Blue Lions throttle Hillsboro, 43-12
Lead Summary
By
-
There's Six Flags Over Georgia, but tonight there were 26 Flags Over Hillsboro.
Maybe more.
In a game marred by more than two dozen penalty flags, the Hillsboro Indians fell to 0-5 after losing at home to the Washington Blue Lions, 43-12, Friday, Sept. 23.
In all fairness, the Indians played a better game than that.
After trailing by only three points at halftime, Hillsboro was still in the game midway late in the third period, with the score 15-12 in favor of the Blue Lions.
A series of penalties – many of them mental mistakes – seemed to rattle Hillsboro, and the Lions closed the game on a 28-0 run over the final 14:31.
Jerome Pettiford, who rushed for 172 yards on the night, started the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown on the game's first series.
Hillsboro starting quarterback Christian Cundiff reached over the goal line to score from five yards out to make it a 7-6 game with 4:24 to play in the first period. The point after attempt was blocked.
The Indians appeared to have a second touchdown when senior Caleb West stripped the football from a Washington runner and raced 36 yards for an apparent TD. A face-masking penalty was called on the Indians, however, and the touchdown was nullified.
It would be the first of two Caleb West touchdown runs that were called back due to penalty flags. There was, indeed, a lot of laundry to pick up from Richards Field in Friday's loss.
The first quarter closed with the Lions owning a 7-6 edge.
In the second quarter, Cundiff helped set up a go-ahead touchdown on a busted play. On second-and-10, Cundiff appeared to be caught for a 10-yard loss, but broke three tackles behind the line of scrimmage and scrambled for a 14-yard gain. A pass from Cundiff to Zach Young moved the ball to the Washington 18 yard line.
After a flag pushed the Indians' offense back five yards, Cundiff, who finished with 170 yards of total offense before being injured in the second half, connected with Michael Stuckey for a 24-yard TD.
The two-point conversion failed, but Hillsboro held a 12-7 lead.
Once again, Pettiford answered for the Blue Lions, this time scoring on a 26-yard run at the 6:02 mark.
The half ended with Washington up, 15-12.
Hillsboro's ball-control game plan worked to near perfection in the first 24 minutes. But as Coach Brian Spicer said, "We've got to play for 48 minutes. We didn't do that."
Frustration for the Indians seemed to set in midway through the third quarter. There were a few penalty flags. OK, there were a lot of penalty flags. At one point, even the Hillsboro public address announcer said with a measure of sarcastic frustration, "And we have a flag on the play."
Then there was the injury to Cundiff, coming shortly after starting wide receiver Tyrand Cumberland had already left the game with an injury. Still, only three points separated the two teams until Pettiford scored on a 19-yard rumble at the 2:31 mark, late in the third period.
The third quarter ended with Hillsboro down, 22-12. But it also ended with the Blue Lions on the mark. The period ended with Washington having a first-and-goal at the 1 yard line.
On the initial play of the fourth quarter, Reily Shaw ran it in for another Washington touchdown. The point after failed, leaving it a 28-12 score.
Hillsboro's all-purpose player, Chase Gilliland, replaced Cundiff at quarterback. On the night, Gilliland played wide receiver, defensive back, punted, returned kickoffs and played quarterback.
On the Tribe's first possession of the fourth quarter, Christian Wildey ran for a yard, followed by a Gilliland carry, and a pass from Gilliland to West that came up short of a first down.
After an exchange of possessions, Travis Leisure scored for the Lions to make it a 35-12 game, and the second-half rout was on.
Caleb West ran the ensuing kickoff back for a Hillsboro touchdown, only to have a holding penalty bring it back. The series ended on a fourth down carry by Gilliland, who was spun around by a Washington defender but seemed to have kept his balance. Gilliland broke free, but the play was whistled dead. And, yes, Hillsboro drew a penalty flag on the play, their 18th of the night (unofficially, and not including a sideline warning).
Leisure added a late TD for Washington to complete the scoring. The Blue Lions improved to 3-2 on the season, while Hillsboro falls to 0-5.
The Indians take on the Chillicothe Cavaliers on Sept. 30.
Unofficially, the Blue Lions totaled 326 yards of offense, while Hillsboro posted 268 yards. Cundiff and Wildey each ran for 48 yards for the Indians.
Score by quarters
WHS – 07 08 07 21 – 43
HHS – 06 06 00 00 – 12[[In-content Ad]]
Maybe more.
In a game marred by more than two dozen penalty flags, the Hillsboro Indians fell to 0-5 after losing at home to the Washington Blue Lions, 43-12, Friday, Sept. 23.
In all fairness, the Indians played a better game than that.
After trailing by only three points at halftime, Hillsboro was still in the game midway late in the third period, with the score 15-12 in favor of the Blue Lions.
A series of penalties – many of them mental mistakes – seemed to rattle Hillsboro, and the Lions closed the game on a 28-0 run over the final 14:31.
Jerome Pettiford, who rushed for 172 yards on the night, started the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown on the game's first series.
Hillsboro starting quarterback Christian Cundiff reached over the goal line to score from five yards out to make it a 7-6 game with 4:24 to play in the first period. The point after attempt was blocked.
The Indians appeared to have a second touchdown when senior Caleb West stripped the football from a Washington runner and raced 36 yards for an apparent TD. A face-masking penalty was called on the Indians, however, and the touchdown was nullified.
It would be the first of two Caleb West touchdown runs that were called back due to penalty flags. There was, indeed, a lot of laundry to pick up from Richards Field in Friday's loss.
The first quarter closed with the Lions owning a 7-6 edge.
In the second quarter, Cundiff helped set up a go-ahead touchdown on a busted play. On second-and-10, Cundiff appeared to be caught for a 10-yard loss, but broke three tackles behind the line of scrimmage and scrambled for a 14-yard gain. A pass from Cundiff to Zach Young moved the ball to the Washington 18 yard line.
After a flag pushed the Indians' offense back five yards, Cundiff, who finished with 170 yards of total offense before being injured in the second half, connected with Michael Stuckey for a 24-yard TD.
The two-point conversion failed, but Hillsboro held a 12-7 lead.
Once again, Pettiford answered for the Blue Lions, this time scoring on a 26-yard run at the 6:02 mark.
The half ended with Washington up, 15-12.
Hillsboro's ball-control game plan worked to near perfection in the first 24 minutes. But as Coach Brian Spicer said, "We've got to play for 48 minutes. We didn't do that."
Frustration for the Indians seemed to set in midway through the third quarter. There were a few penalty flags. OK, there were a lot of penalty flags. At one point, even the Hillsboro public address announcer said with a measure of sarcastic frustration, "And we have a flag on the play."
Then there was the injury to Cundiff, coming shortly after starting wide receiver Tyrand Cumberland had already left the game with an injury. Still, only three points separated the two teams until Pettiford scored on a 19-yard rumble at the 2:31 mark, late in the third period.
The third quarter ended with Hillsboro down, 22-12. But it also ended with the Blue Lions on the mark. The period ended with Washington having a first-and-goal at the 1 yard line.
On the initial play of the fourth quarter, Reily Shaw ran it in for another Washington touchdown. The point after failed, leaving it a 28-12 score.
Hillsboro's all-purpose player, Chase Gilliland, replaced Cundiff at quarterback. On the night, Gilliland played wide receiver, defensive back, punted, returned kickoffs and played quarterback.
On the Tribe's first possession of the fourth quarter, Christian Wildey ran for a yard, followed by a Gilliland carry, and a pass from Gilliland to West that came up short of a first down.
After an exchange of possessions, Travis Leisure scored for the Lions to make it a 35-12 game, and the second-half rout was on.
Caleb West ran the ensuing kickoff back for a Hillsboro touchdown, only to have a holding penalty bring it back. The series ended on a fourth down carry by Gilliland, who was spun around by a Washington defender but seemed to have kept his balance. Gilliland broke free, but the play was whistled dead. And, yes, Hillsboro drew a penalty flag on the play, their 18th of the night (unofficially, and not including a sideline warning).
Leisure added a late TD for Washington to complete the scoring. The Blue Lions improved to 3-2 on the season, while Hillsboro falls to 0-5.
The Indians take on the Chillicothe Cavaliers on Sept. 30.
Unofficially, the Blue Lions totaled 326 yards of offense, while Hillsboro posted 268 yards. Cundiff and Wildey each ran for 48 yards for the Indians.
Score by quarters
WHS – 07 08 07 21 – 43
HHS – 06 06 00 00 – 12[[In-content Ad]]