Fish’s air raid lifts Hillsboro
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HILLSBORO — For all the eye-popping statistics put up in Tuesday’s Class 3A first-round game between Hillsboro and Sedgwick, the most significant number didn’t belong to a player, but to the yard markers.
Ben Bebermeyer picked off Trent Stucky’s desperation pass on fourth and 30 with just over a minute to go, preserving Hillsboro’s wild 35-28 victory and setting up a turbo-charged offensive showdown on Saturday at Wichita Collegiate.
It was a game in which both offenses traded heavy blows, with the defenses rising up to make a big play at the most crucial moments. It was a game that seemed destined for overtime until mistakes caught up to the Cardinals, who were penalized nine times for 90 yards. One of those penalties wiped out a momentumchanging touchdown right before halftime, in addition to a chop block penalty on the final drive.
“Those were the things we were doing,” Sedgwick coach Jeff Werner said. “It was a lack of focus at key times that might have cost us on those penalties.”
But none of those penalties factored into the game put forth by Hillsboro quarterback Jacob Fish. The 6-foot-3 senior shook off a rusty first quarter to complete 19 of 31 passes for 377 yards and four touchdowns.
“It was a heck of a ride, an up-and-down ride,” Fish said. “Coach (Max Heinrichs) talked about heart at halftime. This was just amazing.”
But Heinrichs had a much bigger talk with Fish on the sidelines in the first quarter after noticing a flaw in Fish’s delivery.
“The difference was he was throwing off his back foot, and his throws were drifting,” Heinrichs said. “Once we got him to step forward and follow through on his pass, it was a whole different thing.”
Sedgwick took the secondhalf kickoff and went 65 yards in 10 plays, with Wade Hansen (249 yards on 28 carries) covering the final two yards to get the Cardinals within 21-10. The Trojans immediately struck back, with Fish hitting Bebermeyer (five catches, 150 yards) in stride for a 64-yard bomb and a 28-20 lead.
Sedgwick then went 60 yards in 15 plays, driving to the Hillsboro 13. Werner had the offense out on fourth and 4, but changed his mind and watched Ian
Mattson’s 30-yard field goal miss wide left. Hillsboro quickly moved to the Sedgwick 25, but Fish was stripped of the ball on one of Hillsboro’s rare running plays, and Hansen returned the fumble 74 yards for a touchdown. His conversion run tied the game at 28.
Right back marched the Trojans. Fish completed 4 of 6 passes for 69 yards, tossing a 14-yarder to Jacob Edwards (five catches, 110 yards) for what turned out to be the winning score with 8:10 remaining.
The game then turned into a defensive struggle. Sedgwick turned the ball over on downs at midfield when Tyler Stucky slipped as he was pressured trying to cut upfield. Hillsboro then drove to the Cardinal 21, but the Sedgwick defense stiffened, forcing Fish to throw three straight incomplete passes and getting the ball back with 4:36 left in the game.
Sedgwick (7-3) 6 7 7 7 — 28
Hillsboro (7-3) 7 14 7 7 — 35
S—Stucky 9 run (kick failed)
H—Reece 1 run (Frantz kick)
H—Edwards 10 pass from Fish (kick failed)
S—Stucky 6 run (Mattson kick)
H—Hagen 7 pass from Fish (Hagen pass from Fish)
S—Hansen 2 run (Mattson kick)
H—Bebermeyer 64 pass from Fish (Frantz kick)
S—Hansen 74 fumble return (Hansen run)
H—Edwards 14 pass from Fish (Frantz kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing—Sedgwick, Hansen 28-249, Stucky 24-117, Cargile 1-2. Hillsboro, Fish 5-24, Reece 8-16.
Passing—Sedgwick, Stucky 3-7-48-2, Brandt 0-1-0-0. Hillsboro, Fish 19-31-377-1.
Receiving—Sedgwick, Hansen 2-31, Brandt 1-17. Hillsboro, Hagen 6-51, Bebermeyer 5-150, Edwards 5-110, Dick 2-47, Moore 1-19
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