Trojan JV falls short against Smoky Valley
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
The Hillsboro Trojan junior varsity football dropped a heartbreaker Sept. 26 in Lindsborg, falling to the Smoky Valley Vikings, 22-20.
The Trojans never got over the hill after the Vikings scored first on a six-yard run in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead with a failed two-point conversion attempt.
But Hillsboro knotted the game up in the second quarter with Daniel Jost hitting Dustin Strunk for a 25-yard TD.
Strunk caught three passes for a team-high 65 yards and Brett McIntosh also caught three for 52.
Jost completed eight of 21 passes for 123 while running for 56 yards on seven carries.
The Vikings regained the lead with a seven-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion making it a 14-6 game at the break.
Jacob Yoder finally broke loose in the fourth quarter, taking off on a 52-yard run. Yoder carried the ball eight times for a team-high 71 yards.
Jost's pass to McIntosh once again knotted the score at 14-14 with time also an opponent for the Trojans.
The Vikings took over the lead for good, converting on a two-yard run and the two-point conversion, leaving the Trojans no other choice but to go for two.
Jost got the touchdown, scampering 58 yards to cut the lead to two, but couldn't complete the pass as the Trojans' comeback fell shy.
Defensively, the Trojans held the Vikings to 182 yards of offense with 145 coming on the ground.
Brandon Brown led the defense with 10 total tackles with two solo and a fumble recovery. Jost had five solo and two assisted, Michael Scheele had three solo and five assisted and Tyler Suderman added two solo and five assisted.
Hillsboro picked up 136 yards rushing for a balanced offensive output.
"We played an excellent second half and gave ourselves a chance to win," Trojan coach Darrell Knoll said. "It was good to see us convert key plays down the stretch.
"Unfortunately, we came up a little short."
The Trojans traveled to Wichita Monday night to take on the Collegiate Spartans. Results of Monday's action were unavailable at time of publication.
Up next for Hillsboro is a Monday meeting at home against the Nickerson Panthers at 6:30 p.m.
