The Hutto Hippos’ varsity football season came to an end Friday, Nov. 21, with a 56–37 loss to San Antonio Johnson, as defensive struggles against the run proved costly throughout the night.
The Jaguars piled up 296 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, controlling the tempo and wearing down a Hutto defense already dealing with key injuries on both sides of the ball.
Hutto opened the game with energy, marching down the field on its first possession and scoring on a 4-yard run by senior running back Keilan Chavies to take a 7–0 lead. Johnson quickly responded with a 68-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game, but Hutto answered right back when junior wide receiver Dylan Owens broke loose for a 17-yard catch-and-run touchdown to regain a 14–7 advantage.
The Hippos briefly captured momentum with an interception, but the offense couldn’t take advantage, as senior quarterback Kaden Stefek threw a pick on the ensuing possession. Johnson capitalized on the turnover to tie the game at 14. Hutto took its final lead of the night early in the second quarter, converting a field goal to go up 17–14 with 10:21 remaining. From there, however, Johnson seized control. The Jaguars struck with a 45-yard touchdown pass to take a 21–17 lead, then added a 21-yard scoring pass to extend the margin to 28–17.
Hutto managed to stay within reach before halftime. A quarterback sneak trimmed the deficit to 28–23, though a failed 2-point conversion kept the Hippos behind heading into the break.
Johnson came out strong in the third quarter, scoring on back-toback possessions to push the lead to 42–23. The Jaguars’ efficiency on the ground continued to be a problem for Hutto, which struggled to get key stops as the game progressed.
Chavies briefly halted Johnson’s run with his second touchdown of the night, a 4-yard score that made it 42–29, but the Jaguars responded once again. Leaning heavily on their rushing attack, Johnson added two more touchdowns to stretch the lead to 56–29. Hutto closed the game with a late 2-yard rushing touchdown by Owens.
Despite the loss, several Hippos delivered strong individual performances. Stefek completed 16 of 29 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his final game under center.
Owens led the receiving corps with 81 yards and both a receiving and rushing touchdown, while Chavies powered the ground game with 74 yards and two scores. The defeat caps a successful first season under head coach Eli Reinhart. Hutto finished 9–3 overall and 7–1 in district play, earning a share of the district championship and signaling a promising new chapter for the program. The Hippos will graduate their starting quarterback in Stefek along with their leading rusher in Chavies, but much of the offense remains intact. The entire receiving corps is expected to return, including Owens and junior standout Jaiden Fields, giving Hutto a strong foundation heading into next season.
