AZLE, Texas (Oct. 23, 2025) — Under the bright homecoming lights at Hornet Stadium, Azle and Granbury traded early punches but went into halftime deadlocked at 7–7 in a defensive showdown that kept fans on edge.
After an early Granbury touchdown tied the game midway through the second quarter, the Hornets leaned on sophomore running back King Stephens (#2) and quarterback Auston Morgan (#6) to move the ball methodically downfield. Stephens showed bursts of power and quick cuts between tackles, picking up multiple first downs that helped Azle cross midfield. Despite their efforts, the Hornets’ drive stalled near the 47-yard line, and the series ended with a punt into the end zone.
Granbury, led by senior quarterback Austin Reeves (#9), responded with a balanced attack. Reeves handed off repeatedly to sophomore back Hunter Rodgers (#18), who strung together several solid runs, including back-to-back first downs to push the Pirates out to their own 42-yard line. Reeves later connected with senior Miller Schenewark (#5) on a short pass to set up third-and-short near midfield before the Azle defense closed in with a crucial sack that forced a punt late in the second quarter.
With less than two minutes remaining, Azle senior quarterback Derrek Vowell (#15) looked to create late-half momentum. He found wide receiver Aiden Mackey (#1) on a crisp sideline pass that turned into a highlight play as Mackey juked a defender to pick up extra yardage. The Hornets called timeout to set up one last push, but time ran out before they could capitalize.
As the teams headed into the locker room, the scoreboard read even at 7–7, a fitting halftime mark for a physical, tightly contested homecoming matchup. The second half promised more grit, as both defenses continued to dictate the tempo under the Friday night lights in Azle.