Azle improves to 2-0 in district as defense, Drey Owen dominates South Hills

The Azle Hornets once again rode the play of a stellar defense to victory, defeating the South Hills Scorpions 31-13 Thursday night at Scarborough-Handley Field.

The Hornets, who improved to 2-0 in District 3-5A Division I (3-1 overall), their first 2-0 league start in many years, forced three turnovers and turned two early takeaways into touchdowns. They also stopped the Scorpions (2-2, 1-1) twice on fourth down in Azle territory, the second time on fourth-and-goal at the 1.

The Scorpions drove to the Azle 26 in three plays on the opening possession before fumbling and Payton Vaughn fell on the ball. Azle countered by going 74 yards, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by Billy Copeland, his first of two scores on the night.

On South Hills’ next possession, Bradley Crawford intercepted a pass for Azle, which led to another touchdown, quarterback Drey Owen’s 5-yard run. Owen also threw a touchdown pass of 17 yards to Dave Johnson as the Hornets led 28-0 at the half.

Heralded South Hills running back Anthony Watkins, who entered the game with almost 1,100 yards in the first three games, finished the evening with 234 yards on 28 carries with second-half touchdowns of 1 and 12 yards.

The rest of the Scorpions offense managed just 51 yards.

Since dropping their season opener to Grapevine, 38-14, the Hornets have outscored their past three opponents 87-16.

Azle ended a streak of four consecutive seasons in which the Hornets were 1-1 in district after two games. The Scorpions were thwarted in their attempt to start district 2-0 for a fifth straight year.

South Hills played the second half without starting quarterback John Vela, who left the field with an injury in the second quarter. Watkins took over at quarterback the remainder of the game.

Game was over when: South Hills drove to the Azle 1-yard line in the second quarter, down 21-0, but turned the ball over on downs for a second time. The Hornets took over at their own 4 and then went 96 yards, capped by a 23-yard run by Billy Copeland.

Play of the game: Facing third-and-10 at their own 45 late in the first quarter, leading 7-0, Azle got a 42-yard pass completion from quarterback Drey Owen to CJ Van Slyke. They scored two plays later on a 5-yard run by Owen.

Offensive player of the game: Azle QB Drey Owen was 10-for-18 for 199 yards instead of 9-for-17 for 182, along with rushing for a 5-yard TD. He even caught a 38-yard pass that led to a touchdown.

Defensive player of the game: Azle defensive back Payton Vaughn recovered a fumble early in the game that led to a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. He also had a second-half interception.

Unsung hero of the game: South Hills running back Anthony Watkins, though held below his average of more than 350 rushing yards per game, still had a yeoman effort. He finished with 234 yards rushing on 28 carries with a pair of touchdowns.

What’s next: Azle hosts Fort Worth Arlington Heights, Sept. 28, 7 p.m. South Hills travels to Granbury, Sept 28, 7 p.m.

This story was originally published September 20, 2018 at 10:31 PM.