Beat up Indians fall to Panthers

EBER — Hillsboro had no answers for the Miami Trace Panthers Friday night at Panther Stadium during the ninth week of high school football action. 

In fact, Hillsboro battled their injury bug all night, and were unable to stop the passing and rushing game of the Panthers for a majority of the South Central Ohio League contest, with MT defeating the Tribe, 47-14 on the Panthers' Senior Night. 

Miami Trace scored twice before the Indians could run their fourth play on offense. 

That was the story for the two-win Indians as they are now 2-7 overall, 1-4 in the SCOL.

"We are so beat up (it's) pathetic," Hillsboro head coach Brian Spicer said. "With players injured and banged up, we didn't have a solid linebacking core. But when you ask yourself what would you do to a team with no linebacking core, you say 'You would run it up the middle,' and that is what they (Miami Trace) did to us."  

Spicer said he feels bad for his team, but there isn't much that can be changed with one week to go in the season. 

"The kids are busting their butts, and with all of our injuries (Christian Wildey was out with a concussion), it is what it is, It's the end of the year and we are beat up." 

Beat up or not, the Panthers were hungry for their first home win of the year, and they left the game with a satisfied appetite, scoring 14 points in 12:07. 

Their first score was a 25-yard pass and reception from senior quarterback Tucker Hughes to senior Clark Melvin (who had two steps on his defender in single coverage) for the touchdown. Mark Griton converted the PAT for the 7-0 lead with 6:13 left in the first quarter.  

The scoring drive went nine plays for 71 yards, with Ethan Snyder and Ty Leach catching passes for 13 and 11 yards. Leach also had an 11-yard reception, as Hughes had 59 yards passing in the opening drive. 

MT added another seven points after forcing a three-and-out. 

The second scoring drive began at the 4:21 mark of the first, ending with 11:53 left in the second quarter after Clayton Dyer pounded his way into the end zone for a 1-yard TD. The drive was set up when Dyer rushed for an 11-yard gain, followed two plays later with an 18-yard reception. The drive went eight plays for 54 yards, to gain the 14-point lead. 

"What a difference a week makes," Spicer said. "Last week we played London well (lost 13-7), but this week we didn't play this game like we should've. We played London better, and they are a better team."

LHS defeated both the Panthers and Indians this season.

Hillsboro cut the MT lead in half, putting seven points on the scoreboard with 7:23 left in the second quarter. 

The drive began with Kordell Ford carrying the ball, while being tackled by the facemask. He followed the run with a 25-yard dash to the MT 38-yard line. Later in the six-play drive, Aric Carroll found Matt Gallimore (both seniors) for a 22-yard gain to the MT 19-yard line. Ford finished the drive with a 17-yard run, going around the tackles, straight into the end zone for six points. Dow Kiefer kicked the PAT. 

MT didn't let HHS get any closer than seven points. They countered the HHS score with a 35-yard field goal by Griton with 2:29 left in the second. 

After forcing another HHS punt, MT went pay dirt, this time with a 23-yard pass from Hughes to Melvin, again in one-on-one coverage, near the end zone pylon for the TD with 43.7 left in the first half. In the drive, Hughes connected with Melvin for a combined 35 yards receiving before the TD. Hughes finished with an unofficial 157 yards passing, all in the first half.

It didn't improve for HHS at the start of the third with MT's Dustin McFadden blocking a punt on the HHS 27-yard line. 

The Panthers capitalized with a field goal (23 yards) by Griton for a 20-point lead (27-7). 

With Carroll out of the game, Ford took over for HHS at QB and he led the Indians on an eight-play, 64-yard drive for a TD. Ford unofficially finished with 69 yards rushing on 14 carries.

The drive was built Ford tough, as Ford scored on a 27-yard run, on third-and-2, with 2:24 left in the third. Kiefer kicked the PAT through the uprights. 

That was all the offense for HHS, but the Panthers had more in store for their home crowd. 

Two offensive plays after Ford's TD, Dyer broke free for 58 yards and six points. Dyer broke a tackle near the HHS 45-yard line, with an open field ahead. 

The score went to 41-14 with Dyer rushing for a 38-yard TD with 5:29 left in the game. Dyer unoffically had 159 yards rushing on 23 carries and three rushing touchdowns. The final TD for Miami Trace was a fumble recovery in the end zone by Tyler Daniels to end the game. 

Each team will play their county rivals next week. HHS will host the McClain Tigers and the Panthers will travel to play the Washington Blue Lions. MT has won every meeting against the Blue Lions since the SCOL reformed in 2003.

GAME NOTES: Kaleb West had a 14-yard run in the third quarter … During a drive in the fourth quarter, HHS senior Jerrad Luschek had a tackle for loss and a quarterback sack, forcing a three-and-out … MT had interceptions from Trey Anderson and Melvin … Bodhi Hawkins had a QB sack for a loss of seven yards in the fourth quarter (pressure was brought by Jesse Hale) … HHS junior Robert Shrout had two tackles in the fourth quarter in a HHS defensive stand … Allen Holbrook (HHS) had a tackle for loss (4 yards) in the first quarter … Chris Stapleton broke up a pass on third down for HHS … Chase Gilliland caught a 4-yard pass and broke up a pass on defense … Trevor Keller (MT) had a sack … HHS defensive players Zack Stacy and Avery Ventura brought pressure late in the fourth, forcing and recovering a fumble for the Tribe... Hillsboro had four offside penalties.
 

HHS  0  7   7   0 — 14

MT    7 17 10 13 — 47

Hillsboro/Miami Trace Past Results
2003: MT 48, HHS 14
2004: MT 49, HHS 13
2005: MT 20, HHS 0
2006: MT 29, HHS 19
2007: MT 21, HHS 6
2008: MT 42, HHS 7
2009: HHS 29, MT 7
2010:MT 47, HHS 14