Indians roll to 4-1 mark on 1994 slate
(Continued from last week.)
On Friday, Sept. 9, 1994 Bloom-Carroll came into town. The Bulldogs were expecting an excellent season, and many thought the Indians were in for another thumping like they suffered at Paint Valley the previous Friday.
But a different Indians team showed up this time.
They sputtered a little on their first offensive drive, but the Bulldogs turned the ball over three times in the first half. Jason Barton directed a six-play, 69-yard touchdown drive on the second Indian possession, ending with a 24-yard TD pass to running back Keith Ford.
Then, after the ‘Dogs ran three offensive plays, Cameron Williams intercepted a pass at the Bloom-Carroll 45 and took the ball down to the 18, setting up Keith Ford’s 18-yard carry into the end zone.
Overall, the Indians were dominant, as they rolled to a 46-15 defeat of BC, not looking anything like the Indians of last Friday at Paint Valley.
Washington C.H. edged Waverly in overtime, 17-14, at Gardner Park. Also, in Fayette County, Miami Trace trampled Wilmington 40-7.
On Sept. 16, 1994, the Portsmouth Trojans invaded John Wayne Richards Memorial Field. The Trojans had a lot of very big kids, but they were a plodding team without much speed.
The Hillsboro fans hardly gotten seated before junior wide receiver C.J. Captain ran the opening kickoff back 80 yards for a touchdown.
Sophomore running back Keith Ford rolled up 185 yards on nine carries with three touchdowns and the Indians dismantled Portsmouth, 42-0.
On Sept. 23, the 2-1 Indians traveled to Williamsburg, where the Wildcats took the opening kickoff and immediately went on a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive. The drive was capped off by an eight-yard slant pass to running back Ryan Bach. The Indians were down, 7-0.
After the opening score, though, it was about all Indians.
Junior running back Matt Murphy scored the Tribe’s first touchdown on a 45-yard draw play. By halftime, Murphy had racked up 94 yards of offense on three carries, and scored three touchdowns covering 45, 24 and 21 yards.
Junior running back Brian Swisshelm, who did not start the game, racked up 109 second-half yards on five carries and scored three touchdowns, including a 64-yard run.
Keith Ford totaled 209 yards for the game, on 11 carries with two touchdowns. The rejuvenated Indians blitzed Williamsburg, 63-15, getting their first SBAC win of the young season.
September 30 was the annual HHS Homecoming game. Attractive senior Kari Smith was crowned 1994 Homecoming Queen in impressive ceremonies prior to the game. Miss Smith was accompanied by senior class attendants Elizabeth Furbee and Donica Lyons, junior attendant Melissa Miller, sophomore attendant Molly Williams and freshman attendants Megan Wildey and Natalie Hamilton.
The football team made the entire evening a success by rolling to a 24-7 win over visiting Blanchester. The entire team played very well, highlighted by several jarring hits on Wildcat Ball carriers and one fumble recovery by sophomore linebacker Jake Spruell. Spruell was looking better and better as the season progressed.
Halfway through the season the red-and-white were 4-1 overall, and 2-0 in SBAC games.
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October 7 would see the Indians taking on the McClain Tigers in Greenfield.
The Tigers held Hillsboro to 87 total yards in the first half, and took a 16-6 lead to the locker room at halftime. But the second half belonged to the Tribe.
Adam McGinnis ran the opening kickoff of the second half back 33 yards to the McClain 42. From there, quarterback Jason Barton engineered a six-play, 42 yard touchdown drive, culminated by a 13-yard sweep by Keith Ford.
The momentum seemed to switch to Hillsboro after this score. In the final quarter, McGinnis recovered a Tiger fumble on the McClain 35. Five plays later, Jason Barton, on a quarterback keeper, took the ball in from the three for the touchdown that put the Indians in front, 18-16.
The battling Tigers moved the ball down the field, where Blain Bergstrom’s 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
On McClain’s final possession of the game, linebacker Jake Spruell posted back-to-back sacks of quarterback Jim Bob Young and the elated Indians took their third consecutive two-point win over the McClain Tigers, 18-16.
(Continued next week.)
Bob Patton is a Highland County sports historian and a contributing writer to The Highland County Press.