Trojan football team deals Lions 31st loss

By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

First-year Trojan football coach Demetrius Cox stared at the Hillsboro scoreboard Friday, and then looked up toward the heavens as tears welled up in his eyes.

The score showed Hillsboro 27, Lyons 12.

“Look at that, 27 points, that was my son’s jersey number,” he said, speaking of his late son Demarius, who tragically passed away in early June while attending summer camp in Colorado.

“My guys just battled, even when we faced adversity. It’s going to be a scrappy season from here on out. We left it all out there tonight.”

The game got off to a bumpy start with 6-foot-6, 275-pound defensive tackle Jared Janzen suffering a knee injury on the Lions’ first drive of the game.

Lyons used Janzen’s absence to its advantage with the hard-running Ismael Reyes pounding the ball straight up the middle against the smaller Trojans.

The Lions ripped Hillsboro for 362 total yards, all coming on the ground.

Hillsboro never trailed, though, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on its opening drive, aided by a 60-yard quarterback keeper from Matthew Potucek.

Potucek rolled up 299 total yards, carrying 17 times for a team-high 129 while completing 7-of-11 for 170 yards and three scores.

Potucek hit Frank Wichert for the go-ahead 11-yard touchdown on third down.

The Lions, who entered Friday riding a 30-game losing streak, didn’t flinch, though, answering right away on their ensuing drive.

The Trojans dodged a bullet denying Lyons on the two-point conversion attempt, to lead 7-6.

Hillsboro pushed its lead to 14-6 by halftime with Potucek going long for Hunter Hein on a 36-yard score after connecting with his brother, Caleb, for another 36-yard reception.

Hein and Caleb combined for six receptions with three apiece, as Hein finished with a game-high 85 yards and Caleb 74.

The Trojans tacked on two more scores in the third quarter with Potucek hitting Hein again and Caleb plunging in from the 1 to stretch the advantage to 27-6 heading into the final lap.

Hillsboro travels Friday to Haven in its first road test of the year.