Second-half struggles send Hillsboro Indians to tough loss against Washington Blue Lions
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO – For one half, the Hillsboro Indians were able to keep pace with the visiting Washington Blue Lions in their Week 9 Frontier Athletic Conference game at Richards Memorial Stadium. In the second half, the Blue Lions broke away from the hosts with 22 unanswered points for a 45-21 score that saw the Indians lose their fourth straight conference game.
The Indians (0-4, 3-6) totaled 222 yards on offense (53 total plays), with quarterback Chris Stout finishing 5-of-17 passing for 112 yards with two touchdown passes. He was also Hillsboro’s leading rusher with 12 carries for 49 yards. Cam Smart led HHS with four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.
As for the Blue Lions (2-2, 4-4) their starting quarterback, Troy Thompson, finished 20-of-30 for 321 yards passing with three touchdowns. Nydrell Wright — who is the nephew of a Hillsboro High School Hall of Fame athlete, the late T.J. Turner — led the Blue Lions with eight carries for 37 yards and one touchdown. At receiver, the Blue Lions were led by A.J. Dallmayer with nine receptions for 120 yards.
As a team, the Blue Lions finished with 488 yards of offense on 60 plays.
In a wild first half where the two teams combined for 44 points, the Blue Lions were first to put points on the board with a 25-yard field goal by RJ Foose with 5:53 left in the opening quarter for a 3-0 lead.
The latter stages of the first quarter went much better for the Indians as Stout, on second-and-10 from the Indians’ 49-yard line, passed to Nic Burns for a 51-yard touchdown with 2:38 on the clock. The PAT by Dylan Rigsby left the Indians in the lead at 7-3, as that score stood when the first quarter was completed.
Forty seconds into the second quarter, it was Wright who leaped one yard into the end zone for Washington with 11:20 on the clock as his 1-yard rush scored six points for the visiting Blue Lions. Foose made the PAT for a 10-7 Blue Lions advantage.
Still in the second quarter, after forcing the Indians into an interception, it took seven plays for the Blue Lions to reach pay dirt as Thompson found Mason Coffman for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 on the clock. The PAT by Foose increased the Washington lead to 17-7.
This time the Indians had an answer after a Washington score, and it began with a Stout rushing for 11 yards for a first down. Next, Stout rushed for a 15-yard score for another first down. From there, Travis Ross had a 9-yard gain, taking the ball from midfield to the Washington 41-yard line.
The next play was a big one for the Indians, as Stout found Smart for a 41-yard touchdown with 4:55 left in the first half. The PAT by Rigsby cut the HHS deficit to three points at 17-14.
Unfortunately for the host Indians, the deficit went to nine points after Thompson passed to Coffman for a 60-yard score on the third play of the ensuing drive with 4:12 on the clock. Foose missed the PAT, leaving the score, 23-14 in favor of the Blue Lions.
Hillsboro came back by putting together an eight-play drive that had a 15-yard pass interference call on third down, a 23-yard reception by Smart, and then the touchdown play, a one-yard run by Derek Whitt, with 0.07 left in the first half. Rigsby kicked the ball through the uprights for a 23-21 score, still in favor of the Blue Lions, and that was the score at halftime.
The other shoe dropped on the Indians in the second half as they were held scoreless, while the Blue Lions added 22 unanswered points.
Washington had an 18-yard catch in the end zone by Tanner Lemaster with 34 seconds left in the third. A two-point conversion run by Rocky Jones put the Blue Lions’ lead at 10 points by a 31-21 score.
The Blue Lions’ defense grabbed another interception, but this time an interception by Coffman was returned 98 yards for a pick-six touchdown with 10:03 left in the final quarter. Foose made the PAT for a Washington lead of 38-21.
HHS had another turnover, this one a fumble, with Rishaun Burns recovering the ball on the HHS 32-yard line with 9:59 on the clock. The Blue Lions put the game out of reach on the ensuing play when Trevaughn Jackson rushed for a 32-yard touchdown, leaving 9:48 on the clock. Foose converted the PAT kick for a 45-21 Blue Lions lead.
HHS didn’t score for the rest of the game, but on one drive in the final quarter Canaan Griffith had a 20-yard run, and Ross had a leaping 18-yard catch near the sideline for a first down.
Next for Hillsboro is the annual Rotary Bowl game on Friday, Oct. 22, as they are scheduled to travel and take on the McClain Tigers (0-4, 4-4) in the annual rivalry game at 7 p.m. at McClain Field.
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The Indians (0-4, 3-6) totaled 222 yards on offense (53 total plays), with quarterback Chris Stout finishing 5-of-17 passing for 112 yards with two touchdown passes. He was also Hillsboro’s leading rusher with 12 carries for 49 yards. Cam Smart led HHS with four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.
As for the Blue Lions (2-2, 4-4) their starting quarterback, Troy Thompson, finished 20-of-30 for 321 yards passing with three touchdowns. Nydrell Wright — who is the nephew of a Hillsboro High School Hall of Fame athlete, the late T.J. Turner — led the Blue Lions with eight carries for 37 yards and one touchdown. At receiver, the Blue Lions were led by A.J. Dallmayer with nine receptions for 120 yards.
As a team, the Blue Lions finished with 488 yards of offense on 60 plays.
In a wild first half where the two teams combined for 44 points, the Blue Lions were first to put points on the board with a 25-yard field goal by RJ Foose with 5:53 left in the opening quarter for a 3-0 lead.
The latter stages of the first quarter went much better for the Indians as Stout, on second-and-10 from the Indians’ 49-yard line, passed to Nic Burns for a 51-yard touchdown with 2:38 on the clock. The PAT by Dylan Rigsby left the Indians in the lead at 7-3, as that score stood when the first quarter was completed.
Forty seconds into the second quarter, it was Wright who leaped one yard into the end zone for Washington with 11:20 on the clock as his 1-yard rush scored six points for the visiting Blue Lions. Foose made the PAT for a 10-7 Blue Lions advantage.
Still in the second quarter, after forcing the Indians into an interception, it took seven plays for the Blue Lions to reach pay dirt as Thompson found Mason Coffman for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 on the clock. The PAT by Foose increased the Washington lead to 17-7.
This time the Indians had an answer after a Washington score, and it began with a Stout rushing for 11 yards for a first down. Next, Stout rushed for a 15-yard score for another first down. From there, Travis Ross had a 9-yard gain, taking the ball from midfield to the Washington 41-yard line.
The next play was a big one for the Indians, as Stout found Smart for a 41-yard touchdown with 4:55 left in the first half. The PAT by Rigsby cut the HHS deficit to three points at 17-14.
Unfortunately for the host Indians, the deficit went to nine points after Thompson passed to Coffman for a 60-yard score on the third play of the ensuing drive with 4:12 on the clock. Foose missed the PAT, leaving the score, 23-14 in favor of the Blue Lions.
Hillsboro came back by putting together an eight-play drive that had a 15-yard pass interference call on third down, a 23-yard reception by Smart, and then the touchdown play, a one-yard run by Derek Whitt, with 0.07 left in the first half. Rigsby kicked the ball through the uprights for a 23-21 score, still in favor of the Blue Lions, and that was the score at halftime.
The other shoe dropped on the Indians in the second half as they were held scoreless, while the Blue Lions added 22 unanswered points.
Washington had an 18-yard catch in the end zone by Tanner Lemaster with 34 seconds left in the third. A two-point conversion run by Rocky Jones put the Blue Lions’ lead at 10 points by a 31-21 score.
The Blue Lions’ defense grabbed another interception, but this time an interception by Coffman was returned 98 yards for a pick-six touchdown with 10:03 left in the final quarter. Foose made the PAT for a Washington lead of 38-21.
HHS had another turnover, this one a fumble, with Rishaun Burns recovering the ball on the HHS 32-yard line with 9:59 on the clock. The Blue Lions put the game out of reach on the ensuing play when Trevaughn Jackson rushed for a 32-yard touchdown, leaving 9:48 on the clock. Foose converted the PAT kick for a 45-21 Blue Lions lead.
HHS didn’t score for the rest of the game, but on one drive in the final quarter Canaan Griffith had a 20-yard run, and Ross had a leaping 18-yard catch near the sideline for a first down.
Next for Hillsboro is the annual Rotary Bowl game on Friday, Oct. 22, as they are scheduled to travel and take on the McClain Tigers (0-4, 4-4) in the annual rivalry game at 7 p.m. at McClain Field.
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