Athens wins opener over Brownsboro, 42-28
Arroyo has huge varsity debut at quarterback
(Photo by Toby Rhodes from TGR Sports Photography -- Athens keeps the Highway 31 Championship Trophy another year.)
===
Welcome to Friday night, Ty Arroyo!
The Athens Hornets sophomore quarterback had a stellar varsity debut, rushing for four touchdowns and throwing for another while leading his team to a 42-28 win over Brownsboro to open the 2020 football season.
After going into halftime trailing 14-7, the Hornets flipped a switch in the third quarter.
On the first play of the second half, Arroyo raced past the Brownsboro defense for a 46-yard touchdown to tie the score.
On the first play of the ensuing possession, Athens middle linebacker Connor Clay recovered a Brownsboro fumble, giving the Hornets possession at the Brownsboro 19. Three plays later, Arroyo hit Cedric Lowe on a pretty fade pass in the end zone.
The two scores in the first 42 seconds of the third quarter put the Hornets up 21-14 and they never again trailed.
Arroyo showcased a big play ability, running for touchdowns of 55, 46, 37, and 10 yards. He also threw for 53 yards and a touchdown, connecting with five different receivers.
The Hornets’ other touchdown came on a Nathan Sims 4-yard run.
While Arroyo paced the offense, Clay was the catalyst for the defense. The senior linebacker was seemingly in on every tackle in the second half and provided an emotional spark to the team.
Special teams played a key role in the game with Athens holding a clear advantage.
Holding a one-score lead to start the fourth quarter, Arroyo -- who is also the Hornet punter -- kicked the ball down to the Brownsboro 1 yard line. The Athens defense held on three straight runs, forcing Brownsboro into fourth and long from its own 2.
Brownsboro tried a fake punt, but Athens was all over it and stopped Kyle Nichols on the 8 yard line.
Two plays later, Sims scored on a 4-yard run.
Brownsboro’s offense controlled the game in the first half, nearly tripling the number of offense plays for Athens.
Kyle Nichols paced Brownsboro in the half, rushing for 37 yards and catching two touchdown passes, one for 5 yards and one for 9.
Brownsboro’s second half touchdowns came on a 33-yard run by Shayden Jennings and a 2-yard run by Ja’tavien Sessions.
Athens will be on the road next week at Waxahachie Life with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
===
Our Sponsors
This site is free thanks to Athens Screen Printing, HP Overhead Door Company, Speedy Tech Repair, and Tinsley Law & Title. Please say thank you by visiting their Facebook page.
