today,” said Craig after running for 186 yards on 25 carries. “I was like man, I can’t lose this game. Because I just wanted to prove everybody wrong that was sleeping on us, that listed us number nine. I just wanted to prove everybody wrong.”
One game doesn’t make a season, but this one made a statement.
“This is probably our most important game in five years,” said Hensley, who knows more than a little bit about Haughton football history, being the grandson of former head coach Dude Hensley, and a third-generation Buccaneer. “We’ve been a very young team the past few years, and now we’ve got a lot of experienced seniors, and some really talented athletes. I feel like we’re ready to prove something.”
Nobody had more to unleash than he did.
Last fall, he didn’t play. He wanted to, he tried to, but he didn’t get off the bench. When new defensive coordinator Greg Baswell arrived for the spring semester, Hensley was already into a fierce offseason workout routine that rolled right into preseason practices. He opened eyes and earned his spot.
Friday night, he menaced Shreve sophomore quarterback Maddox Parrott all night. His sacks seemed to come in the biggest moments, when Shreve was on the move. Hensley ended the Gators’ last series with two straight, moving them 23 yards backwards, slamming the door.
“I just read the block and executed whenever I saw the gap. We watched a lot of film this week and we knew he was going to do those boot rollouts and stuff and anytime he did that, I was there. I was ready to make the play,” said Hensley.
“The guys around me just executed and it allowed me to make plays. We all flew to the football,” he said. “When they put up points, we didn’t put our heads down and we didn’t give up. We got back out there and we did our job.”
Weathersby did, as usual, going 15 of 27 for 277 yards and making all the right moves with the Bucs offense.
“He was in total control,” said Sewell. “This was his 31st high school varsity football game. There’s nothing he hasn’t seen and he’s just very composed and does a great job taking care of the football and directing the offense. I’m just so happy he plays for us.”
Another senior, Ethan Johnson, showed how he led the state in receiving last year with 136 yards on seven catches, including two scores.
Craig’s last TD clinched it. Shreve closed within 43-36 with 5:19 to go on a 5-yard flip from Parrott (262 yards, 3 TDs on 21 of 33 aim) to Kaleb Law (131 yards, 2 TDs on seven grabs), after tailback Gabe Lockett’s career night (214 yards on 21 carries, including two scores).
Craig covered 34 yards on Haughton’s next three plays, and three snaps later, followed a perfect tackle trap block by Jaxon Raley that cracked a crease, and cut back on a 30-yarder with exactly two minutes left.
Hensley’s last two sacks slammed the door and earned Sewell a couple of end-of-game icy water-cooler dousings.
“I’ve never had one of those,” he said. “It’s a shock to the system to be honest.”
Just like the Bucs’ unbeaten mark is to quite a few opposing coaches.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com