With five touchdowns, senior running back Richard Reese helped carry the No. 6 state-ranked Bellville Brahmas (7-0, 2-0) to their first victory in the Mill Creek rivalry since 2016 with a 42-7 win over the Sealy Tigers (4-3, 1-1) Friday night at the Pasture of Pain in District 12-4A-D2 action.

In the 83rd meeting of the Austin County rivals, Bellville extended its all-time lead in the series to 49-34 and snapped a four-game losing streak.

Reese scored on rushes of 7, 16, 96 and 16 yards and caught a screen pass from Brahma junior quarterback Reid McCann to convert a 40-yard touchdown and rack up 35 unanswered points with only 15 minutes left in the game. On 23 carries, Reese finished with 246 rushing yards according to stats provided by the Sealy Tiger Sports Network.

Both teams’ starting quarterback was out due to injury. Sealy junior D’vonne Hmielewski was sidelined with a shoulder injury and Bellville senior Jake Lischka broke a bone in his lower leg and suffered ligament tears in a blowout win over Columbia Sept. 24.

Tiger senior Connor Krenek, a two-way starter at defensive back and normally wide receiver, stepped up into the quarterbacking role and led the visitors’ offense although he wasn’t a stranger to the position. He has taken snaps this season in relief of Hmielewski and also ran the offense at times during 7-on-7 exhibitions during the summer.

“What a tough spot for that dude,” Offensive Coordinator Chris Carruthers said. “Having to play safety, punt, kickoff return, he plays everything; so, for him to have to play quarterback was going to be a tough deal for him but that’s why we wanted him to be the guy.”

He was indeed the guy and finished his performance with 155 all-purpose yards between 86 passing yards and 69 rushing yards with an 18-yard scoring rush to get Sealy on the board.

“(Krenek) got some pretty good experience tonight,” Head Coach Shane Mobley said. “We don’t know the status of D’vonne right now and next week is going to be an important game so it’s one of those things that with Connor getting at least a game experience against a really good team, I think that’s going to help us big time if D’vonne is not back.”

Krenek still had the regular offensive weapons including senior classmates Graham Samonte (2 catches, 14 receiving yards) and Thomas Clark (6 catches, 46 receiving yards; 7 tackles) but they too were on both sides of the ball and special teams.

“Thomas Clark stepped up big time; I want to hug those guys, they’re laying everything on the line. When you line up, you know those guys – now it may not be perfect – they’re going to lay it all on the line,” Carruthers said. “Give me Graham Samonte, Connor Krenek and Thomas Clark and I’ll go to battle with anyone. All three of those guys were really banged up and they played 150 snaps and didn’t come off the field so hats off to those guys.”

Although the Tigers suffered their first district loss since Nov. 1, 2019, their season is not yet over and another test in the form of 2-0 Sweeny awaits them next week.

“At the end of the game I pulled them aside and told them I loved them and said, ‘We learned a lot tonight, we got a lot of experience and what it comes down to is we’ve got to get ready. Let this burn a little bit but we’ve got to get ready for Sweeny,’” Mobley said. “My hat’s off to these young men, I told them tonight the way they’re playing right now and what they’re doing with how they’re having to learn and go out and compete is none other I’ve ever been a part of.”

Scoring Summary

Bellville 14-14-7-7

Sealy 0-0-0-7

Q1

7:14: Bellville Richard Reese 7 rush, Benito Florencio kick, 7-0

1:39: B Reese 16 rush, Florencio kick, 14-0

Q2

11:42: B Reese 96 rush, Florencio kick, 21-0

0:12: B Reese 16 rush, Florencio kick, 28-0

Q3

3:06: B Reid McCann to Reese 40 pass, Florencio kick, 35-0

Q4

10:19: Sealy Connor Krenek 18 rush, kick, 35-7

5:20: B McCann 2 rush, Florencio kick, 42-7

Stats courtesy Sealy Tiger Sports Network

Connor Krenek: 18 carries, 69 rushing yards, 1 touchdown; 12-20 passing, 86 throwing yards, 1 interception; 6 tackles

Thomas Clark: 6 catches, 46 receiving yards; 7 tackles

Reid Miller: 2 catches, 15 receiving yards; 2 carries, 12 rushing yards

A’vonte Nunn: 8 carries, 14 rushing yards; 2 catches, 11 receiving yards

Mason Klotz: 5 tackles

Bryson Johnson: 6 carries, 10 rushing yards

Richard Hahn, Jeffrey Neu: 4 tackles

Graham Samonte: 2 catches, 14 receiving yards

Gage Grigar, Hector Murillo: 3 tackles

Jace Jaralillo, Rylan Reichardt: 2 tackles