Rattlers pluck the Bluejays in second district win
Navasota junior running back Jamal Thomas navigates through the Needville defense for a big gain. He had two touchdowns in the 41-14 homecoming win.
Hudson Minor delivers a pass in the Rattlers 41-14 win over the Bluejays. The win improves Navasota to (5-2, 2-1).
Needville scored early, but Navasota scored often in a 41-14 homecoming win to pick up their second consecutive district win.
The Bluejays (3-4, 0-3) left few feathers behind, driving for the opening score on their first possession. They used a fast-paced attack capped by a Jamarcus Jack 22-yard reception to take an early 7-0 lead.
Needville’s lead was short-lived, as Navasota (5-2, 2-1) struck on the second play of the ensuing possession. Hudson Minor connected with tight-end Kaddon Hubbard who ran a seam-route and caught a pass in stride enoute to a 71-yard score. Juan Vargas tacked on the point-after to tie the game.
Navasota took the lead with 4:05 remaining in the opening quarter on a 14-yard run by Deontray Scott. Vargas tacked on the point-after for a 14-7 advantage.
Vargas split the uprights twice in the second period, kicking field goals of 23 and 36 yards. Jamal Thomas scored on a 4-yard run between the field goals.
“I think our guys are finally starting to realize you have to put in the work all week to give yourself a chance on Friday,” explained Navasota Head Coach Casey Dacus. “I told them after the game it is no coincidence that we won like we did because we had a good week of practice and when you start stacking good days on top of good days, it is easy to repeat performance and I thought tonight we did that. I am really pleased with our guys this week.”
Needville capitalized on a Rattler turnover early in the fourth quarter to narrow the lead 27-14. Keilan Sweeny made a spectacular reception in the far-left corner of the endzone for a 21-yard touchdown.
The Rattlers again answered quickly, a 55-yard run by Scott for his second score of the game 15 seconds after the Bluejay score gave Navasota a 34-14 edge. Jamal Thomas’s second score on the night, good for five yards, finalized the scoring with 4:53 remaining.
Navasota features three running backs, showing tremendous depth in the backfield. Scott returned to the lineup after being sidelined the previous week. “You saw tonight the difference that Deontray makes,” said Dacus. “He’s so explosive and he can go the distance any time he touches the ball. When you have a homerun threat back there, it really opens things up.”
Needville travels to El Campo Friday, Oct. 14, to battle the Ricebirds. Navasota is on the road to meet the Iowa Colony Pioneers, a new team in the Alvin ISD school district. Both games are slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff.