Hurricane race past Indians

WILMINGTON — It was a tough night for the Hillsboro Indians in South Central Ohio League play. The Indians had trouble containing the pure speed of the Wilmington Hurricane, allowing the 'Cane to defend their home field for a 49-7 Indians loss.

The Friday night loss for the Indians was also homecoming night for the host Hurricane. Wilmington didn't do any dancing, but they certainly used their speed to race past the Indians in their Week 5 matchup.

Wilmington (2-0, 4-1) scored a touchdown on their first four drives of the game, amounting to a total of 12 offensive plays for what turned out to be a 28-7 advantage.

As for the Indians, they scored the lone touchdown on their first drive of the game, a drive that saw them total 80 yards on seven plays.

Hillsboro (0-2, 1-4) began their scoring drive from their own 21-yard line, with the first play going for a negative yard. From there, though, it was all positive for the Indians in their first possession of the game with quarterback Hunter Chain passing to Ryan Hagan for 13 yards, followed by Chain carrying the football for three yards.

From there, the Indians rushed the ball through the Hurricane defensive line, as Heith Brown took the football on a 52-yard journey, only to be caught from behind at the 'Cane 12-yard line. Three plays later, Chain raced around the defense of Wilmington for eight yards and six points with 6:12 left in the opening quarter. The PAT by Deon Burns made it a 7-7 score.

Before the Indians touchdown, the Hurricane took just five plays for the first TD of the game, taking advantage of great field position off a kickoff return by Dylan Beaugard as he took the football from around his own 15-yard line and returned it to the Indians' 44-yard line.

Following the kickoff, Wilmington eventually scored on a third-and-goal play from the 1-yard line where Cameron Stewart found the end zone for the first score of the game. The PAT from Brady Henry made it a 7-0 score.

Following the aforementioned Hillsboro touchdown to tie the score at 7-7 in the first quarter, not much else went in the favor of the Indians. Once WHS regained possession of the ball, they scored their second touchdown and took the lead for good with a 41-yard rush by quarterback Matt Creditt, as the senior maneuvered his way past the Indians' defense, eventually stopping in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

The Indians were forced to a three-and-out and three plays later trailed by a 21-7 score following an eight-yard pass from Creditt to Josiah Keiter as the first quarter still had 3:47 left on the scoreboard.

HHS, again, had another three-and-out, and on the first play of the ensuing drive the Hurricane swept past the Indians' defense with a 71-yard touchdown reception by Beaugard. Beaugard caught a short screen pass from Creditt, turned the corner and raced up the Hurricane sideline for six points and the eventual 28-7 lead with 1:52 left in the first quarter. Henry's PAT (he was 4-for-4 in the first quarter) was good.

Even down 21 points as the first quarter turned into the second quarter, the Indians put together a nice drive that just didn't end with points – rather, a turnover. In their first drive during the second quarter, HHS had a 15-yard completion to Hagan (off a pass from Chain), followed by two rushes, adding up to 14 yards by the Indians QB to make it first down on the WHS 28-yard line.

HHS had a few more plays with positive yardage, including a pass to Andrew Palmer, but on a third down play from the 20-yard line, the Indians' pass was intercepted on the 'Cane 7-yard line.

The Indians continued to have a tough second quarter as WHS scored their fifth touchdown of the game, this time with Creditt going to his left, then to his right within the middle of the HHS defense to break away for a 67-yard run and score. The PAT made it a 35-7 lead for the hosts.

Late in the second quarter, HHS had plays of 23 yards and 21 yards, both runs by Brown, but the drive came to a standstill on the WHS 29-yard line with HHS being forced to a turnover on downs with 1:02 left in the first half.

Brown unofficially rushed for 100-plus yards for HHS.

WHS added two final scores in the third quarter with Creditt rushing for an 18-yard touchdown with 7:00 on the clock and a 42-7 advantage, and the final score came on a 93-yard reception with 2:23 left in the third.

The Indians will be on the road again in Week 6, this time with another tough challenge awaiting them in Ross County, as they will face the Chillicothe Cavaliers in SCOL play. CHS defeated the Miami Trace Panthers Friday by a 45-14 score, improving to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the league.