Hillsboro’s rally cut short in loss to East Clinton
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LEES CREEK – The Hillsboro Indians had a roller coaster performance in their Week 3 game on Friday night at East Clinton, but the excitement at the end went to the home team Astros.
The Indians were within five points of tying the hosts, but 14 unanswered points by East Clinton led to Hillsboro falling by a 33-14 score, giving them two losses in the first three games of the 2021 season.
HHS (1-2) was held to five yards on their first drive, which allowed the Astros to have good field position on their first drive of the game, with EC starting out on their own 43-yard line with 10:33 left in the opening quarter.
The first drive of the game for ECHS saw runs by Isaiah Conger and Jared Smith for a first down, taking the Astros to the HHS 45-yard line. Next was a 7-yard rush by Conger, and later with the Astros on the HHS 33-yard line, EC quarterback Smith raced for 29 yards on a keeper, all the way to the Indians’ 4-yard line.
After a 2-yard rush by Conger and a false start by the Astros, Conger barreled his way to a 6-yard touchdown run on second-and-goal with 6:41 left in the opening quarter. The PAT was good for a 7-0 HHS deficit.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, the Indians lost possession of the ball on a fumble recovered by the Astros.
Hillsboro’s defense responded with the ball on EC’s 42-yard line with their best performance of the game. The Indians’ defense had a tackle for a 1-yard loss, then two sacks in a row by Ryan Mau, to force the Astros to punt from their own 25-yard line.
The rest of the first quarter was more defense from both sides, though Hillsboro’s Ovid Wilson recovered a fumble on offense in the early stages of the second quarter.
Following a big 51-yard gain, a few plays later the Astros took a 13-0 lead with 5:59 left in the second quarter when on third-and-goal Conger rushed for a 2-yard touchdown. The PAT was no good.
HHS battled in the second quarter, and starting a drive from their own 37-yard line, they overcame a sack for a 6-yard loss to have a 16-yard completion from Chris Stout to Cameron Smart on third-and-13. After HHS gained the first down, the drive came to a sudden halt, and HHS gave back the football with a turnover on downs with 1:56 left in the second quarter.
The halftime score stood at 13-0, and when the second half began, the start of the third frame was very good to the Astros. EC’s Glenn Peacock returned the kickoff around 75 yards all the way to the HHS 3-yard line. Two plays later, the Astros led 19-0 with a run of five yards (ECHS lost two yards on their first play), resulting in Smith rushing for a 5-yard touchdown with 10:50 on the clock. EC went for a two-point conversion, but it failed.
Again, the Indians had their moments on the ensuing drive, with Mau catching the kickoff on the Indians’ 49-yard line. Net was a 17-yard rush by Derek Whitt, followed by a 4-yard carry, also by Whitt. On a third-and-6 play, Whitt raced for a first down on a 10-yard rush.
Two plays later, Stout found Smart for a 10-yard gain, but eventually the Indians lost the ball with a turnover on downs with 7:41 left in the third.
The Indians took the football back one play later as Ethan Grooms recovered a fumble by the Astros with 7:35 on the third-quarter clock. Three plays later, with the drive starting on the EC 16-yard line, it was Stout rushing to the end zone with 6:37 left in the quarter. Dylan Rigsby made the PAT, bringing the Indians closer to ECHS at 19-7.
After forcing a punt by ECHS, the Indians began the drive on their own 36-yard line, and a trick play of sorts brought Hillsboro to within five points of tying the score with 1:41 left in the third quarter.
The play saw Stout pitch the ball to wide receiver Canaan Griffith, who found Smart down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown pass with the clock reading 1:41 left in the third. The Rigsby PAT was good for the 19-14 deficit.
That was the final score of the game for HHS, but the Astros had two more touchdowns coming in the fourth frame.
EC built a 25-14 lead with a defensive touchdown as a pitch was out of reach for the rusher, and EC’s Peacock picked up the loose football for a touchdown run with 2:26 left in regulation. EC went for two points, but the try failed.
The final touchdown of the game came with the HHS quarterback under heavy pressure. As he threw the ball while being hit, EC’s Brody Fisher intercepted the pass and went 40 yards for the score. The PAT pass from Smith to Jaden Singleton was good, putting the Astros ahead by the final score of 33-14.
Next for the Indians is their second straight road game as they are scheduled to travel to Williamsburg for a Week 4 game. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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The Indians were within five points of tying the hosts, but 14 unanswered points by East Clinton led to Hillsboro falling by a 33-14 score, giving them two losses in the first three games of the 2021 season.
HHS (1-2) was held to five yards on their first drive, which allowed the Astros to have good field position on their first drive of the game, with EC starting out on their own 43-yard line with 10:33 left in the opening quarter.
The first drive of the game for ECHS saw runs by Isaiah Conger and Jared Smith for a first down, taking the Astros to the HHS 45-yard line. Next was a 7-yard rush by Conger, and later with the Astros on the HHS 33-yard line, EC quarterback Smith raced for 29 yards on a keeper, all the way to the Indians’ 4-yard line.
After a 2-yard rush by Conger and a false start by the Astros, Conger barreled his way to a 6-yard touchdown run on second-and-goal with 6:41 left in the opening quarter. The PAT was good for a 7-0 HHS deficit.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, the Indians lost possession of the ball on a fumble recovered by the Astros.
Hillsboro’s defense responded with the ball on EC’s 42-yard line with their best performance of the game. The Indians’ defense had a tackle for a 1-yard loss, then two sacks in a row by Ryan Mau, to force the Astros to punt from their own 25-yard line.
The rest of the first quarter was more defense from both sides, though Hillsboro’s Ovid Wilson recovered a fumble on offense in the early stages of the second quarter.
Following a big 51-yard gain, a few plays later the Astros took a 13-0 lead with 5:59 left in the second quarter when on third-and-goal Conger rushed for a 2-yard touchdown. The PAT was no good.
HHS battled in the second quarter, and starting a drive from their own 37-yard line, they overcame a sack for a 6-yard loss to have a 16-yard completion from Chris Stout to Cameron Smart on third-and-13. After HHS gained the first down, the drive came to a sudden halt, and HHS gave back the football with a turnover on downs with 1:56 left in the second quarter.
The halftime score stood at 13-0, and when the second half began, the start of the third frame was very good to the Astros. EC’s Glenn Peacock returned the kickoff around 75 yards all the way to the HHS 3-yard line. Two plays later, the Astros led 19-0 with a run of five yards (ECHS lost two yards on their first play), resulting in Smith rushing for a 5-yard touchdown with 10:50 on the clock. EC went for a two-point conversion, but it failed.
Again, the Indians had their moments on the ensuing drive, with Mau catching the kickoff on the Indians’ 49-yard line. Net was a 17-yard rush by Derek Whitt, followed by a 4-yard carry, also by Whitt. On a third-and-6 play, Whitt raced for a first down on a 10-yard rush.
Two plays later, Stout found Smart for a 10-yard gain, but eventually the Indians lost the ball with a turnover on downs with 7:41 left in the third.
The Indians took the football back one play later as Ethan Grooms recovered a fumble by the Astros with 7:35 on the third-quarter clock. Three plays later, with the drive starting on the EC 16-yard line, it was Stout rushing to the end zone with 6:37 left in the quarter. Dylan Rigsby made the PAT, bringing the Indians closer to ECHS at 19-7.
After forcing a punt by ECHS, the Indians began the drive on their own 36-yard line, and a trick play of sorts brought Hillsboro to within five points of tying the score with 1:41 left in the third quarter.
The play saw Stout pitch the ball to wide receiver Canaan Griffith, who found Smart down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown pass with the clock reading 1:41 left in the third. The Rigsby PAT was good for the 19-14 deficit.
That was the final score of the game for HHS, but the Astros had two more touchdowns coming in the fourth frame.
EC built a 25-14 lead with a defensive touchdown as a pitch was out of reach for the rusher, and EC’s Peacock picked up the loose football for a touchdown run with 2:26 left in regulation. EC went for two points, but the try failed.
The final touchdown of the game came with the HHS quarterback under heavy pressure. As he threw the ball while being hit, EC’s Brody Fisher intercepted the pass and went 40 yards for the score. The PAT pass from Smith to Jaden Singleton was good, putting the Astros ahead by the final score of 33-14.
Next for the Indians is their second straight road game as they are scheduled to travel to Williamsburg for a Week 4 game. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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