HMS football loses one, wins one
The Hillsboro Middle School football team traveled to Sterling last Thursday to take on the Black Bears.
The eighth grade team lost 12-6, and the seventh grade won 14-6.
The eighth grade team opened with an excellent drive according to head coach Darrel Knoll. The drive was stopped just short of the goal line as a result of a penalty. The Trojans scored on their next possession after another "great" drive, Knoll said.
Austin Hamm ran 23 yards for the touchdown with 4:50 left in the second quarter.
C.J. Shaw followed the touchdown with an on-side kick, and the Trojans drove close to the goal before time ran out in the second quarter.
Turnovers and miscues cost the Trojans in the second half. They didn't move the ball as well as they did in the first half but did hold Sterling until the fourth quarter. Sterling tied the game on 27-yard run on a fourth down play.
Hillsboro fumbled on the next two drives. The first fumble resulted in a 80-yard touchdown run for Sterling. After another fumble on the 27-yard line, the Trojans held Sterling only to have a dropped touchdown pass and a fumbled snap.
"Even though we lost the game, I was very happy with the way that the team competed," he said. "We did not jump offside one time on offense, we pursued well on defense, and we controlled the game except for two big plays — both resulted in Sterling scores. We also gave ourselves chances to win until the last play."
In the seventh grade game, Isaac Leihy scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the first quarter to give Hillsboro an 8-0 lead. Bradley Klenda scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter.
"We played a very good first half," said Knoll. "Sterling wasn't able to get much done against our defense, and we moved the ball well offensively."
The team missed a couple of scoring opportunities in the second half but was able to contain Sterling.
Quarterback Daniel Jost was 1-5 in passing for 18 yards and had 38 yards rushing.
The football teams play Haven in Hillsboro today. Game time is 5 p.m.
Eighth grade results
Rushing — 118 yards. Hamm, 12-72; Jacob Yoder, 19-51. Passing — 0-5-0 Tackles — Hamm, 10 and 3 assists; Yoder, 4 and 2 assists; Scheele, 1 and 3 assists.
Seventh Grade results
Rushing — 96 yards. Passing — Jost 1-5, 18. Tackles — Jost, 3 and 4 assists; Nicholas Mueller, 4 and 3 assists; Dakota Langley, 3 and 2 assists.
