Through the first three games of their spring football campaign, the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets had allowed an average of 38 points and 479 yards per game, forcing just one turnover in the process. In Saturday’s regular season finale, the Yellow Jackets yielded a mere field goal, created three takeaways – including two interceptions in the end zone – and produced a first-half goal line stand en route to a 24-3 victory over the McMurry War Hawks.
With the win at Gordon Wood Stadium Saturday afternoon – the first triumph in Brownwood for first-year head coach and HPU graduate Jason Bachtel – the Yellow Jackets earned the right to play their final contest of the spring on their home turf.
“It was great to have the alumni back, it was a great crowd,” Bachtel said. ”It’s special when you get your first home win at Gordon Wood and it’s homecoming, that’s a really big deal. It was a great day to come out and get a win and it sets us up to host in the ASC playoff round so we’re excited about that.”
The Yellow Jackets (2-2), the third-place team from the West Division, will host the East third seed Belhaven Blazers (2-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 27 in the one-game ASC Crossover Playoff. The two teams last met in the 2019 regular season finale, won by Howard Payne, 17-3, at Gordon Wood Stadium.
On Saturday, Howard Payne gave up 353 total yards – 229 passing and 124 rushing – but did not allow McMurry to reach the end zone. Kyle Bell led the Yellow Jackets with 12 tackles and the first of three HPU interceptions. Carson Padilla chipped in seven tackles followed with James Jakubowski with six, while Jarrett Brown also tallied six tackles and one interception. Trey Wagoner picked off a pass as well.
Leading 14-3 in the first half, the Jackets prevented McMurry from reaching the end zone on four tries inside the HPU 2. Quarterback Carlos Garibay was stuffed by Jakubowski on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 6:57 left in the first half, which Bachtel felt was the defining moment of the contest.
“We had a huge goal line stand in the first half that I thought changed the momentum of the ball game, “Bachtel said. “At the time it was 14-3, but they had some momentum and were moving the ball, but our kids came up with the big stop. The defense played great, really responded to the challenge all week and I’m proud of that group. We talked to our kids all week that we had to start creating turnovers and I think we created three.”
Offensively, Bachtel wanted to see a faster start and the Yellow Jackets needed just three plays to generate their first opening-drive touchdown of the season. After a 68-yard end around by Jake Parker on the initial snap, Billy Reagins scored from 3 yards out two plays later to put Howard Payne in front, 7-0, just 67 seconds into the game.
McMurry’s only points came on a 24-yard Jerod Mendoza field goal with 4:24 left in the first quarter.
Howard Payne immediately answered with a four-play, 67-yard march that ended with an 8-yard scoring toss from Landon McKinney to Hunter Cheek with 1:13 left in the opening period.
After stuffing McMurry at the goal line, the Yellow Jackets traveled 86 yards in 11 plays to set up a 30-yard Blake Phipps field goal, boosting HPU’s lead to 17-3 with 2:59 to go in the second period.
Howard Payne tacked on its final points of the half – and the game – with 18 seconds remaining in the second period as Parker hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from McKinney to cap an eight-play, 83-yard drive.
“The first half I thought we really executed well,” Bachtel said. “We had some slow downs in the second half that we have to address, but they’re all correctable mistakes.”
The Yellow Jackets finished with 552 total yards – 313 on the ground and 239 through the air – and no turnovers.
McKinney completed 15 of 27 passes for 231 yards and two scoring tosses. Parker caught six passes for 110 yards and scored once, while Cheek finished with five grabs for 99 yards and a trip to the end zone.
Tauren Bradley led the ground game with 103 yards followed by Parker with 68, Reagins with 62 and a touchdown, McKinney with 40 and Jalen Davis with 28 yards.
