7. Waco Connally 47, Gatesville 45

October 29, 2021

Week 10 District 9-4A Division II Play

Gatesville, TX

Waco Connally and Gatesville put on an absolute offensive show in front of a capacity crowd at McKamie Stadium in Week 10 with third place on the line in 9-4A Division II.

It appeared the Connally Cadets would run away with this one as CHS built a 40-15 lead over Gatesville with 2:33 left in the third quarter, but a huge Hornets rally down the stretch made this one a nail-biter. 

Waco Connally jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead as Kiefer Sibley opened the game with a 37-yard touchdown run. Gatesville responded with a methodical 12-play drive ending in a three-yard touchdown run and ensuing two-point run from Wesley Brown to put the Hornets up 8-7. The back and forth continued later in the half with Sibley and Brown trading scoring runs leaving Gatesville ahead 15-14 before Connally went on what appeared to be a game deciding surge. 

Connally took the lead for good with just over four minutes left in the third quarter as QB Jelani McDonald hooked up with Kobe Black for a 25-yard touchdown pass making the score 21-15. Right before halftime, Tre Wisner showed his elite playmaking ability ripping off a 48-yard touchdown run to make the score 28-15 heading into the locker room. 

The Cadets would open the game up halfway through the third as McDonald found Jylon Nobles for an 84-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 34-15. After a Gatesville punt, McDonald again would strike in the passing game with a 43-yard scoring toss to Jack Johnston giving the Cadets a 40-15 lead with 2:33 remaining in the third, then things would get WILD. 

With 11:28 left in the game, Gatesville showed some life with Wesley Brown connecting with Trevor Smith for a 12-yard touchdown pass to cut the CHS lead to 40-21. After recovering an onside kick, Gatesville would convert that into a 24-yard Luis Macias field goal to make it a two-score game at 40-24 with 8:34 remaining. After recovering ANOTHER onside kick, Wesley Brown would score on a 28-yard run and get the two point try to send the Gatesville crowd into a frenzy as the Waco Connally lead was cut to 40-32 with 7:15 left in the game. 

Gatesville would decide to kick it deep this time and after one play it seemed as if Connally was back in control of the game as Tre Wisner went 80-yards for a touchdown to extend the Cadets lead to 47-32 with 7:01 left. 

The Hornets would not go away scoring with 3:40 left in the game on a two-yard run from Brown to make it a one-score game at 47-39. With three timeouts left, Gatesville decided to roll the dice and onside kick but Connally recovered this attempt. The Hornets defense got the stop they were looking for and then they got a massive special teams break as a bad snap on the punt went over the punter’s head and Gatesville recovered on the Connally 12 with 2:24 remaining. With 1:06 left, after getting a first down on 4th and 10 due to a defensive pass interference call, Brown would score on a five-yard run to make it 47-45 with the two point conversion pending. Connally’s battered defense was able to step up on the conversion and hold Gatesville out of the end zone and the Cadets were able to recover the onside kick to hang on for the wild 47-45 win, securing the third playoff spot in 9-4A Division II.