Hoisington rolls up 76-6 win over Hillsboro

Hillsboro?s fledgling football team stepped out of the frying pan that was the state-ranked Halstead Dragons last week and into the fire Friday that was the undefeated Hoising?ton Cardi?nals. While the Dragons prevailed 55-7, Hoisington scorched the Trojans to the tune of 76-6.

The back-to-back blow?outs started in eerily similar fashion. Halstead scored on its first play from scrimmage a week ago, but on this night Hoisington did the Dragons one better when Cameron Davis ran back the opening kickoff for a 75-yard touchdown.

Staggered, the Trojans went three and out on their first possession. After their punt gave Hoisington the ball on its 45-yard line, the Cardinals scored five runs later with Zade Sanders penetrating the end zone from a yard out and with 8:22 left in the first quarter.

The fire only turned hotter when Hillsboro quarterback Kaden Kleiner?s pass was picked off by Hunter Hanzlick three plays into the Trojans? next possession.

Hoisington appeared to score one play later when Hanzlick ran 31 yards for a touchdown. The score was nullified by a penalty, but Hoisington scored for real two plays later on a 16-yard pass to Sanders at the 6:09 mark of the first quarter for a 21-0 lead.

The lead grew to 28-0 before the quarter ended, then to 47-0 with two more Cardinal scores within the first three minutes of the second quarter. But it was after Hoisington scored its eighth touchdown of the first half with 1:41 to play that the Cardinals took their exuberance a step too far in the eyes of many Trojan fans.

Already trailing 54-0, Hillsboro went three-and-out on its next possession and punted the ball back to Hoising?ton with 30 seconds to go before intermission. With the Cardinals on their own 32-yard line, Sanders? 25-yard run and a 49-yard pass to Steffan Dole?chek put Hoisington at the Trojan 16-yard line with under 10 seconds remaining.

Rather than let time expire, the Cardinals quickly called a timeout with 9 seconds left to run one more play. Dole?check caught the ensuing pass in the end zone with 2 seconds remaining. But even that wasn?t enough. Hoisington then faked an extra-point kick and the holder swept the right end for a 2-point conversion and a 62-0 bulge.

For the second week in a row, the entire second half was played with a running clock — but the scoring continued. After?s Hillsboro opening drive ended with a three-and-out, Davis returned Carson Herbel?s punt 71 yards for yet another score and a 68-0 lead.

Hillsboro then put together easily its best drive of the night against Hoising?ton?s second team. Depend?ing largely on the pass, the Trojans marched 70 yards — aided by a defensive holding penalty after a Kleiner pass was intercepted — before scoring on a 5-yard Kleiner pass to Jacob Funk in the back corner of the end zone. Kleiner?s 2-point conversion pass failed, but Hillsboro was on the board at 68-6 with 3:01 left in the third quarter.

Hoisington added one last touchdown when Sean Urban ran in from 47 yards out and with 10:15 left in the game for the 76-6 final.

The loss dropped Hills?boro to 0-4 for the season while Hoisington improved to 4-0. The Trojans will travel to Smoky Valley next Friday to take on the Vikings (1-3), who lost to Halstead Friday by a score of 42-0.

 

Written By
More from Don Ratzlaff
More than one kind of lift
TOP: The city of Hillsboro got a financial lift when the Kansas...
Read More