News editor
Haven was anything but a safe refuge for Hillsboro Friday, as the visiting Trojans got pasted by the Wildcats, 41-12.
Haven’s homecoming was a coming out party for running back Jacob Newcomer, who scorched the Trojans for 247 yards and three touchdowns, including an opening drive 50-yard scoring run.
“I think it hit our confidence,” Hillsboro head coach Lance Sawyer said. “We weren’t hitting as hard, we weren’t flying to the ball as hard, we just weren’t making the plays we did a week ago.”
The Wildcats were up 14-0 before Justus Hilliard put the Trojans on the board with a 13-yard touchdown scamper with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter.
Haven responded with 27 unanswered points, including a 52-yard Newcomer score on the Wildcats’ first play of the second half, effectively crushing any hope of a comeback by the Trojans.
Hillsboro found the end zone again in waning moments of the game, with Hilliard scoring on an 8-yard run at 1:55 in the fourth quarter.
“When you play a half step slow, we were questioning what we were doing instead of flying,” Sawyer said. “Once we were a half step slow, their athletes took over.”
Hilliard rushed for 160 yards on 21 carries, and completed 9 of 17 passes for 67 yards. David Dick and Jakob Hanschu each had three receptions.