The Tigers showed why they’re one of the top teams in the state in their home opener. They dominated the Taylor Ducks 55-21. The Tigers are now 2-0 on the season and ranked No. 6 in the texasfootball.com 3A-Division I rankings.
“We handled business just like I hoped we would,” RHS Head Coach Jacob Campsey said. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, we just want to come out and play as best as we can every night.”
Fan support was in full home opener mode. Despite having to social distance and wear masks, the crowd showed its persistent enthusiasm as they cheered on the blue and gold to victory.
RHS set the tone of the game from the beginning. The offensive fireworks began early for the Tigers with running back Cam’ron Valdez running for a 63-yard touchdown on the Tigers opening drive. On the next drive, quarterback Kobe Mitchell connected with Kesean Raven on a screen pass for a 6-yard touchdown. Raven showed his versatility later in the quarter with a 22-yard touchdown run to wrap up a dominant first quarter 21-0.
In the second quarter, the connection between Mitchell and Anthony Dansby caught fire. After the recovery of a Taylor fumble by Enrique Rivera, the two connected on a wide open 33-yard touchdown. Mitchell and Dansby would connect again on a 79-yard touchdown later in the quarter to extend the Tiger lead. Mitchell plunged in for a one-yard touchdown at the end of the quarter to give the Tigers a 41-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Tigers utilized their second string. This permitted the younger players to get some playing time. However, the Ducks left their first stringers in to try to get an edge. The Ducks got on the board in the third quarter on a 68-yard run by quarterback Bryson Bass. Bass tried his best attempt at bringing the Ducks back in the game by scoring two more touchdowns in the quarter making the score 21-41. After this, RHS placed their starters back in the game. After this change, Raven ended the third quarter catching a 51-yard touchdown from Mitchell.
The final touchdown came from Dansby as he used his 6-foot 4-inch frame to catch a 17-yard fade pass over the small Taylor cornerback.
The Tiger offense could not be stopped as they gained 486 yards of total offense. Mitchell had an outstanding performance in his first start at quarterback going 17 of 18 for 295 passing yards, 49 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. Valdez led the Tigers in rushing with 88 yards and one touchdown. The RHS receivers were a mismatch all night for the Ducks. Raven caught seven catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns while Dansby had a career day with six catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
For the defense, defensive back Davioun Scott led the team with 11 tackles and one forced fumble. Linebacker Chase Mayfield had a great showing with nine tackles and two tackles for loss. The Tiger defense forced six turnovers in the contest with Drayton Castaneda, Christian Briggs, Cruz San Miguel, Rivera and Dansby all recovering a fumble. Defensive back Robert Owens snagged an interception in the fourth quarter.
Campsey praised his team for their hard work and taking care of business. “Our team these past
“Our team these past few weeks has been so business-like,” Campsey said. “We took care of business and we played the game the right way. It was a great game plan by both coordinators and our staff and we’re just doing what we’re supposed to day-in and day-out.”
The Tigers look to continue their winning streak as they travel to face the 2-0 Lexington Eagles on Friday. The livestream link will be placed on the RHS Face-
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