Trojans take care of business against Halstead

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
Like it or not, the only way to truly win a game in which you are heavily favored is to win it early and win it convincingly.

Hillsboro did just that Thursday night against Halstead with a 48-13 victory that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score might indicate.

The win gave the Trojans a 5-4 record for the season. It also secured the runner-up spot in District 11 and the chance to move on in the expanded state playoff system.

Had they wanted to, the Trojans probably could have rolled up 100 points against the courageous but severely undermanned Dragons, who suited only 17 players in the final game of a long, brutal season.

Before the contest was even five minutes old, Hillsboro was sitting on a 21-0 lead. By halftime, the score was 41-0. Following the first play of the third quarter, the lead was 48-0.

After that, the varsity faced its biggest challenge of the evening: trying to stay warm while standing along the sidelines on a damp-cold Halloween night.

The Dragons’ hopes for a close game, much less a victory, lasted about four plays-the extent of their first series after the opening kickoff.

After a shanked punt gave the Trojans the ball on their own 44, Kris Jones swept the left end and raced untouched for 56 yards and the first score of the game. Caleb Marsh’s kick gave the Trojans a 7-0 lead with 9:58 on the clock.

The Dragons ran three more plays before Shawn Hughbanks blocked their second punt attempt. Teammate James Bina scooped up the loose ball and ran 12 yards for the second score.

Marsh added the extra point. It was 14-0 with 8:10 to go.

This time, Halstead quarterback Jarrod Bohrn completed a nice pass to Jeff Millspaugh on the team’s second play from scrimmage, but Millspaugh fumbled and Brodie Unrau recovered the ball for Hillsboro.

On the next play, Trojan quarterback Dustin Jost completed a hitch pattern to Marsh along the sideline. The shifty junior weaved his way to a 75-yard score. He also added the extra point for a 21-0 lead. The clock showed 7:04.

It only got worse for Halstead.

On the third play of the next possession, Hughbanks picked off a Bohrn pass to give Hillsboro a first down at the Dragon 20.

This time it took the Trojans a full five plays and 3:34 to score. Kyle Jilka ran the ball four of those plays, including a 1-yard touchdown burst. Marsh’s kick was wide left, but the score stood at 27-0 with 1:54 still to go in the quarter.

Four plays into Halstead’s next possession, Bohrn gave up the football again. This time Jones intercepted the pass at the Hillsboro 39.

Four plays after that, Jost connected with Alan Yoder for a short pass down the right sideline that the senior speedster turned into a 48-yard score. Marsh’s kick made it 34-0. The clock still showed 9:04 until intermission.

With the help of a couple of Trojan penalties, the Dragons held on to the football for eight plays before punting.

This time, with Marsh at quarterback, Jones grabbed what should have been another short pass and transformed it into the team’s sixth touchdown-this one for 61 yards. Marsh nailed the point-after, and Hillsboro led 41-0 with 4:51 to play before intermission.

After halftime, Coach Dustin McEwen left his starters in for one more series.

It was a quick one.

On the first play, Jost tossed a short pass to Yoder, who darted 80 yards for the touchdown. David Funk kicked the extra point this time and Hillsboro had a 48-0 cushion.

The rest of the evening wasn’t pretty, even for Trojan fans.

Of Hillsboro’s next seven offensive possessions, the Trojans fumbled the ball way three times, threw two interceptions-including one in the final minutes that was returned 21 yards by freshman B.J. Bryant for a touchdown-and turned the ball over earlier in the period when a Halstead punt touched a Trojan. The Dragon recovered the live ball at the Hillsboro 12, and Bohrn ran six yards for a score three plays later.

On the Trojans’ seventh and final possession, the clock mercifully ran out.

On the bright side, Hillsboro sophomore Jayce Penner and freshman Kyle Kroeker each picked off a Dragon pass.

The game resulted in some bizarre statistical performances for the Trojans. Jost was 3-for-3 passing for a whopping 211 yards and three scores. Jones finished with a season-high 117 yards on only two carries. Yoder caught two passes for 128 yards and two scores.

Playoffs-As the runnerup for District 11, Hillsboro was to play on the road at District 12 champion Riley County Tuesday. The results of that game are available on the Free Line (947-3363) and the Free Press Web site (www.hillsborofreepress. com).

If the Trojans lost to Riley, the season is over. If they won, they will play on Saturday against the winner of Tuesday’s bi-district game between top-ranked Conway Springs (9-0) and Marion (6-3). The site and time of that game will be announced after Tuesday.

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