Football: Lennard 38, Wharton 0

RUSKIN — For a team that won no more than two games in each of its past three seasons, Lennard’s third victory of 2019 on Saturday was more than a milestone. Led by the rushing efforts of Tino Hunt and Quay Smith, Lennard hopes its 38-0 shutout of Wharton signals a resurgence for a program that has only had three winning seasons since 2006.

“This was special,” Lennard coach Matt Kitchie said. “These kids have gone through rough times here and have created an amazing bond.”

As the game clock expired, Lennard players raucously celebrated as they ran toward the student section to sing and dance the school’s fight song.

Four Lennard rushers combined to score five rushing touchdowns that gave the Longhorns a 38-point lead at halftime and led to a running clock in the second half. The win marked Lennard’s best start since it started 5-0 in 2015 and finished with a 7-4 record.

Showing he can ably share the backfield duties with Hunt, junior Smith opened scoring for Lennard with a 36-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It was the first of Smith’s two touchdowns in the game.

"I'm happy that other guys are coming in and getting the ball to contribute," Hunt said.

The Longhorns used a variety of runners to keep Wharton off balance. Two-way player Davian Papius, who plays fullback and linebacker, pushed through for the first down on a key fourth-down play. Then, on the next snap, he powered past several defenders for a 63-yard touchdown run that gave Lennard a 14-0 lead.

Hunt, who led the Longhorns with 143 rushing yards, was involved in most of the Longhorns’ scoring drives. His 55-yard run set up quarterback Gavin Henley’s 5-yard touchdown run. After Jocelyn Diaz kicked a 27-yard field goal, Hunt punctuated the first half with an 18-yard touchdown run as time expired.

As his offense showcased its talent and as his defense recorded its third straight shutout, Kitchie hopes his team’s early success not only lays the groundwork for this season, but for a future winning tradition.

“I would like us to show that we can be consistently good and that our success this year is not an anomaly,” Kitchie said. “I hope we lay a great foundation for our future.”