Hix arm, legs help power Hennessey victory

Before the first game of the season, Hennessey coach Paul Hix said he felt more secure about starting a freshman quarterback because of the weapons surrounding him.

One game in and it appears it was certainly the right move.

The Eagles got the 2022 season started on a positive note last Friday with a 48-27 home win against Mount St. Mary.

After building a two-score lead, Hennessey let it slip away in the middle quarters, then scored 27 straight in the second half to pull away.

The start of that late push was a 59-yard pass from Titan Hix to Seth Simunek that allowed Hennessey to tie the game at 27-27 at 2:42 of the third quarter.

Early in the fourth, Hix found Langston Smith for a 78-yard strike as the Eagles took the lead for good.

They added to it on Mount St. Mary’s next possession when Jessin Hardin picked off a pass and returned it 50 yards for a score.

Hix iced the game with 2:57 to go with a 3-yard TD run.

It capped a night in which the freshman accounted for 523 total yards and six scores.

He completed 18 of 26 passes for 387 yards and five touchdowns.

Three of those scores went to Simunek, the senior wideout who was expected to add to his stellar junior campaign.

He did little to suppress that notion as his three receptions covered 179 yards.

The first of those came about eight minutes into the game when Hix and Simunek connected for a 52-yard touchdown.

After the Rockets pulled within 7-3, Hix hit Kevin Trillo for a 23-yard touchdown pass.

That preceded Simunek’s 68-yard touchdown as Hennessey built a 21-3 lead.

The Rockets pulled within 21-11 with a touchdown with 26 seconds left in the half, which began a 24-0 run.

The score was set up by a muffed punt by the Eagles.

That same scenario repeated itself in the third quarter as a miscue fielding a punt gave the Rockets good field position.

Three plays later, they were within 21-19.

After a three-and-out by the Eagles, Mount St. Mary mounted a seven-play, 50-yard drive to take the 27-21 lead with 3:49 left in the third quarter.

From that point on, it was all Hennessey.

The Eagles out-gained the Rockets 272-42 over the final 15 minutes.

Hix did most of his damage through the air for three quarters.

In the fourth, he ran for 101 yards. In all, Hix totaled 136 yards on 14 carries.

When he was passing, Weston Smith proved to be the most visited target by Hix.

Smith caught 11 passes for 87 yards. Langstons Smith’s two receptions covered 92 yards.

As active as Hix was on offense, Cam Griffin was matching it on the defensive side.

The junior lineman totaled 17 tackles, including two sacks and three more tackles that went for Rocket losses.

Trillo added another 11 tackles and Hardin totaled eight.

The Eagle defense held the Rockets to an average of just 2.5 yards on their 46 rushing attempts.

Krug threw for 175 yards, but was also picked off twice. Simunek had Hennessey’s other interception.