Georgetown Pops Belton, 39-10: Tigers Can’t Escape 36-0 Halftime Hole Against Eagles

BELTON — Though Belton trailed big and the outcome was mostly settled by halftime of its non-district clash with Georgetown at Tiger Field on Friday, the learning opportunities remained throughout. The Tigers put together points on two of their four second-half possessions to close on a positive note on a night that otherwise fell flat as the Eagles soared to a 39-10 victory after building a 36-point halftime cushion. “The kids didn’t quit. They didn’t cave in. We won 10 games last year, and I think some people thought if you get some young kids out there, we’re just going to win 10 games again, and we’re not. It’s a process,” said Belton head coach Brett Sniffin, whose team is starting 10 sophomores and lost 14-0 to Pflugerville Hendrickson in Week 1. “Georgetown’s a heck of a football team, and that’s why we put them on the schedule, so we could test ourselves. We want to get everybody ready for the (Killeen) Ellison game, the first district game, and we’re making some baby strides but we need to make a long stride next week.” Belton (0-2) allowed points on each of Georgetown’s six first-half possessions — touchdowns on five of them — but, like last week, the Tigers offense fared better as the game proceeded. Belton had two long drives in the fourth quarter reach the red zone, the last of which senior Josiah Martinez capped by outjumping an Eagles defender to haul in his team’s first touchdown of the season on a well-placed 17-yard TD toss from Will Shepard with 1:06 left. The Tigers also turned their first drive of the second half into their first points of the year when Cole Angell knocked through a 33-yard field goal to cut the gap to 36-3. Sniffin now wants to see his team show that type of effort from the start. “We’re not teaching that intensity to start a game, and it’s whatever we have to do to get that done,” said the coach, whose team was led by sophomore Benjamin Thompson’s 88 yards from scrimmage — 65 rushing and 23 receiving — while Shepard and Graham Chambley, both sophomores, combined for 92 yards passing. “We’re going to brainstorm as coaches to get that done and hopefully we can match (Georgetown) East View’s intensity to start the game (next week).” The Tigers travel to East View Thursday in their first road test of the year. Georgetown (2-0) scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, tacked on a field goal to end its fifth then ended the half with another TD to take a commanding 36-0 lead into the break. Kaleb McDougle threw four TD passes to three receivers over the first 24 minutes as he finished 14-of-18 for 215 yards. His first pair of touchdown tosses were hauled in by Davyn Sedwick, who had three grabs for 132 yards — all in the first half. McDougle’s first look to Sedwick went for a 51-yard TD on a screen to the left side after the senior cut back to make the first Tigers defender miss then outran everyone to put Georgetown on the board less than 2 minutes into the game. McDougle later connected with Sedwick for a 58-yard touchdown and a 26-0 gap on the Eagles’ first play of the second quarter. McDougle’s 21-yard lob to Xavier Warren floated into the junior wideout’s hands after Warren cleared a Belton defender on the left side to settle the scoring with 1:15 left in the second quarter and give Georgetown points on all of its first-half possessions. Warren also accounted for the Eagles’ lone rushing TD when his 3-yard run capped Georgetown’s longest drive (by plays) in the first half, a nine-snap, 63-yard endeavor that included three first-down runs from Jett Walker, who led all players with 82 yards rushing on nine carries. “I’d like to quit having those speeches in there at halftime,” Sniffin said. “We have to play a full game and not half a game. We’re not going to sit here and say young kids anymore after today. We have to grow up and play a full game and match the other team’s intensity.” GEORGETOWN 39, BELTON 10 Georgetown 19 17 3 0 — 39 Belton 0 0 3 7 — 10 Geo — Davyn Sedwick 51 pass from Kaleb McDougle (run failed) Geo — Xavier Warren 3 run (kick failed) Geo — Braylon Westfall 22 pass from McDougle (Christopher Mashburn kick) Geo — Sedwick 58 pass from McDougle (Mashburn kick) Geo — Masburn 40 field goal Geo — Warren 21 pass from McDougle (Mashburn kick) Bel — Cole Angell 33 field goal Geo — Mashburn 31 field goal Bel — Josiah Martinez 17 pass from Will Shepard (Angell kick) TEAM STATISTICS Geo Bel First downs 15 14 Rushes-yards 23-129 44-149 Passing yards 219 92 Comp.-Att.-Int. 15-21-0 8-18-1 Punts-average 2-29.5 4-34.5 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 2-10 8-55 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING — Georgetown: Jett Walker 9-82, Elijah Callagan 9-42, Warren 1-3, Luke Livingston 3-3, McDougle 1-(-1); Belton: Benjamin Thompson 23-65, Gavin Ross 5-23, Khy Griffin 5-20, Shepard 4-18, Marlon Bluntson 3-14, George Thorns 1-10, Lake Fine 1-10, Graham Chambley 2-(-11). PASSING — Georgetown: McDougle 14-18-0-215, JD Linnstaedter 1-1-0-4, Luke Holley 0-2-0-0; Belton: Shepard 6-10-0-69, Chambley 2-8-1-23. RECEIVING — Georgetown: Sedwick 3-132, Warren 4-39, Westfall 1-22, Walker 4-16, Reegan Torosian 1-9, Carson Mowdy 1-4, Jake Miloch 1-(-3); Belton: Martinez 3-42, Thompson 2-23, Ross 1-18, Rayshaun Peoples 2-9. PHOTO caption: Belton’s Hayden Holman (right) wraps up Georgetown’s Elijah Callagan in the Tigers’ 39-10 loss to the Eagles on Friday night. Jon Farrow/Special to the Telegram

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GEORGETOWN POPS BELTON, 39-10: TIGERS CAN’T ESCAPE 36-0 HALFTIME HOLE AGAINST EAGLES

BY JON BROOKS | TELEGRAM STAFF, SET. 7, 2024

Temple Daily Telegram | 9/7/2024

PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Farrow/Special to the Telegram