Stingy defensive play and explosive offensive touchdowns by numerous players was the recipe for success in the Hawks’ win over Flower Mound on a cool Friday night.

Senior running back Treyvon Hughes had his biggest night of the season with three touchdowns, two of which went for 42 and 35 yards, respectively. Hughes broke several tackles en route to his 35-yard score that put the Hawks up 42-17 and nullified any Jaguar hope of a second half comeback. Senior cornerback and running back Cedric Dale also had his biggest game of the season, with two rushing touchdowns that were both 40+ yards. Dale’s breakaway speed and helpful blocks from teammates downfield allowed him to score easily both times as soon as he got past the first wave of defenders. Additional touchdowns from junior tight end Blake Robinson on a 22-yard touchdown reception thrown by senior quarterback Carson Proffitt, from a 45-yard interception return by senior linebacker Gavin Greenberg, and from a 1-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Rikin Tanna added all up to be the best offensive performance that the Hawks have displayed this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Hawks started off a little sluggish. Flower Mound drove 77 yards on their first drive and grabbed an early 7-0 lead only a 1:48 into the game. The Jaguars were able to kick a 45-yard field goal on their next drive, and snuck in an additional touchdown a few drives later with 4:07 remaining in the second quarter. Luckily for the defense, the Hawks’ offense had scored on every possession they had in the first half and the team held a 28-17 lead going into halftime. When the second half started, the defense was much more disciplined and the nerves of the first half were gone. A key fourth down stop on Flower Mound’s first possession of the second half led to Hughes’ third touchdown run and put the game out of reach for the Jaguars. Greenberg’s interception return and another fourth down stop was the cherry on top to a big defensive turnaround that allowed the Hawks to seal the win.

Field position didn’t matter to the Hawks this game, as the starting offense was able to score on every possession they had, and the services of senior punter Joel Carlos were not called upon once. For the first time this season, penalties were scarce for the Hawks and the team played with great mental discipline throughout the game. The resilience they showed after getting knocked down early in the first quarter shows that they have matured a lot since their first game against Abilene and look poised to make it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in two years.

Final Score: Hawks defeat Flower Mound 56-20, team advances to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in district