HILLSBORO: Football squad runs roughshot over Lyons
Hillsboro passes first district test convincingly, crushing Lyons 40-6
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Tyler Peachey and Kris Jones, two-thirds of the Trojans' quick backfield, were dressed in street clothes Friday night in Hillsboro for the Trojans' first game of district against the Lyons Lions.
Peachey's season ended against Sterling last week after he suffered a concussion and Jones was feeling under the weather, leaving the Trojans thin in the backfield.
That left little-used Brodie Unrau and Alan Yoder to pick up the slack for Hillsboro.
Nothing new for Yoder. The last three games, he's set new career-highs. Unrau was shaken up, leaving it all up to Yoder.
Friday was Yoder's best game yet, singlehandedly outgaining the Lions in total offense with 11 carries for a game-career high 136 yards and two touchdowns.
Yoder joined up with Shawn Hughbanks to combine for four touchdowns, helping the Trojans obliterate Lyons, 40-6.
The win bumps Hillsboro's record to 4-3 on the year and 1-0 in the district heading into Friday's showdown with ranked Hesston.
The Lions could muster only 120 yards on the ground from 52 carries to finish a yard under Yoder's 136 in total offense.
Hillsboro's running attack flourished against the slower Lion defense, pounding out 261 yards on 33 carries with 96 more yards coming through the air.
Friday's game began the same way it did against Sterling with Hillsboro fumbling away its first possession deep in its own territory.
Quarterback Dustin Jost made up for the fumble on the Trojans' second drive, connecting with Hughbanks on third and three for an 80-yard bomb.
"The nice thing about Dustin is that when a mistake happens," coach Dustin McEwen said, "he comes back and throws a strike to Shawn and runs it in for a touchdown."
Caleb Marsh's PAT was blocked, but Hillsboro took control of the game with 4:30 left in the first quarter and never looked back, up 6-0.
Yoder's attack began late in the first quarter, running for 19 yards to set the Trojans up at the Lion 16.
Four plays later, the Trojans stretched their lead to 12-0 with Kyle Jilka barreling in from a yard out, 3 seconds into the second quarter.
The first of two Yoder scores came with just over 9:00 left in the first half when he took it in on first-and-goal at the seven. Again, Hillsboro's difficulties with PATs hurt with another failed two-point conversion.
Lyons' luck moving the ball wasn't much better than Sterling's. After the first quarter, the Lions had moved 17 yards, only gaining 10 in the second quarter.
Of Lyons' six first-half possessions, half of them ended in three-and-outs with another one resulting in a 42-yard interception return by Hughbanks which sent Hillsboro in at half with a 25-0 lead.
A drive by both teams ate up the entire third quarter.
Lyons, with the help of a Hillsboro face mask, drove 72 yards to set up a one-yard quarterback sneak by Wade Church from a yard away with 5:12 left in the third.
The Lions' PAT attempt was one for the bloopers reel.
James Bina never allowed the kick to leave the tee, and as a result, he took a kick to the forehead that sidelined him for the remainder of the game.
The Trojans answered the touchdown with a 65-yard drive that gobbled up 6:06 of the clock.
As if Yoder and Hughbanks weren't enough misery for the Lions, Marsh did a good job of causing problems, too.
Facing a fourth and goal at the 11, Jost fired a pass to Marsh for the 31-6 lead. For one of the Trojans' two successful PAT attempts, Jost hit Steve Chisholm on a two-point conversion to push the lead to 33-6 with 11:06 left in the game.
Joining the trio of Yoder, Hughbanks and Marsh was sophomore Daniel Deckert, who made his presence felt on defense.
Deckert wiped out what could have been another touchdown drive for the Lions, stopping them inside the Hillsboro 25 with an interception. He later sacked Church for a 16-yard loss on the final drive of the game.
Yoder had one more highlight left in the bag.
A punt left the Trojans pinned deep at their own three. Yoder gained six yards before taking off on second and four for a 92-yard touchdown run.
But a block in the back waived off the touchdown, giving Hillsboro first and 10 at the Lion 48.
Marsh ran for 16 yards to the 33 before Yoder capped off the Trojans' scoring with a 33-yard run to the end zone.
"The defense, besides that one drive they gave them, played really well," McEwen said. "They were a little disappointed they didn't get another shutout, but they played well and we had some young kids step up."
Friday's action against the Swathers begins at 7 p.m. at Hillsboro's Reimer Field.
