Trojans advance in playoffs
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports Writer
The Cinderella-story Hillsboro Trojans took one step closer to a first-ever state-title football game this past Friday in Salina, capitalizing on four of six Sacred Heart Knight turnovers to roll into the Class 3A state football semifinals, 32-21.
Next, Hillsboro (9-3) hosts the Garden Plain Owls at 7 p.m. Friday for a ticket to the state championship Nov. 25. The Owls defeated the Scott City Beavers this past Saturday, 28-14, to earn its way into the semifinal game.
Mention the words "state title" in Hillsboro and it automatically means you're talking about the high school basketball team.
After all, the Trojans haven't had a great shot at state supremacy in football for the past 20 years. The Trojans' success has come on the hardwood.
But it's 2006, not 1986, and Hillsboro is one win away from possibly being able to add a football title to a town where basketball is the Mecca.
Ironically, all three of the Knights' losses have come at the hands of Trojans; Beloit, Southeast of Saline, the 2005 champ who manhandled them 42-6, and Hillsboro.
As for becoming the first Trojan team in 20 years to make it to the state semifinals, "I don't know what to say," an awestruck Trojan coach Len Coryea said. "It just feels good.
"I'm so happy now, I'm shaking and I'm not cold. I don't think I'll sleep for a while."
With the Trojans clinging to a 26-21 lead with under 2:30 left in the game, Trojan end Josh Kenney dropped Knight standout quarterback Dane Simoneau for a 10-yard loss to set up third-and-31 at Sacred Heart's one-yard line.
One week ago, the Knights pulled off a 48-45 upset over a good Hoisington Cardinal team with the help of a fatal hook-and-ladder play.
Hillsboro defensive back Spencer Brown anticipated the trick play, intercepting Aaron Wedel's lateral to Emmanuel Kilat and returning it for a six-yard score to seal the game.
"We knew the hook-and-ladder was coming," said Coryea. "We expected it to come at any time."
Simoneau ranks near the top of the state's record book in passing and has fired at least one touchdown pass in 11 games.
But thanks to a harassing Trojan defense led by Lucas Hamm, Kenney, and a returning Adam Dirk, who had been sidelined since Oct. 6 with an ankle injury, Simoneau was unable to complete a touchdown pass, finishing eight-for-23 with three interceptions.
Simoneau still had 164 yards offense and all three Knight touchdowns, running for a team-high 104 yards.
He put Hillsboro in a hole the first half, sending the Knights in at halftime up 14-6 with a pair of one-yard touchdowns.
For 10 straight seasons, Coryea served as an assistant to the legendary Trojan coach Don Penner and Coryea was quick to credit his former boss with much of his team's success the second half.
"We made a couple of adjustments at halftime with our blocking," Coryea said. "When you hang around Don Penner, you remember those things. That showed up on those two long runs we had."
Michael Suderman and Jacob Yoder combined for 255 of Hillsboro's rushing yards with Suderman running rampant for a game-high 137 yards and Yoder running for 125.
Yoder took off on the Trojans' first possession of the second half for a 54-yard touchdown. Hillsboro tied the game at 14-14 after Brown hooked up with Yoder for a two-point conversion.
The Knights regained the lead with Simoneau scoring from eight yards, but you could feel the floor start to give way on a fatigued Sacred Heart team.
Then Suderman struck, tearing off a 43-yard run to set up a one-yard touchdown from Brown which cut the Knight lead to 21-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
Suderman put the Trojans in front to stay, scoring on a two-yard run with 9:20 left in the game.
Dirks took a scoring opportunity away from the Knights after Suderman's go-ahead touchdown by recovering a Simoneau fumble.
Hillsboro came away empty-handed after using up 6:09 of the fourth quarter.
Brown's interception on the hook-and-ladder made the score 32-21 and Hillsboro moved on to the state semifinals.
