Keith MacPherson, Sports Editor
Gainesville Daily Register
MUENSTER — It wasn’t always pretty but Muenster got it done.
The Hornets shook off a second half charge from Valley View to down the Eagles 28-14 for Homecoming at Hornet Stadium on Friday.
Hornet running back Trevor Hess scored a touchdown with 4:52 remaining in the game – his fourth of the night – to seal the victory for Muenster and snap a string of 14 unanswered points by the Eagles.
The win was much needed for the Hornets (2-1), who fell to Nocona last week for their only regular season loss in two seasons.
Hess finished with 190 yards on the night on 28 carries. The punishing back scored two touchdowns in each half.
Valley View (1-2) stepped up its offensive production after the first half saw the Eagles accumulate only 34 total yards. The Eagles finished with 174 yards on the night.
The two headed rushing attack of Landon Boaz and Gabe Blankenau combined for 148 yards on the ground – Boaz with 77 on 18 carries and Blankenau with 71 on eight carries.
Blankenau scored the first of two Valley View touchdowns when he found pay dirt with a 1-yard run up the middle late in the third quarter.
The Eagles’ only other score came on a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Ethan McCollum on the opening play of the fourth quarter. That score cut the Muenster lead to 21-14 at the time.
It was all Muenster for the first half as the Hornets set the mood as cheerful for the halftime Homecoming ceremony.
The Hornets, who will play rival Lindsay next week, saw Hess score on runs 5 and 3 yards in the first half with the first score coming in the first quarter and the second coming early in the second.
Hess added his third score midway through the third quarter when he found an opening up the middle after taking a direct snap from nine yards out.
Valley View picked off two passes on the night with Boaz and McCollum coming up with one each. The Eagles were perhaps undone by turnovers after losing three fumbles.
McCollum passed for 35 yards in the game on 6 of 18 passing. He found Hunter French on a curl route for 20 yards late in the third quarter to set up the Eagles second touchdown.
