Hillsboro Hangs On For Home Opener Win
By: Claire Geary
Posted on:
HILLSBORO, Ohio — After the rolling thunder and cracks of lightning passed the city of Hillsboro, the storms left the tone of the game for the Indians to mimic. Once the 45-minute rain delay ended and the game had begun, the Hillsboro defense was the powerhouse on the field.
The Indians lined up against the Western Brown Broncos around 7:45 p.m. for the opening game of the season at home, on a wet and soggy field. The slick ball left endless possibilities for messy plays from either side.
The Bronco’s failed to convert a fourth down during their second possession of the game, turning over the ball in the red zone for the Indians. With seven minutes left in the first quarter, senior Sanchez Seals sacked the Broncos freshman quarterback Drew Novak for a safety, making Hillsboro the first team to put points on the board.
This set the tone for the Indians strong defense, but the Broncos did not back down from the challenge of competing.
But, as fast as the safety happened, the Bronco’s came roaring down the field on their third possession. Senior Isaac Trevino had a fumble recovery, who took it to the end zone, to match the intensity the Indians brought.
At the end of the first half, the score was 16-14.
As both teams entered the second half, Hillsboro looked to hang onto the lead. Meanwhile, Western Brown looked to explode at the snap of the ball. It became a grinding match of a dominate defense taking over the second half.
The final score remained the same, and Hillsboro reigned victorious for their home opener of the season, 16-14.
The deciding play of the night offensively for the Indians was the successful two-point conversion after a touchdown scored by senior Mark Gallimore. The offense had a muddle huddle play, where the line set up heavy towards the left side of the field, and then converted the ball over towards the right, forcing a gap in the defense in order to score.
Coming up for the Indians, they play Goshen High School back at home for a second consecutive week with a win under their belt. As for the Broncos, they return home and play Little Miami on their home turf. Both games start at 7:00 p.m.