In first home football game since teammate’s passing, Azle blows out Wichita Falls
It wasn’t a normal week for the Azle football team leading up to its season opener on Aug. 26
Only five days before, the school learned that senior offensive lineman Jack Schwantz and his father, Charles, were killed during a plane crash. Jack was 18. Charles, who was flying the aircraft, was 55.
The Hornets traveled to Keller, where they were upset in the final seconds, 42-41, against Fossil Ridge. Following the loss, Azle had to regroup and focus for its home opener Friday night against Wichita Falls.
“Dealing with a loss of a game is easy. Dealing with a loss of a teammate and brother is something you’re going to deal with for a while,” Azle coach Devon Dorris said. “We’ll continue to grieve, but also honor Jack the right way, the way he played and practiced, and prepared.”
After a sluggish start, Azle scored in bulk.
Vance Guthie rushed for 164 yards with a 16-yard touchdown run and the Hornets (1-1), No. 8 in the Fort Worth-area Class 5A rankings, opened their home schedule with a win for Jack, 41-7.
“Jack was a very selfless player. He did everything as a team,” senior defensive lineman Rowdy Dawson said. “I remember always looking at him and he would have a big smile on his face. He would always play as hard as possible until the whistle blew.”
Before the game, the Wichita Falls booster club donated money it raised for the Jack Schwantz Memorial Scholarship, which will be given to an Azle student that exemplifies the qualities Schwantz showcased.
The Wichita Falls booster club wore green No. 58 shirts. 58 was Schwantz’s jersey number. Azle students and cheerleaders also wore No. 58 shirts, and waved a “Live Like Jack” flag.
“Great gesture. It’ll go to an Azle student, who supported all athletics...the ultimate teammate,” Dorris said.
After multiple punts and an early interception, Azle finally scored on a fourth-and-inches. The Hornets ran their jumbo package at the WF 43 and Kaden Taylor found a seam for a 43-yard touchdown run and 7-0 lead with 1:21 left in the first quarter.
It didn’t take long for Azle to extend its lead when Chris Lee, No. 5 on the Star-Telegram Top 100 players, hit Tyler Akers on a 15-yard scoring pass with 9:32 left in the second quarter. Caleb Balderas nailed a pair of field goals (28, 42), the second coming with five seconds remaining on the clock.
Azle added two more touchdowns in the third quarter to balloon the lead to 34-0.
Dawson recovered a Wichita Falls’ fumble and two plays later, Jay Jones kept it for a 5-yard touchdown. The play was set up on a 39-yard gain from Guthie, who only had 39 yards rushing in the first half.
“Last week was hard with the loss of Jack. This week we recouped as a team and bonded together. We’re a big family so I think being around each other really helped,” Dawson said. “We came out and got the first win at home. We plan on winning the rest of the games for Jack.”
Jones then connected in the back of the end zone for a 17-yard TD pass to Akers early in the fourth before the Coyotes (0-2) finally got on the scoreboard.
“Defense played outstanding all night. They were forcing three-and-outs multiple times,” Dorris said. “The defense took steps in the right direction and they’ll get better every week.”
Jones threw for 78 yards and rushed for another 42 yards while accounting for two scores. Akers had four catches for 46 yards and two TDs. Isaiah Fuller intercepted a Wichita Falls’ pass in the second half.
“Guys were still emotional with lots on their minds, but I’m glad we came out and balled,” senior offensive lineman Jakson LaHue said. “It was a very important game that we needed to win. We took a big hit with the loss of Jack, but glad to see we recovered. After a couple possessions, we started getting points up.
“First two or three days, practice was really bad. Nobody wanted to do anything,” added LaHue, a Virginia Tech commit and No. 32 on the Top 100. “We put our foot down, no brakes, we were going. With the memorial, we got some closure so this week, practice wasn’t so moopy. Everybody was screaming and ready to win our first home game. We did it for him.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 9:35 PM.
