Historic night: Hutto's Will Hammond passes for 719 yards in shootout loss to Liberty Hill
Hutto quarterback Will Hammond intends to organize some news clippings, videos and photographs of Friday's game against Liberty Hill to show his kids and grandkids someday.
In a YouTube generation, Hammond's performance in an 82-80 loss will be must-see material. On Saturday morning the Hippo senior said his body was "bruised more than normal" and he was still grumbling that his team didn't score three more points. Yet he was comforted to know he played a large part in such a memorable game.
Hammond completed 36 of 58 passes for 719 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed 13 times for 88 yards and six more touchdowns. His single-game passing performance ranks No. 3 in the history of Texas high school football, trailing only Peyton Bevel of Stamford (789 yards in 2018) and Marble Falls' Mike Richardson (725 yards in 2012).
"You can look back on this game in both positive and negative ways," Hammond said Saturday. "Despite the negatives, growth can be good. By the end of the game when we were both trading touchdowns, I was really having so much fun. ... I smashed so many school records and different state records. Those aren't things I worry about, but it's cool to think back and say, yeah, I did that."
Hammond's previous high was a 410-yard effort during a season-opening 66-35 victory over San Marcos. His two-game totals are off the charts: 1,129 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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Hammond had plenty of help Friday from bookend receivers Alex Green and Keilan Chavies. Green, known for his deep catches, hauled in 15 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown. Chavies, a sophomore, caught 7 passes for 243 yards and four touchdowns.
Hutto head coach Will Compton knows his team has plenty to work on. Although he couldn't have been more pleased by his offense, championship teams don't give up 82 points a game. Westlake, for example, gave up 185 points in 15 games last season, an average of 12.3 a night.
As for his quarterback, Compton said Hammond has physically matured over the past nine months, saying he has added "10 pounds of muscle."
"I do think Will is a better quarterback than he was last year," the coach said. "That goes with being in year two of the offense. His physical maturity along with his mental maturity have improved. He's stronger and faster than he was before. He's wise beyond his years."
Hammond said his Saturday plans included rest and watching the Texas Tech-Wyoming game on TV. After all, he'll be suiting up in Red Raiders gear beginning next year. A school that has produced many great quarterbacks apparently has found another in Hutto.
Second impressions
When Weiss opened the year with a 37-7 victory over highly-regarded Round Rock, some people — including this aging sports writer — labeled it an upset. The Wolves will not be able to sneak up on anybody the rest of the season after a workmanlike 44-19 victory over LBJ on Thursday.
Quite frankly, Weiss is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jax Brown has been solid in his first full season as a starter, running back Braiden Wooley has big-play ability and receivers Adrian Wilson, an Oregon pledge, and Jacques Spradley-Demps took turns scoring touchdowns. A defense led by tackle Brian Bacon, linebacker Styles Goodman and Texas Tech-bound safety Peyton Morgan helped Weiss establish a 44-7 halftime lead.
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Despite the good start, first-year head coach Vernon Hughes spent most of his postgame speech telling the players they need to be better. Truth be told, the Wolves let down in the second half, but they were too far ahead for that to matter. On a positive note, this is the first time Weiss has opened the season 2-0 since the school began playing football in 2017.
Speaking of second-act performances, a running back at Manor has blossomed quickly. After rushing for 241 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-26 victory over LBJ on opening night, senior Mustang Titus Petteway had a dynamic encore. He had 358 total rushing and receiving yards and five touchdowns in a 47-42 victory over San Antonio Cornerstone Christian. Coach James Keller said Petteway recently received an offer to play for Arkansas-Pine Bluff but expect more offers to come his way soon.
Glenn High looked down and out after opening the season with a 62-0 loss to San Antonio Pieper. But coach Brandon Krauskopf's team returned Friday with a vengeance, destroying Victoria West 52-17. The Grizzlies finished with 515 yards, all on the ground. The trio of junior DJ Dugar, sophomore JJ Ortiz and junior Andrew Stevenson combined for 472 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
The goal for coach Anthony Wood and his Westwood Warriors is to sustain early success. They opened 2022 by winning their first three games but went 1-6 the rest of the way. Westwood has looked sharp early this season, too, opening with a 34-20 victory over East View followed by Friday's 49-14 thumping of Austin High.
Two Warriors to watch are quarterback Owen Norrell and running back Demani Stewart. Norrell, who averaged 149 yards passing a game last year, was spectacular Friday, completing 24 of 29 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Stewart kept the offense balanced with 145 rushing yards and three scores.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Hutto quarterback Will Hammond passes for 719 yards in shootout loss
