Photo by Brian McLean
By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
WEATHERFORD— This time a year ago, the Weatherford Kangaroos(1-1) were off to a really rough start to the season, and the Azle Hornets(0-2) were off to their best start in a long time. Azle took the victory against Weatherford in 2024 by a score of 51-28 en route to a 7-3 regular season record, while Weatherford limped to a 2-8 season.
This time around, the Kangaroos got the opportunity to play host and did not let the home field advantage go to waste. Junior running back DJ Quimby put the offense on his shoulders and helped lead Weatherford to a 42-41 win with 326 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns.
“He had a good game last week, but it wasn’t him,” head coach Aubrey Sims said about his tailback. “This week, he and the offensive line just took it and put it on their shoulders.”
Quimby missed all of 2024, his sophomore season, due to injury.
“Last year watching the team go 2-8 kind of hurt me,” Quimby said. “Being back in this stadium for the first time, knowing we had something to prove too, showing everyone who doesn’t believe in us they’re wrong, and it was just a great feeling getting a win with my team.”
Things did not start off well for the Kangaroos as a fumble on the opening drive allowed the Hornets to get on the board first on a 40-yard touchdown run by running back King Stephens.
Stephens mirrored Quimby’s performance for Azle, rushing for 293 yards on 35 carries and three touchdowns.
Weatherford responded on the ensuing drive as the offense drove all the way downfield to set up a six-yard scoring keeper by quarterback Cutter Kennedy. Kennedy also had an excellent day leading the Kangaroos offense, completing 18 of 27 passes for 244 yards, and had a couple of scores on the ground.
The first quarter ended with Weatherford at the one yard line, tied 7-7. On the first play of the second quarter, Brennan Boehl punched his way in to give the Kangaroos a 14-7 lead. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Kennedy did it himself again, and it appeared that Weatherford had taken complete control of the game.
However, Azle’s Kayden Cassady was able to intercept Kennedy and set up the Hornets in great field position. They then upped the tempo and quickly found paydirt with a nine-yard run by Stephens to make the score 20-14.
It did not take long for Weatherford to respond as Quimby broke a 66-yard scoring run, which was then answered by a two-minute drill drive from Azle capped off with a touchdown pass to Stephens from Derrek Vowell.
Just as it appeared the halftime score would be 27-21 in favor of the Kangaroos, Robert Mask took matters into his own hands as he took the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to the end zone to give Weatherford a 34-21 advantage at the break.
However, the Hornets refused to go quietly. Kade Haas was the one who pulled Azle back within a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half by breaking a 45-yard run up the middle. Azle was on the verge of scoring again in the third quarter but a fumble at the two yard line kept them out of the endzone and the fourth quarter began with a score of 34-28 in advantage for the Kangaroos.
The Hornets were finally able to reclaim the lead after turning Weatherford away on downs early in the fourth quarter when Stephens made a good run from 15 yards out, juking several defenders in the process.
But when Stephens made a play, Quimby made another one as well as he gave the Kangaroos the lead back on the ensuing drive. Kennedy kept it himself on the two point conversion and punched it in for what ended up being the difference maker with the score 42-35.
Azle drove right back down the field and scored on a 17-yard jump pass from Vowell to Brayden Combs, but Weatherford came up with yet another big play on special teams and blocked the extra point. The Kangaroo offense then picked up a pair of first downs and ran out the clock to secure their first win of the season.
“Any time you win a ballgame it’s a good night,” Sims said after the win. “I’m proud of the guys. In the fourth quarter, it was great to see the special teams come up with the big play right at the end.”
Weatherford improves to 1-1 on the season and will look to build on it next Friday on the road against Arlington High(2-0). Azle on the other hand drops to 0-2 to finish its non-district schedule and will get a bye week before beginning district play in two weeks at Denton High(1-1).
