Hillsboro beat Haven at home on Friday night in a game that got a little too close for comfort for Hillsboro fans. They were able to remain focused and pulled off a 32-24 win largely due to the efforts of Brooks Gardner.
Haven took an early lead when they scored a touchdown in the first quarter to go up 8-0. Hillsboro began to rally in the second quarter when Gardner hit Jorge Hanschu on a 68 yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
Gardner led the team in offense with 13 rushes for 68 yards and 2 touchdowns, and one catch for 68 yards and a touchdown. He also punched in a two point conversion.
“I think every week there is a different bright spot. This week it was Brooks Gardner. In the three years I’ve seen him run the ball, he ran the ball the best tonight. He ran it downhill. He ran it with authority. He just did a great, great job tonight. That first quarter was not pretty, but he just kept at ’em,” said Coach Devin Metzinger.
Hillsboro continued to score in the second quarter putting up 20 points to lead the Wildcats 20-8 at half.
Haven got the first score of the half, but Hillsboro answered in the fourth quarter with a four yard Gardner touchdown run.
The game got tight at 26-24 after a Haven touchdown run, but Jorge Hanschu finished off the Wildcats with a five yard touchdown run to close the scoring in fourth.
“It was a good game. We fought hard. I just wanted to say thank you to my line. They blocked for me. They got me going,” Gardner said of his team.
His coach agreed with him.
“I’m just really proud of them. We are always striving to improve. I think tonight was just really a great night of being able to battle. We had things happen, but they fought. It was a full team win and a full team battle,” Metzinger
Hillsboro is preparing for another home game next week against Sacred Heart with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
