Athens gets Homecoming win over Fairfield, 43-14
(Jaden Crane pulls in a pass Friday night. - Photo by Toby Rhodes of TGR Sports Photography.)
Ty Arroyo threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more as the Athens Hornets flew past Fairfield, 43-14, on Homecoming Friday night.
The win improves the Hornets record to 3-0 while Fairfield falls to 0-3.
Athens sprinted out to a 22-0 lead in the first quarter behind a 29-yard Arroyo scramble for a touchdown and scoring passes to Jaden Crane (16) and Jamauri Manning (61). The Hornets also added a safety.
Arroyo finished the night with 288 yards passing and 117 yards rushing to go with the five TDs.
Crane had seven catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Desmond Garrett had four receptions for 95 and a touchdown, and Jorian Ray had five for 54 yards.
While the Hornet offense was red hot, the defense was also on fire. Athens held Fairfield to just 34 yards on its first four drives. The Hornet defense did not give up a touchdown until the final 12 seconds of the game.
Twice the Hornet defense stopped Fairfield from scoring from within the 5 yard line.
For the third consecutive week, the Athens defense came up with a turnover. Against Fairfield, Logan Schwering had a fumble recovery.
The Hornets go on the road next week to take on Wills Point, which lost to Mabank Friday, 49-0.
SCORING
ATHENS (1Q 7:07): Ty Arroyo 29-yard run, Zsaid Inestroza kick good -- 7-0
ATHENS (1Q 2:57): Ty Arroyo 16-yard pass to Jaden Crane, kick no good -- 13-0
ATHENS (1Q 1:06): Safety - bad snap over punter's head -- 15-0
ATHENS (1Q 0:47): Ty Arroyo 61-yard pass to Jamauri Manning, Zsaid Inestroza kick good -- 22-0
ATHENS (2Q 6:27): Ty Arroyo 19-yard pass to Jaden Crane, Zsaid Inestroza kick good -- 29-0
ATHENS (3Q 5:09): Ty Arroyo 36-yard run, Zsaid Inestroza kick good -- 36-0
FAIRFIELD (3Q 0:00): Gabriel Grecu fumble recovery in end zone, kick no good -- 36-6
ATHENS (4Q 5:48): Troy Arroyo 6-yard pass to Desmond Garrett, Zsaid Inestroza kick good -- 43-6
FAIRFIELD (4Q 0:12): Eli Martin 3-yard run, 2pt run good -- 43-14
ATHENS ROYALTY
Congratulations to embers of the 2021 AHS Homecoming Court (pictured from left) Senior Queen Zayra Nunez, Junior Princess Miranda Garcia, Sophomore Duchess Karen Morales and Freshman Duchess Kaddy Garcia. (Photo via Athens ISD Facebook Page)
DID YOU NOTICE
-- The Hornets partially blocked Fairfield's first extra point. That was just part of a really tough night of special teams for Fairfield. The Hornets' safety came when the Eagles were punting and the snap sailed over the head of the kicker into the end zone. The punter tracked the ball down and tried to kick it but it went out of the side of the end zone.
-- Speaking of trouble on punts, the same thing happened to Athens. The Hornets were punting from their own 27 yard line when the ball got past kicker Ty Arroyo. In perhaps his most athletic play of the night, Arroyo tracked the ball down by the goal line, avoided the defense, and got off a 47-yard punt.
-- For the third straight game the Hornets scored over 40 points.
-- For the third straight game, the Hornets had a passing touchdown.
-- For the third straight game, the Athens defense gave up just one touchdown. Friday, Fairfield's first score came on a fumble recovery in the end zone.
-- For the third straight game, the Hornets got a turnover.
-- For the second straight game, there was a touchdown on the final play of a quarter.
-- From the Athens High School Facebook Page: "At the end of tonight’s game, school officials were alerted that someone in the stadium had allegedly threatened violence. Simultaneous to alerting law enforcement and tracking down the origin of the rumor, the field was cleared as quickly as possible. It was soon ascertained the threat was between arguing teenagers. There was no weapon involved. The incident will be further investigated."
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