Trojans capture first victory with blowout at Haven
Strong second quarter helps Hillsboro bowl over Haven
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
The question might have popped up this summer for Trojan football fans as to how effective Hillsboro could be with the arrival of junior transfer quarterback Ben Gottsch.
Teams already know what starter Spencer Brown can do with the ball in his hands, Friday night's game at Haven (0-2), gave a good idea that teams can pick their poison as the Trojans drilled the Wildcats, 48-13, for Hillsboro's (1-1) first victory of the season.
"We did pretty much what we wanted to do on offense and pretty much what they (Wildcats) did on defense," Trojan coach Len Coryea said. "Either (one) at quarterback, Spencer at running back, it's not a bad combination."
Hillsboro showed some promise on its first drive with Jacob Yoder rumbling in from 15 yards out to put the Trojans up, 6-0.
The extra point attempts have been a sore spot, going 0-7 to start the season, and they had yet to heal with the Trojans again missing the kick.
Protecting a lead hasn't been easy either, and the Wildcats pulled in front on the ensuing drive to go up 7-6 after quarterback Byron Nienstedt scored on a 12-yard run.
But Isaac Leihy set the tone for a miserable night for Haven, picking off a pass in the closing minutes of the first quarter.
Brown put the Trojans on top to stay with just under 11 minutes left in the first half, scoring on a 26-yard run.
The two-point conversion pass was incomplete, but the tide had changed in Hillsboro's favor.
Haven gave the Trojans a boost, losing the ball on its own 39-yard line, helping set up a five-yard run by Yoder to increase the lead to 18-7.
Finally, Leihy was able to find the uprights to give the Trojans a 19-7 lead.
Brown struck on defense, too, breaking the game open by intercepting a pass and taking it 50 yards to paydirt, sending Hillsboro into the half with a commanding 26-7 lead.
Brown and Yoder combined for 154 of the Trojans' 155 yards rushing.
Ishmael Morris got into the game the second half, scoring the first of his two touchdowns, a four-yard run, for a 32-7 lead before the Trojans faltered again on the extra point attempt.
Haven's biggest play of the game came after the Morris touchdown with Trevor Ukens breaking away up the middle for a 50-yard touchdown to make it a 32-13 game after a failed PAT.
"I don't know how we can fix that yet," Coryea said of Hillsboro's inability to stop the big run up the middle. "We are so green on defense."
Hillsboro answered right back, matching the 50-yard run with a 50-yard bomb from Brown to Daniel Jost down the Trojan sideline to push the lead to 38-13.
Morris got his second touchdown with 4:20 left in the third quarter, this one a 23-yard to keep the clock moving due to the league 35-point rule.
"We found out we could run two quarterbacks and be efficient," said Coryea.
The Trojans host winless Collegiate at 7 p.m. Friday.
