EARLY – The Class 3A Division II No. 21 Early Longhorns were unable to build on the success they enjoyed in their season opener as the Class 2A Division I No. 16 Tolar Rattlers came to town Friday night and collected a 51-14 victory.
Tolar (2-0) hit Early (1-1) with a flourish of offense, generating the first 42 points of the contest.
The Longhorns finished with just 244 yards of total offense and three turnovers.
Quarterback Jaxyn Price completed 18 of 39 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Leading receivers were Jeremy Brown with six grabs for 69 yards, John-Stewart Gordon with five catches for 70 yards, Cedric Morelan with two receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown, Kaleb Ozuna with two receptions for 10 yards, Houston Ortiz with an 11-yard grab, Colton Allen with a 10-yard touchdown catch, and Griffin Cheslock with a 2-yard reception.
On the ground for Early, Cheslock rushed for 25 yards on nine carries, Ozuna chipped in 12 yards on seven rushes, and Price was dropped for a 7-yard loss on his lone rush.
Defensive standouts for the Longhorns included Ozuna with 15 tackles, Morelan with 11 tackles, and Dalton Adams with 10 tackles. Early created three turnovers as Brown and Allen intercepted passes and Cheslock recovered a fumble.
Next week, the Longhorns visit Comanche (2-0), which cruised past Bangs – Early’s Week 1 opponent – by a 42-18 count Friday night.
