Hillsboro Indians win by 50 points over Williamsburg
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Hillsboro Indians used a strong defensive effort and a fast offensive effort Friday night against the Williamsburg Wildcats to earn their third victory in four games this season, winning by 50 points in a 57-7 trouncing of the visiting Wildcats.
Hillsboro’s win at Richards Memorial Field had an excellent crowd cheering the Indians on to victory, and fans were rocking their stadium when junior Mason Swayne dominated the first half from start to finish, playing near flawlessly in the first two quarters by rushing for 285 yards and four touchdowns behind a strong offensive line effort.
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Behind the blocking of the offense line that created holes for Swayne to be able to turn on his speed, the Indians quarterback used the option to his advantage, scoring touchdowns of 66, 40, 67 and 98 yards in the non-conference win. In just his four touchdowns run, Swayne totaled 271 of his 285 yards of offense in leading the Indians to a halftime lead of 37-7.
“The offensive line is making me look good,” Hillsboro head coach Jack O’Rourke said. “Mason had a good game.”
Unofficially, the Indians totaled 422 yards of offense in the first half alone. For the game, they finished with well over 500 yards as they added 20 more points in the second half for the 50-point win as the Indians didn’t attempt a pass in any of the four quarters, except a halfback pass on a two-point conversion attempt.
This win is the second game with Jack O’Rourke as Hillsboro’s head coach that the Indians have scored at least 50 points in a game the past two seasons. Last season against the Miami Trace Panthers, the Indians scored 54 points in a 54-27 win on the road.
The win also marked the Indians’ first victory by 50 or more points since Sept. 9, 2005 when Hillsboro defeated Unioto, 55-3 at Richards Memorial Field, and just the third time HHS has scored at least 50 points in a game since 2005.
Now for this year’s 57-point effort by the Tribe, they scored their first touchdown on the very first play of the game when Swayne kept the football on a option play, taking the football 66 yards to the end zone for six points. Josh Keets raced to the end zone on the two-point conversion try for an early 8-0 lead 19 seconds into the game.
From there, the Indians forced a punt later in the quarter, going on a drive of 75 yards with runs of three and 13 yards by Devon Gallimore, a 27-yard rush from Keets, then ending with a 42-yard scamper to the end zone by Swayne with 5:36 left in the first quarter. The PAT by Britton Haines left the Indians in the lead at 15-0.
On the ensuing drive by Williamsburg, the Indians defense forced a three-and-out and did so with a powerful effort at the line of scrimmage with Max Conover having a sack for a 4-yard loss, and on the next play, Lane Cluff gained the sack for a 9-yard loss, eventually forcing a punt.
Though the Indians followed with a turnover via a fumble in the late stages of the first quarter, resulting in the Wildcats (1-3) scoring their lone touchdown of the game off an eight-play, 75-yard drive, the Indians didn’t buckle. Rather, they added more excitement for the Indians fan base to celebrate.
Following the score by Williamsburg with 9:06 left in the opening quarter, the Indians took just two plays to add more points to the home side of the scoreboard with Swayne this time taking the football 67 yards untouched to the end zone with 7:54 left in the first half. Keets passed the ball to Mason Lewis for two points, pushing the Indians’ lead to 23-7.
Two plays later, the defense of the Indians took away the football from the visitors with Haines recovering the loose football wth 7:12 on the second-quarter clock. On their first play from scrimmage in the drive, Keets raced 66 yards to the end zone, only to have the play called back due to a holding call.
That was just a bump in the road so to speak for the Indians because following rushes by Mark Gallimore and Swayne, Keets once again raced to the end zone, this time going 49 yards for the score with 5:38 left in the first half. Haines’ PAT was good for a 30-7 advantage.
The first-half defense by the Indians continued to take over when needed, and this time it came on a big-time goal line stand for HHS. With the ball on the 5-yard line, the Indians allowed a three-yard rush, only to be followed by a tackle for loss by Conover and Reece Bloomfield. That stop was followed with a tackle for a three-yard loss by Deegan Boris on third-and-goal. On fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Mason Lewis stopped the Wildcats on a QB keeper, forcing a turnover on downs with 6.4 seconds left in the half.
“The defense sucked it up right there,” O’Rourke said of the goal line stand. “They were ahead by quite a bit and could have let them score, but they took pride in playing defense there and stopped them.”
That 6.4 seconds was plenty of time for Swayne and the Indians with the quarterback rushing straight through the middle of the Williamsburg defensive line — untouched — for 98 yards and six more points as time expired in the second quarter. Haines made another PAT for a 37-7 halftime lead.
To start the second half, the Hillsboro defense took the spotlight after a couple plays when Boris forced a fumble, which was recovered by Devon Gallimore with 10:36 left in the third.
Returning from an ankle injury was Deon Burns. The junior power back was unleashed on the Wildcats, and did he ever make his mark. Burns bashed his way for a 21-yard rush, taking the ball from the Williamsburg 40-yard line to the 19-yard line. He then raced 10 yards for a first down, and the Wildcats helped the HHS cause with a 15-yard personal foul penalty.
With the ball on the 9-yard line, Burns raced the nine yards needed for six points and the touchdown with 8:32 left in the third frame. The Haines PAT was good, giving the drive a 44-7 advantage.
“We’re just trying to let him heal up as best we possibly can,” O'Rourke said. “He’s close to 100-percent. I wouldn’t say exactly 100-percent, but he looks like Deon.”
As the second half continued, the Indians had runs from Mason Stanley, Clifford Coday and Lewis, until finally Haines rushed the football for 10 yards and a touchdown with 7.1 seconds left in the third quarter. The converted PAT pushed the HHS lead to 51-7.
To start the fourth quarter, the Indians had an interception from Justin Spears at the 11:48 mark, and following rushes by Logan Hester, Coday, Spears and Keith Doughman, the Indians scored their seventh touchdown of the game when Hester went one yard for the score. HHS didn’t attempt the two-point play, leaving the score at 57-7.
“It definitely is good to get the kids some varsity time, and it makes them feel good to come in and bust their butt against these guys all week,” O’Rourke said. “It’s tough when you have to go against some of these big guys in practice, so those young kids have really benefited a great deal.
“They get practice time too, and they got a little extra practice time this week, so they’re going to benefit from it.”
Next for the Indians is an away non-conference game, their final non-conference matchup of the season, as they will face the Clermont Northeastern Rockets at 7 p.m. at CNE.
“They’re 3-1 right now and a pretty good ball club, so we’re going to have to play some of our better football,” O’Rourke said.
Hillsboro’s win at Richards Memorial Field had an excellent crowd cheering the Indians on to victory, and fans were rocking their stadium when junior Mason Swayne dominated the first half from start to finish, playing near flawlessly in the first two quarters by rushing for 285 yards and four touchdowns behind a strong offensive line effort.
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Behind the blocking of the offense line that created holes for Swayne to be able to turn on his speed, the Indians quarterback used the option to his advantage, scoring touchdowns of 66, 40, 67 and 98 yards in the non-conference win. In just his four touchdowns run, Swayne totaled 271 of his 285 yards of offense in leading the Indians to a halftime lead of 37-7.
“The offensive line is making me look good,” Hillsboro head coach Jack O’Rourke said. “Mason had a good game.”
Unofficially, the Indians totaled 422 yards of offense in the first half alone. For the game, they finished with well over 500 yards as they added 20 more points in the second half for the 50-point win as the Indians didn’t attempt a pass in any of the four quarters, except a halfback pass on a two-point conversion attempt.
This win is the second game with Jack O’Rourke as Hillsboro’s head coach that the Indians have scored at least 50 points in a game the past two seasons. Last season against the Miami Trace Panthers, the Indians scored 54 points in a 54-27 win on the road.
The win also marked the Indians’ first victory by 50 or more points since Sept. 9, 2005 when Hillsboro defeated Unioto, 55-3 at Richards Memorial Field, and just the third time HHS has scored at least 50 points in a game since 2005.
Now for this year’s 57-point effort by the Tribe, they scored their first touchdown on the very first play of the game when Swayne kept the football on a option play, taking the football 66 yards to the end zone for six points. Josh Keets raced to the end zone on the two-point conversion try for an early 8-0 lead 19 seconds into the game.
From there, the Indians forced a punt later in the quarter, going on a drive of 75 yards with runs of three and 13 yards by Devon Gallimore, a 27-yard rush from Keets, then ending with a 42-yard scamper to the end zone by Swayne with 5:36 left in the first quarter. The PAT by Britton Haines left the Indians in the lead at 15-0.
On the ensuing drive by Williamsburg, the Indians defense forced a three-and-out and did so with a powerful effort at the line of scrimmage with Max Conover having a sack for a 4-yard loss, and on the next play, Lane Cluff gained the sack for a 9-yard loss, eventually forcing a punt.
Though the Indians followed with a turnover via a fumble in the late stages of the first quarter, resulting in the Wildcats (1-3) scoring their lone touchdown of the game off an eight-play, 75-yard drive, the Indians didn’t buckle. Rather, they added more excitement for the Indians fan base to celebrate.
Following the score by Williamsburg with 9:06 left in the opening quarter, the Indians took just two plays to add more points to the home side of the scoreboard with Swayne this time taking the football 67 yards untouched to the end zone with 7:54 left in the first half. Keets passed the ball to Mason Lewis for two points, pushing the Indians’ lead to 23-7.
Two plays later, the defense of the Indians took away the football from the visitors with Haines recovering the loose football wth 7:12 on the second-quarter clock. On their first play from scrimmage in the drive, Keets raced 66 yards to the end zone, only to have the play called back due to a holding call.
That was just a bump in the road so to speak for the Indians because following rushes by Mark Gallimore and Swayne, Keets once again raced to the end zone, this time going 49 yards for the score with 5:38 left in the first half. Haines’ PAT was good for a 30-7 advantage.
The first-half defense by the Indians continued to take over when needed, and this time it came on a big-time goal line stand for HHS. With the ball on the 5-yard line, the Indians allowed a three-yard rush, only to be followed by a tackle for loss by Conover and Reece Bloomfield. That stop was followed with a tackle for a three-yard loss by Deegan Boris on third-and-goal. On fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Mason Lewis stopped the Wildcats on a QB keeper, forcing a turnover on downs with 6.4 seconds left in the half.
“The defense sucked it up right there,” O’Rourke said of the goal line stand. “They were ahead by quite a bit and could have let them score, but they took pride in playing defense there and stopped them.”
That 6.4 seconds was plenty of time for Swayne and the Indians with the quarterback rushing straight through the middle of the Williamsburg defensive line — untouched — for 98 yards and six more points as time expired in the second quarter. Haines made another PAT for a 37-7 halftime lead.
To start the second half, the Hillsboro defense took the spotlight after a couple plays when Boris forced a fumble, which was recovered by Devon Gallimore with 10:36 left in the third.
Returning from an ankle injury was Deon Burns. The junior power back was unleashed on the Wildcats, and did he ever make his mark. Burns bashed his way for a 21-yard rush, taking the ball from the Williamsburg 40-yard line to the 19-yard line. He then raced 10 yards for a first down, and the Wildcats helped the HHS cause with a 15-yard personal foul penalty.
With the ball on the 9-yard line, Burns raced the nine yards needed for six points and the touchdown with 8:32 left in the third frame. The Haines PAT was good, giving the drive a 44-7 advantage.
“We’re just trying to let him heal up as best we possibly can,” O'Rourke said. “He’s close to 100-percent. I wouldn’t say exactly 100-percent, but he looks like Deon.”
As the second half continued, the Indians had runs from Mason Stanley, Clifford Coday and Lewis, until finally Haines rushed the football for 10 yards and a touchdown with 7.1 seconds left in the third quarter. The converted PAT pushed the HHS lead to 51-7.
To start the fourth quarter, the Indians had an interception from Justin Spears at the 11:48 mark, and following rushes by Logan Hester, Coday, Spears and Keith Doughman, the Indians scored their seventh touchdown of the game when Hester went one yard for the score. HHS didn’t attempt the two-point play, leaving the score at 57-7.
“It definitely is good to get the kids some varsity time, and it makes them feel good to come in and bust their butt against these guys all week,” O’Rourke said. “It’s tough when you have to go against some of these big guys in practice, so those young kids have really benefited a great deal.
“They get practice time too, and they got a little extra practice time this week, so they’re going to benefit from it.”
Next for the Indians is an away non-conference game, their final non-conference matchup of the season, as they will face the Clermont Northeastern Rockets at 7 p.m. at CNE.
“They’re 3-1 right now and a pretty good ball club, so we’re going to have to play some of our better football,” O’Rourke said.