Trojans lose heartbreaker
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
People who want to know what tough breaks are can put themselves in Hillsboro football player Spencer Brown's shoes.
The fleet-footed athlete had Hillsboro on track to snap four years worth of losses Friday to visiting Collegiate, running for a career-high 206 yards, three touchdowns, and accounting for 290 yards of offense.
Unfortunately, it was the three minute, 43 second mark in the game that darkened Brown's heroics with the Trojans (1-2) clinging for dear life to a 32-27 lead after a Collegiate touchdown.
Brown lost the ball on the kickoff, and the Spartans' Darren Carter recovered to set the table for Collegiate's first victory of the year, 35-32.
"He made so much happen," a crushed Trojan coach Len Coryea said of Brown's game. "He'll remember the fumble, not all the great things he did and that's the sad part.
"We gave up two gains in the last minute. We're scoring 30 points a game and we can't win. We can't get an extra point. We're snake-bitten here."
Two of Brown's three touchdowns, combined with one from Jake Yoder, had the Trojans out to a 19-6 lead at halftime behind an explosive 290 yards on the ground.
Yoder added 78 yards on 20 carries and another touchdown in the second half before suffering a shoulder injury. He would later return to action.
Mix in Hillsboro's difficulties protecting a lead, and its woeful luck on points after touchdowns with an undersized defense, and the Trojans need a huge lead to feel comfortable.
Brown capped off his monster night after taking a punt return 85 yards to put Hillsboro ahead 32-20 with 7:32 left in the game.
The game was the Spartans' the rest of the way with Clint Cornejo airing it out for Craig Howell for a 38-yard touchdown to pull Collegiate within five with less than four minutes to play.
The Spartans drove 42 yards in seven plays after the crucial fumble, and capped it off with Andrew Hourani punching in the go-ahead touchdown from two-yards away with 39 seconds left.
Collegiate tacked on a two-point conversion for the 35-32 final score.
Hourani led a balanced Spartan backfield, carrying 23 times for 97 yards, Cornejo supplied 85 yards, and Chris Brito had 82 more.
"I don't know what to say. I'm at a loss for words," Coryea said. "I don't even know what there is to fix tonight. I feel so bad because of the courage they (Trojans) showed. We're so close to being a good team."
Better days could be ahead for Hillsboro at 7 p.m. Friday, when it plays host to the winless Ellinwood Eagles.
