Dream season ends with loss to Owls
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports Writer
The Trojans' dream season came up short in Friday night's 3A state semifinal game in Hillsboro as the Trojans (9-4) dropped a 31-26 heartbreaker to the Garden Plain Owls (12-1).
The Owls advance to the 3A title game Saturday in Salina against the Silver Lake Eagles.
A lot was at stake Friday night in the biggest game in Hillsboro history.
For the Trojans, the chance to make their first ever appearance in a high school football title game.
For Garden Plain, a chance to put an end to three straight years of shortcomings in 3A semifinal games.
The past three seasons, not counting a 2006 upset by Medicine Lodge, the only five games the Owls have lost have come to the eventual state champions.
Two out of the past three years, only the four-time state champion Conway Springs Cardinals took down Garden Plain, followed by 2005 champion Southeast of Saline.
The Trojans rallied late, but too much of the Owls' star tailback Logan Dold dealt Hillsboro a blow it couldn't withstand.
A second-team all-state all-class selection a year ago, as a sophomore, by The Wichita Eagle and The Topeka Capital, Dold showed why he's one of the state's premier backs, stinging Hillsboro for four touchdowns and 279 yards on 36 carries.
The last player to put up those kinds of numbers against Hillsboro was standout Jordy Nelson, former Riley County and current Kansas State player, four years ago when he ran for 270 yards.
While much of the surprising Trojans' run deep into playoffs came courtesy of a potent defense, Hillsboro had yet to face a team that runs the ball quite like the Owls, nor a back like Dold, who had 155 yards in the first half alone.
"Their line is so good," a saddened Trojan coach Len Coryea said. "Dold is a great runner, he's as good as Jordy Nelson. He does the things Jordy did.
"Dold's by far the best back we've faced all year and he's probably the best back you'll see in high school football right now in 3A. I don't know what the other teams have, but he's the best I've seen."
The Trojans looked impressive on their first drive, getting a 33-yard run from Michael Suderman and a 32-yard touchdown by Jacob Yoder 1:11 into the game to go up 7-0 after Tyler Kaufman's kick attempt.
Despite stopping the Owls on fourth down on their first possession, Hillsboro struggled to establish anything offensively after its first drive.
Dold tied the game at the 5:33 mark in the first quarter, scoring on a 17-yard run around the left side.
Two more Dold touchdowns and the Trojan deficit increased to 19-7 with just over a minute left in the first half.
Spencer Brown and the Trojans were back in the game by halftime, though, down 19-14.
Facing a fourth-and-eight with just over 30 seconds left, Brown got his first o four completions, taking the snap on a fake punt and hitting Aaron Stepanek for a 73-yard touchdown to regain momentum.
Nathan Matzen swung the momentum back in the Owls' favor, capping an eight-play 66-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown to start the second half.
Through the season, the Trojans have been able to both run and throw the football, but thriving on running.
After Hillsboro's opening drive, Garden Plain stymied the high-powered Trojan offense, outgaining Hillsboro 533-318 in total offense with the Owls getting 486 yards rushing. That's the most yardage surrendered by the Trojan defense this year.
The best passing Hillsboro could do came too little, too late, when the Trojans were down 31-14 to start the fourth quarter after Dold scored his final touchdown on a 29-yard run.
With 6:29 left in the season, Brown aired it out for Troy Frick for a 61-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt was no good, but the Trojans were within two touchdowns, 31-20.
The most exciting play of the game came 1:30 later when a pass to Frick was tipped up and Lucas Hamm came down with it.
Hamm scampered 76 yards for the touchdown, shedding Dold on his way to the end zone, but the two-point pass was incomplete for the 31-26 final.
Garden Plain recovered the onside kick and kept the ball in Dold's hands to pick up the first downs to run out the clock.
Brown ended the year with 220 yards passing with a game-high 85 yards going to Hamm while Suderman and Yoder ran for 51 and 44 yards, respectively.
"We were in it right up until the end," said Coryea. "We'd been getting beat the whole night and all of the sudden it's a close game.
"We get a couple of strikes and we're back in it. As long as you don't quit, that's the way we've been all season and we played till the end. They're great kids, and I can't fault them, they tried.
"We got beat by a better football team. I hope they win state, I think they deserve it. I'm just disappointed we didn't win. We had one more play left in our bag of tricks yet."
Graduation will leave the Trojans severely depleted, as 11 starters must be replaced with only Brown and Yoder returning offensively.
"We just have to get in the weight room," Coryea said. "To play with teams like that, we have to get bigger and stronger."
