Jackets' fast start steamrolls Alief Hastings, 34-21

ALIEF - Alvin picked up its second straight victory at Crump Stadium in the last six days.

Only this time, they didn’t need to pull off any comeback magic.

The Yellowjackets seized control from the opening whistle and never looked back in capturing a 34-21 triumph over Hastings, Thursday night in 23-6A Football action.

The win was the second straight for Alvin (4-5 overall, 2-4), who closes its season, Nov. 4 at home with Pearland Dawson (7 p.m. kickoff).

“We didn’t think about it too much (the late rally over Elsik), just the task at hand,” said Yellowjackets’ fullback Dayshawn Peterson, who rushed for 268 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns and also became the fourth running back in Yellowjacket Football history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard plus rushing campaigns. “If we mess up, we just talk to each other on what we need to improve on.”

After the AHS defense delivered a three-and-out job to start things, first down runs by Cole Erndt (69 yards on nine carries) and Peterson paved the way for the senior fullback rambling the final 29 yards to cap a six-play, 55-yard drive with 7:07 left in the opening period.

“Those runs were also from my linemen. I trust them to do their job and they trust me do their job,” Peterson added.

Austin Hill booted the extra point through the uprights for a 7-0 Alvin lead.

Hastings threatened with a pair of scoring drives inside Jackets’ territory during the first half, only to have the Alvin defense thwart each penetration. Gio Gutierrez picked off a Ismael Doboyou fling near the goaline on the Bears’ second series, while Liam Binger sacked the Hastings’ signal caller on fourth-and-11 in the second quarter to turn the ball over on downs at the 32-yard line.

Alvin marched seven plays following the Binger sack for its second TD with dashes of 29 and 27 yards by Peterson and Erndt, respectively, setting up quarterback Brayden Griffin’s sneak from a yard away to increase the margin to 14-0 at intermission.

“Last week, we talked about that it took us a whole half to wake up,” Alvin head coach James Gage said. “I said let’s get after them at the opening kickoff and we did. That was a fast start and we preach fast start.”

The Jackets used their head coach’s fast start theme to steam roll the Bears to open the third quarter, as well. Alvin’s flex bone attack consumed over the half the period on a 12-play, 68-yard drive, which was capped by Peterson’s 18-yard run with 5:48 remaining for a 21-0 Alvin cushion.

While Hastings initially got on the board  during the fourth with Doboyou’s 9-yard keeper and Doboyou’s 24-yard TD pass to David Kalu, the Jackets answered both times with scoring drives of their own.

Griffin powered his way in from 2 yards out with 6:12 remaining and Peterson busted loose for a 45-yard scamper with 2:33 left.

The Bears added a late TD on Doboyou’s scoring pass to Jemarion Hines.

Alvin also received double figure tackle performances from Sesar Lomeil (12), Hunter Kniefel (11) and Trevor Yarbrough (10).