UPDATED: Hillsboro runs past Goshen, 26-7, in two-day game

GOSHEN – The Hillsboro Indians held a 20-7 lead over the Goshen Warriors after one half in Friday night football action. After the game was suspended due to lightning in Clermont County, the Indians returned to Goshen Saturday afternoon and finished what they started, winning by a 26-7 score.

Capitalizing on errors by Goshen, the Indians scored three times in the first half, with senior running back Deon Burns making it into the end zone all three times for HHS.

Following a fumble by the Warriors on their first possession, Hillsboro scored the first touchdown of the game with 9:10 left in the first for a 6-0 lead over Goshen.

Burns added a second touchdown near the end of the first quarter, also thanks to a fumble recovery at the Hillsboro 45-yard line. After a three-yard touchdown run by Burns, the senior also scored on the ensuing two-point conversion run for a 14-0 lead with 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

Goshen scored their lone touchdown in the second quarter, making the score 14-7, but Hillsboro found success at the end of the quarter once again. Following a 35-yard pass by Hillsboro quarterback Mason Swayne on fourth down, Burns took the ball into the end zone two plays later for a 20-7 lead with less than a minute left in the quarter.

Officials called a 30-minute lightning delay at the end of halftime Friday night.

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• On Saturday in 90-degree weather at Jim Brown Stadium to begin the month of September, Hillsboro added one final touchdown in their non-conference win.

Senior power-back Josh Keets rushed 15 yards and into the end zone on an option play with 8:28 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion failed, but the Indians owned a commanding 26-7 lead, playing on the road for the third time in two games.

When the ensuing kickoff bounced out of bounds, Goshen took over at its own 35 yard line. After a six-yard run by senior quarterback Trey Armacost, on second and four, he dropped back to pass. The Indians’ Max Conover blitzed and sacked Armacost all the way back to the Goshen 27 for a 14-yard loss.

The Warriors recovered and moved the chains to midfield. From there, with less than six minutes to play in the third period, Armacost attempted a down filed pass to wide receiver Blake Kuechler. The Indians’ Mark Gallimore came up big, defensively, and step in front of the intended receiver.

From there, the Indians turned to their ground assault, led by Deon “Boom Boom” Burns. Burns (unofficially) had nine carries for 45 yards in the game’s final 17 minutes of play.

The Indians’ special team put the game away with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, when they executed a fourth-and-11 fake punt to perfection. The snap when to Reece Bloomfield – instead of punter Josh Keets. Bloomfield lofted a pass to a wide open Logan Hester, who hauled it in for a Hillsboro first down.

Hillsboro drove deep into Goshen territory with the game clock winding down. The Warriors’ final possession ended with a Mason Swayne interception as time expired. 

Hillsboro head coach Jack O'Rourke said the team's plan going into the final quarter was to keep the ball away from the Warriors offense.

“That's what we were trying to do,” O'Rourke said. “They can't score if they don't have the ball.”

O'Rourke said he felt the Indians were able to win the battles in the trenches against the Warriors.

“We were the more physical football team today,” O'Rourke said. “We're a pretty good size up front. We felt that was the best game plan for us.”

The head coach also credited his defense for their play during the game. 

Next for the Indians (2-0) is their home opener for Week 3, as they'll host East Clinton at 7 p.m.

– Special thanks to Garth Shanklin, Sports Editor, The Clermont Sun