Hillsboro swept up by Hurricane
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Hillsboro Indians stunned the visiting Wilmington Hurricane with some high winds of their own in the early stages of the first quarter for a 15-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. That was about as good as it got for the Indians at Richards Memorial Field on Friday night.
Following those scores, the Hurricane gained some steam and swept up the Indians with big plays of their own. The 'Cane also took advantage of extra opportunities forced by turnovers, causing the Indians to lose their second consecutive game in the South Central Ohio League standings, as the 'Cane won by a 61-36 score.
Hillsboro's loss leaves them at 0-2 in the league and 1-4 overall at the midway point of the season. Wilmington’s win gives them an overall record of 4-1 and 2-0 in the SCOL with WHS sweeping Highland County again this season, defeating McClain last week.
[[In-content Ad]]
“We did some good things early and so on, but just again the same thing, we are a young football team and inconsistent with our play,” Hillsboro head coach Jack O’Rourke said. “We were trying to get back in the ball game with some quick passes and different things like that. They (WHS) covered it pretty well instead of sticking with what was working in the first half.
“Actually, we started making a little bit of headway in the fourth quarter because I went back to a little bit of our midline option and we were able to move it pretty well a couple times. I wasn't patient in the second half. I wanted to try to get some quick scores, and we just didn't execute it very well.”
Looking at the early stages of the first quarter, the Indians began with a three-play drive at their own 35-yard line. After two plays of no gain to start the game, on third down, Hunter Chain launched a pass downfield, and the ball bounced off the hands of the WHS defender and into the hands of Brian Smith.
Smith caught the pass and ran to the end zone of a 65-yard touchdown reception with 10:30 left in the opening quarter. The PAT by Britton Haines made it a 7-0 score for the Tribe.
The defense of the Indians forced a turnover on downs, giving HHS the ball on their own 37-yard line. HHS scored two plays later with a 49-yard touchdown run by Chain, who raced through and past the Hurricane defense for six points.
HHS sneaked in a two-point conversion run with Josh Keets taking the ball to the end zone for the aforementioned 15-0 lead with 6:52 left in the first quarter.
From that point on, Wilmington took complete control of the league game, though the first quarter ended with the Indians leading by a 15-14 score.
WHS had their two touchdowns come from a run of 18 yards by Ryan Camp for a touchdown with 4:48 still on the first-quarter clock. The PAT by Brady Henry made it a 15-7 score.
Wilmington’s second touchdown came with 1:15 left in the first frame when Adam Phelps raced 68 yards for six points on a first down play. Following the converted PAT, WHS trailed by a 15-14 score.
On the next drive, the 'Cane intercepted a pass at the 11:07 mark of the second quarter on the WHS 12-yard line. With 7:48 left in the quarter, WHS added their third touchdown of the game with Brady Evans keeping the ball and running five yards into the end zone. A third PAT kicked by Henry put WHS in the lead for good at 21-15.
On the ensuing drive, following a punt by the Indians, WHS scored a touchdown, taking the ball to pay dirt on a six-yard slant pass to Matt Smith from Evans with 3:40 left in the first half. Another extra point for the 'Cane put WHS ahead, 28-15.
The Indians answered with a touchdown of their own, keeping the score close, as Sajoun Jones caught a pass from Chain in stride and went untouched for 70 yards and the touchdown. Haines connected with the PAT to make it a six-point game at 28-22 with 3:25 left in the second quarter.
WHS then caught the Indians off-guard with two quick scores, one with 1:18 left on the first-half clock as Tony Merritt caught a pass from Evans for a 15-yard score, as Merritt reached the end zone uncovered for a 34-22 lead.
Two plays later, the Indians fumbled the football and Wilmington’s Kyler Reed scooped up the ball and went 37 yards for a touchdown. That score and PAT put the 'Cane in front, 41-22 with 33.4 left in the first half, and that stayed the score at halftime.
In the first half, the Indians totaled 303 yards.
Wilmington in the second half outscored the Indians, 20-14, leading to the 25-point win.
In that second half, the Indians were first to strike with an 80-yard interception returned for a touchdown as Haines followed his blocks all the way to the end zone on the first down play. Haines then kicked the PAT to make it a 41-29 deficit.
“The kids rallied around and blocked for him well,” O’Rourke said. “I thought we played better defense in the second half. We still missed some tackles, missed some assignments, but we played much better defense in the second half.”
It didn’t take long for WHS to answer with more points. With 5:23 left in the third, Merritt rushed for a 20-yard score. The missed PAT put the 'Cane ahead by 18 points at 47-29.
WHS scored again with 25.2 left on the third-quarter clock when Smith caught a slant pass from Evans to make it a 54-29 score.
Hillsboro’s final touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Keets passed to Haines to extend the drive on a fourth down play. The touchdown came one play later when Chain ran the ball to pay dirt on a short rush at the 2:40 mark of the fourth.
WHS added to their lead with a final touchdown late in the game from Phelps, taking the ball 54 yards. The PAT gave the final score of 61-36.
The Indians will play at home next week when they host the Chillicothe Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. The Cavs are 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the SCOL. CHS defeated the Miami Trace Panthers, 56-21 to stay undefeated in the SCOL.
“Coach Hinton at Chillicothe is a very fine football coach. I've known him for a long time,” O’Rourke said. “We used to scrimmage him back in the '80s and '90s, so I'm very familiar with what they like to do, and he's a hard-nosed football coach.
“We're in for another big battle again next week. I told the kids (Friday), when we play fine football teams like we played (Friday), we have to play almost error-free, and we didn't do that.”
Wilmington will face East Clinton (0-2, 0-5) at Astro Field next Friday in an away game.
GAME NOTES: With 7:27 left in the first quarter, Gary Vincent of Hillsboro had a tackle for loss on a fourth down play … Around the 4:48 mark of the first quarter, Devon Gallimore had a 42-yard run, but Hillsboro was later forced to punt on the drive … Haines broke up a first down pass in the middle stages of the second quarter … Hillsboro’s Reece Bloomfield and Ben McClellan combined for a 10-yard tackle for loss with 3:15 left in the second quarter … On the very next play, Vincent had a tackle for loss … Wilmington’s DJ Ames broke tackles and had a 27-yard run on a third down play late in the second quarter … Hillsboro’s McClellan had a four-yard tackle for loss … Late in the third quarter, Hillsboro’s Max Conover had a tackle for loss, as did teammate McClellan … Wilmington had an interception around the 8:50 mark of the fourth quarter.
Following those scores, the Hurricane gained some steam and swept up the Indians with big plays of their own. The 'Cane also took advantage of extra opportunities forced by turnovers, causing the Indians to lose their second consecutive game in the South Central Ohio League standings, as the 'Cane won by a 61-36 score.
Hillsboro's loss leaves them at 0-2 in the league and 1-4 overall at the midway point of the season. Wilmington’s win gives them an overall record of 4-1 and 2-0 in the SCOL with WHS sweeping Highland County again this season, defeating McClain last week.
[[In-content Ad]]
“We did some good things early and so on, but just again the same thing, we are a young football team and inconsistent with our play,” Hillsboro head coach Jack O’Rourke said. “We were trying to get back in the ball game with some quick passes and different things like that. They (WHS) covered it pretty well instead of sticking with what was working in the first half.
“Actually, we started making a little bit of headway in the fourth quarter because I went back to a little bit of our midline option and we were able to move it pretty well a couple times. I wasn't patient in the second half. I wanted to try to get some quick scores, and we just didn't execute it very well.”
Looking at the early stages of the first quarter, the Indians began with a three-play drive at their own 35-yard line. After two plays of no gain to start the game, on third down, Hunter Chain launched a pass downfield, and the ball bounced off the hands of the WHS defender and into the hands of Brian Smith.
Smith caught the pass and ran to the end zone of a 65-yard touchdown reception with 10:30 left in the opening quarter. The PAT by Britton Haines made it a 7-0 score for the Tribe.
The defense of the Indians forced a turnover on downs, giving HHS the ball on their own 37-yard line. HHS scored two plays later with a 49-yard touchdown run by Chain, who raced through and past the Hurricane defense for six points.
HHS sneaked in a two-point conversion run with Josh Keets taking the ball to the end zone for the aforementioned 15-0 lead with 6:52 left in the first quarter.
From that point on, Wilmington took complete control of the league game, though the first quarter ended with the Indians leading by a 15-14 score.
WHS had their two touchdowns come from a run of 18 yards by Ryan Camp for a touchdown with 4:48 still on the first-quarter clock. The PAT by Brady Henry made it a 15-7 score.
Wilmington’s second touchdown came with 1:15 left in the first frame when Adam Phelps raced 68 yards for six points on a first down play. Following the converted PAT, WHS trailed by a 15-14 score.
On the next drive, the 'Cane intercepted a pass at the 11:07 mark of the second quarter on the WHS 12-yard line. With 7:48 left in the quarter, WHS added their third touchdown of the game with Brady Evans keeping the ball and running five yards into the end zone. A third PAT kicked by Henry put WHS in the lead for good at 21-15.
On the ensuing drive, following a punt by the Indians, WHS scored a touchdown, taking the ball to pay dirt on a six-yard slant pass to Matt Smith from Evans with 3:40 left in the first half. Another extra point for the 'Cane put WHS ahead, 28-15.
The Indians answered with a touchdown of their own, keeping the score close, as Sajoun Jones caught a pass from Chain in stride and went untouched for 70 yards and the touchdown. Haines connected with the PAT to make it a six-point game at 28-22 with 3:25 left in the second quarter.
WHS then caught the Indians off-guard with two quick scores, one with 1:18 left on the first-half clock as Tony Merritt caught a pass from Evans for a 15-yard score, as Merritt reached the end zone uncovered for a 34-22 lead.
Two plays later, the Indians fumbled the football and Wilmington’s Kyler Reed scooped up the ball and went 37 yards for a touchdown. That score and PAT put the 'Cane in front, 41-22 with 33.4 left in the first half, and that stayed the score at halftime.
In the first half, the Indians totaled 303 yards.
Wilmington in the second half outscored the Indians, 20-14, leading to the 25-point win.
In that second half, the Indians were first to strike with an 80-yard interception returned for a touchdown as Haines followed his blocks all the way to the end zone on the first down play. Haines then kicked the PAT to make it a 41-29 deficit.
“The kids rallied around and blocked for him well,” O’Rourke said. “I thought we played better defense in the second half. We still missed some tackles, missed some assignments, but we played much better defense in the second half.”
It didn’t take long for WHS to answer with more points. With 5:23 left in the third, Merritt rushed for a 20-yard score. The missed PAT put the 'Cane ahead by 18 points at 47-29.
WHS scored again with 25.2 left on the third-quarter clock when Smith caught a slant pass from Evans to make it a 54-29 score.
Hillsboro’s final touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Keets passed to Haines to extend the drive on a fourth down play. The touchdown came one play later when Chain ran the ball to pay dirt on a short rush at the 2:40 mark of the fourth.
WHS added to their lead with a final touchdown late in the game from Phelps, taking the ball 54 yards. The PAT gave the final score of 61-36.
The Indians will play at home next week when they host the Chillicothe Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. The Cavs are 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the SCOL. CHS defeated the Miami Trace Panthers, 56-21 to stay undefeated in the SCOL.
“Coach Hinton at Chillicothe is a very fine football coach. I've known him for a long time,” O’Rourke said. “We used to scrimmage him back in the '80s and '90s, so I'm very familiar with what they like to do, and he's a hard-nosed football coach.
“We're in for another big battle again next week. I told the kids (Friday), when we play fine football teams like we played (Friday), we have to play almost error-free, and we didn't do that.”
Wilmington will face East Clinton (0-2, 0-5) at Astro Field next Friday in an away game.
GAME NOTES: With 7:27 left in the first quarter, Gary Vincent of Hillsboro had a tackle for loss on a fourth down play … Around the 4:48 mark of the first quarter, Devon Gallimore had a 42-yard run, but Hillsboro was later forced to punt on the drive … Haines broke up a first down pass in the middle stages of the second quarter … Hillsboro’s Reece Bloomfield and Ben McClellan combined for a 10-yard tackle for loss with 3:15 left in the second quarter … On the very next play, Vincent had a tackle for loss … Wilmington’s DJ Ames broke tackles and had a 27-yard run on a third down play late in the second quarter … Hillsboro’s McClellan had a four-yard tackle for loss … Late in the third quarter, Hillsboro’s Max Conover had a tackle for loss, as did teammate McClellan … Wilmington had an interception around the 8:50 mark of the fourth quarter.