By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

Hillsboro High School’s football team got its first victory of the season in an emotional win Sept. 13, but couldn’t follow it up Friday against Haven.

A few mistakes, including four penalties for 73 yards contributed to the team’s 34-21 road loss.

The loss knocks Hillsboro to 1-2 on the season, with Haven picking up its second win in the last three games against the Trojans.

Hillsboro’s ground game outside of quarterback Matthew Potucek has been stuck in neutral. Potucek was held to just 25 yards on 12 carries Friday, and Hillsboro to a season-low 27 yards. 

Potucek got almost half of his 25 yards on the Trojans’ first score with an 11-yard keeper, giving them a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. 

Hillsboro’s been burned by big plays in every game this year, and Haven kept the Trojans’ woes going, cutting the lead to 7-6 with a 58-yard pass for a touchdown before the first quarter’s end. 

Potucek had to do his damage through the air, going long for Hunter Hein for the first of two touchdowns, a 51-yard completion, which stretched Hillsboro’s lead to 14-6. 

Potucek was 12-for-24, throwing for a season-high 238 yards, 134 of them going to Hein for another season-high on four catches. 

Haven knotted the game 14-14 by halftime, scoring on an 8-yard run and converting on the two-point attempt. 

The Wildcats jumped in front in the third quarter, 20-14, on an 18-yard touchdown completion. 

Perhaps the biggest break the Trojan defense got was yielding Haven to 2-of-4 on two-point conversion tries. 

Potucek and Hein hooked up again, this time for an 11-yard touchdown, regaining the lead, 21-20, after the PAT kick. 

Haven kept the ball on the ground, though, eventually wearing down the Trojan defense for two unanswered touchdowns, which finished Hillsboro off, including a 40-yard run.

The Trojans face their second of three consecutive road games Friday traveling to Wabaunsee.