ROUND ROCK — The Hutto Hippos varsity football team continued its dominant stretch with a 49-29 victory over the Stony Point Tigers on Friday, Oct. 17, at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex. Senior quarterback Kaden Stefek led the way, throwing for 278 yards and five touchdowns as the Hippos remained unbeaten in district play.
Hutto opened the game with the fast start it needed, marching down the field on its first drive. Junior wide receiver Dylan Owens hauled in a 70-yard touchdown pass from Stefek to make it 7-0. Owens finished with two receptions for 87 yards and a score.
The Hippos immediately regained possession after recovering a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff. Senior running back Keilan Chavies capitalized on the short field, breaking free for a 50-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0. Chavies closed the night with 88 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Stony Point responded with a long scoring drive to cut the deficit to 14-7, but Hutto quickly answered. Stefek connected with junior Carson Fields for a 12-yard touchdown, restoring the twoscore advantage at 21-7.
Momentum fully swung Hutto’s way late in the first half when junior defensive back Hunter Frenette intercepted a pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 28-7. Stefek then hit junior wide receiver Jaiden Fields for a 51-yard touchdown to make it 35-7 before halftime.
Fields continued to shine after the break, scoring again in the third quarter to give the Hippos a 42-7 lead. He finished with 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Hayden Vaughn added his first touchdown of the season on a seven-yard reception in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring for Hutto. On defense, freshman Jamaree Sorells led the team with 11 tackles.
The win improved Hutto to 5-0 in district play, as the Hippos hold the top spot in the standings heading into one of their toughest challenges of the season.
Hutto will host Vandegrift on Friday, Oct. 24, in a pivotal district matchup. The Vipers, last year’s Class 6A Division II state champions, enter the game following a 62-13 win over Manor and sit just one game back in the standings after a 17-14 loss to McNeil earlier this season.
Vandegrift is led by senior quarterback Miles Teodecki, who has thrown for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns. His top targets are seniors Brock Chilton and Thomas Buechler, while senior Justin Moore leads the Vipers’ rushing attack.
The matchup is expected to feature some of the top offensive talent in Central Texas. Stefek has thrown for 1,730 yards and 23 touchdowns this season, leading a Hippos offense that is averaging nearly 50 points per game in district play.
Defensively, the key for Hutto will be slowing down Moore and preventing long drives, while the offense will look to test a Vandegrift defense that has yet to allow more than 14 points in a game this season.
Kickoff between Hutto and Vandegrift is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hutto Memorial Stadium.
