Indians outpace Blue Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
WASHINGTON C.H. — The Hillsboro Indians and Washington Blue Lions combined for 121 points and 1,126 yards of offense in their Week 7 Frontier Athletic Conference showdown at Gardner Park in Washington Court House. Within those yards, the two teams combined for 756 yards of rushing. All of those numbers eventually ended with the Indians as the victors by a 71-50 score.
Hillsboro finished the night with 609 yards of offense, all rushing, as they had three players rush for over 150 yards apiece with Mark Gallimore leading the way with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Next was Deon Burns with 27 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Keets had 161 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries.
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Gallimore finished averaging 18 yards per rush, while Burns barreled his way to 6.6 ypr and Keets averaged 10.7 ypr. Blocking for all those yards was the offensive line of Draven Stodgel, Zach Burns, Silas Simmons, Max Conover and Lane Cluff, along with fullback Reece Bloomfield.
The scoring barrage by both teams began with a Washington touchdown on their homecoming night on a 28-yard reception from Gio Thomas to Omar Porter Jr. 59 seconds into the FAC contest. The 2-point conversion run by Dillon Steward was good for an 8-0 lead to complete the four-play drive.
Thomas finished the game 17-of-33 for 370 yards passing and four touchdown passes. Thomas also rushed for a touchdown. As a team, the Blue Lions totaled 517 yards of offense with 147 yards rushing.
Hillsboro answered with a two-play drive as Keets rushed 24 yards for a touchdown with 10:39 left in the first. He followed up with a 2-point conversion run for an 8-8 score.
Washington came back and equaled the feat with another touchdown, as Jamie McCane rushed 21 yards to the end zone with 6:51 still on the first-quarter clock. Washington failed on the 2-point conversion attempt for a 14-8 lead.
It took the Indians just one play to take the lead for the first time, as Mark Gallimore raced 40 yards to pay dirt with Burns as his lead blocker for a touchdown. The TD scored with 6:41 left in the first frame also had a 2-point conversion, with Mason Swayne passing to Reece Bloomfield for a 16-14 advantage.
The Blue Lions took the lead back three plays later as Thomas passed to Porter for a 48-yard completion and six points with 5:24 left in the first quarter. The 2-point conversion was no good, putting the home team ahead by a 20-16 score.
The Indians were right back in the end zone in four plays, as this drive included a touchdown by Swayne on a 45-yard run with 3:29 left in the opening quarter. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Indians ahead by two points at 22-20. Swayne finished with two rushing touchdowns.
For the first time in the game, the Blue Lions didn’t score any points on a drive as the Hillsboro made their first big stop of the conference game. Logan Hester sacked the quarterback on a third down play, and the next play the Indians forced a turnover on downs the the Blue Lions offense had an incomplete pass on fourth-and-15.
The Indians took possession of the ball on their own 33-yard line with 2.6 left in the first quarter and scored more points at the 10:36 mark of the second as the drive had a 53-yard rush by Keets on second down, taking the ball to the Washington 11-yard line. Two plays later, Keets was scoring six points with a touchdown run of 8 yards. Burns caught a 2-point conversion pass to give the Indians a 30-20 lead.
Washington came back with eight points as Steward raced 30 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, and a 2-point conversion pass from Thomas to Steward was good for a 30-28 score with HHS still in the lead with 8:25 left in the second.
Steward finished with 10 receptions for 259 yards receiving.
The Indians’ lead went back to 10 points on the ensuing drive as Swayne rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on second-and-goal with 7:12 on the second-quarter clock at Gardner Park. The 2-point conversion pass from Swayne to Burns was converted for a 38-28 HHS lead.
Following a Blue Lions punt that saw Hester have a tackle for a 8-yard loss in the drive, the Indians’ offense went back to work, reaching the end zone yet again. This time, the Indians scored a touchdown off a 77-yard rush by Gallimore with 4:22 still left in the first half. The failed 2-point conversion still left the Indians ahead by a 44-28 score.
The Indians took possession of the football on a squib kick recovery by James Coday, and four plays later, the Indians added to their lead with an 8-yard run from Keets for a touchdown, leaving 2:17 left in the second quarter. Keets also scored on the 2-point conversion run for a 52-28 lead, which stood up until halftime.
HHS didn’t score on their final drive of the first half, as that was the first time that happened in the game with HHS scoring on their first seven possessions of the game.
The Indians were first to score points in the second half when Keets broke multiple tackles, turned to the middle of the field and went straight to the end zone for a touchdown, leaving 10:29 left in the third with a 58-28 lead.
Washington scored on their first possession of the second half with Thomas rushing one yard for the touchdown. Earlier in the drive, the sophomore quarterback had a 22-yard run to keep the drive going. Thomas then passed to Jalen Pettiford in the corner of the end zone for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Indians’ lead to 58-36 with 7:10 left in the third.
The scoring finally came to a standstill as multiple drives were ended by turnovers on downs, including one by the Indians where Hester and Sanchez Seals combined for a sack on fourth down near the end of the third frame.
Washington scored the next touchdown with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter as Steward raced for a 62-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion was also good as Thomas passed to Eli Lynch for a 58-44 score.
Hillsboro increased their lead back to 20 points when Burns went 25 yards for a touchdown with 5:16 left in regulation, giving the Indians a 64-44 advantage.
The Indians followed by recovering a fumble on the kickoff with 5:08 on the clock. That turnover led to the final Hillsboro touchdown of the game as Burns scored a 5-yard run with 1:33 left in the game. Keets scored on the 2-point conversion attempt for a 71-44 lead.
Washington was still going strong on offense as their final touchdown came on a pass from Thomas to Steward with 40.7 seconds left in regulation.
Next for the Indians (1-1, 6-1) is an away game in Week 8 as Hillsboro travels to Jackson to take on the Ironmen at 7 p.m. Jackson (2-0, 5-2) on Friday night defeated the Miami Trace Panthers, 69-0. The Blue Lions (0-2, 4-3) are scheduled to host the McClain Tigers (1-1, 2-5) next Friday night in Week 8. McClain this Friday night lost to the Chillicothe Cavaliers, 63-7.
Hillsboro finished the night with 609 yards of offense, all rushing, as they had three players rush for over 150 yards apiece with Mark Gallimore leading the way with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Next was Deon Burns with 27 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Keets had 161 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries.
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Gallimore finished averaging 18 yards per rush, while Burns barreled his way to 6.6 ypr and Keets averaged 10.7 ypr. Blocking for all those yards was the offensive line of Draven Stodgel, Zach Burns, Silas Simmons, Max Conover and Lane Cluff, along with fullback Reece Bloomfield.
The scoring barrage by both teams began with a Washington touchdown on their homecoming night on a 28-yard reception from Gio Thomas to Omar Porter Jr. 59 seconds into the FAC contest. The 2-point conversion run by Dillon Steward was good for an 8-0 lead to complete the four-play drive.
Thomas finished the game 17-of-33 for 370 yards passing and four touchdown passes. Thomas also rushed for a touchdown. As a team, the Blue Lions totaled 517 yards of offense with 147 yards rushing.
Hillsboro answered with a two-play drive as Keets rushed 24 yards for a touchdown with 10:39 left in the first. He followed up with a 2-point conversion run for an 8-8 score.
Washington came back and equaled the feat with another touchdown, as Jamie McCane rushed 21 yards to the end zone with 6:51 still on the first-quarter clock. Washington failed on the 2-point conversion attempt for a 14-8 lead.
It took the Indians just one play to take the lead for the first time, as Mark Gallimore raced 40 yards to pay dirt with Burns as his lead blocker for a touchdown. The TD scored with 6:41 left in the first frame also had a 2-point conversion, with Mason Swayne passing to Reece Bloomfield for a 16-14 advantage.
The Blue Lions took the lead back three plays later as Thomas passed to Porter for a 48-yard completion and six points with 5:24 left in the first quarter. The 2-point conversion was no good, putting the home team ahead by a 20-16 score.
The Indians were right back in the end zone in four plays, as this drive included a touchdown by Swayne on a 45-yard run with 3:29 left in the opening quarter. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Indians ahead by two points at 22-20. Swayne finished with two rushing touchdowns.
For the first time in the game, the Blue Lions didn’t score any points on a drive as the Hillsboro made their first big stop of the conference game. Logan Hester sacked the quarterback on a third down play, and the next play the Indians forced a turnover on downs the the Blue Lions offense had an incomplete pass on fourth-and-15.
The Indians took possession of the ball on their own 33-yard line with 2.6 left in the first quarter and scored more points at the 10:36 mark of the second as the drive had a 53-yard rush by Keets on second down, taking the ball to the Washington 11-yard line. Two plays later, Keets was scoring six points with a touchdown run of 8 yards. Burns caught a 2-point conversion pass to give the Indians a 30-20 lead.
Washington came back with eight points as Steward raced 30 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, and a 2-point conversion pass from Thomas to Steward was good for a 30-28 score with HHS still in the lead with 8:25 left in the second.
Steward finished with 10 receptions for 259 yards receiving.
The Indians’ lead went back to 10 points on the ensuing drive as Swayne rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on second-and-goal with 7:12 on the second-quarter clock at Gardner Park. The 2-point conversion pass from Swayne to Burns was converted for a 38-28 HHS lead.
Following a Blue Lions punt that saw Hester have a tackle for a 8-yard loss in the drive, the Indians’ offense went back to work, reaching the end zone yet again. This time, the Indians scored a touchdown off a 77-yard rush by Gallimore with 4:22 still left in the first half. The failed 2-point conversion still left the Indians ahead by a 44-28 score.
The Indians took possession of the football on a squib kick recovery by James Coday, and four plays later, the Indians added to their lead with an 8-yard run from Keets for a touchdown, leaving 2:17 left in the second quarter. Keets also scored on the 2-point conversion run for a 52-28 lead, which stood up until halftime.
HHS didn’t score on their final drive of the first half, as that was the first time that happened in the game with HHS scoring on their first seven possessions of the game.
The Indians were first to score points in the second half when Keets broke multiple tackles, turned to the middle of the field and went straight to the end zone for a touchdown, leaving 10:29 left in the third with a 58-28 lead.
Washington scored on their first possession of the second half with Thomas rushing one yard for the touchdown. Earlier in the drive, the sophomore quarterback had a 22-yard run to keep the drive going. Thomas then passed to Jalen Pettiford in the corner of the end zone for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Indians’ lead to 58-36 with 7:10 left in the third.
The scoring finally came to a standstill as multiple drives were ended by turnovers on downs, including one by the Indians where Hester and Sanchez Seals combined for a sack on fourth down near the end of the third frame.
Washington scored the next touchdown with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter as Steward raced for a 62-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion was also good as Thomas passed to Eli Lynch for a 58-44 score.
Hillsboro increased their lead back to 20 points when Burns went 25 yards for a touchdown with 5:16 left in regulation, giving the Indians a 64-44 advantage.
The Indians followed by recovering a fumble on the kickoff with 5:08 on the clock. That turnover led to the final Hillsboro touchdown of the game as Burns scored a 5-yard run with 1:33 left in the game. Keets scored on the 2-point conversion attempt for a 71-44 lead.
Washington was still going strong on offense as their final touchdown came on a pass from Thomas to Steward with 40.7 seconds left in regulation.
Next for the Indians (1-1, 6-1) is an away game in Week 8 as Hillsboro travels to Jackson to take on the Ironmen at 7 p.m. Jackson (2-0, 5-2) on Friday night defeated the Miami Trace Panthers, 69-0. The Blue Lions (0-2, 4-3) are scheduled to host the McClain Tigers (1-1, 2-5) next Friday night in Week 8. McClain this Friday night lost to the Chillicothe Cavaliers, 63-7.