Despite a strong season so far, Azle has seen their luck take a bit of a downturn recently. They took a blow against the Richland Royals on Friday, falling 58-28. The Hornets were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 51-14.
When it comes to explaining why Azle lost, don't look at Hagen Hughes. Despite the final result, he rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.2 yards per carry, and also picked up 80 receiving yards and a touchdown. Hughes' rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his seventh straight game with at least 109 rushing yards.
Even though they lost, Azle was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 221 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September.
Azle wouldn't let Richland keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Hunter Ooten was the leader in that area as all came courtesy of his dominant performance. Josh Guevara was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making eight total tackles.
It was another big night for Drew Kates, who threw for 412 yards and six touchdowns while completing 78.3% of his passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground for Richland. Deon Jones was in the mix as well, providing Richland with three touchdowns.
Azle's defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 7-3. As for Richland, they pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home.
The two teams are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Azle will challenge Saginaw at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Saginaw will roll in looking for their tenth straight victory, something Azle surely won't give up without a fight. As for Richland, they will take on Arlington Heights at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. Richland knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Arlington Heights likes a good challenge.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
