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For video
highlights of Friday's game, check the Sports section of
hoodrivernews.com on Monday, and for a look ahead to next week's
game and a round up of all of the Mount Hood Conference football
action, check Wednesday's edition of the Hood River News.
By Ben McCarty
News staff writer
September 5, 2008
The
Hillsboro Spartans and the Hood River Valley Eagles matched each
other mistake for mistake on Friday night, but in the end, it
was the Eagles that hurt more.
A
safety moments into the second half, four interceptions off
tipped and dropped passes and a few defensive slip-ups left the
Eagles playing catching up for much of the second half and the
dropped their home opener 44-27 to the Spartans.
It
was Hillsboro quarterback Dominique seems who the Eagles were
left to chase after during the second half. Mims accounted for
six total touchdowns for the Spartans, and rushed and passed for
two apiece in the second half.
"That guy is an athlete," Hood River coach Tracy Jackson said
after the game.
Hood River got out to a quick 13-0 nothing lead, but it failed
to hold up under Mims one-man wrecking job.
HRV
quarterback Sam Kopecky hit Joe Gehrig from 21 yards out, and
Gehrig managed to drag his toes in the back corner of the end
zone to give the Eagles a 7-0 nothing lead.
The
Eagles had the chance to stretch the lead moments later when the
Spartans botched a punt snap, giving the Eagles the ball inside
the Spartan 20 yard line. However, the Eagles went nowhere on
three plays, and had to settle for a field goal try.
Robert Wymore's attempt went wide right.
However, Jacob Bohince continued the Spartans' punting woes
shortly after that when he fielded a short punt on one bounce,
and went 45 yards down the sideline, breaking two tackles along
the way to put the Eagles up 13-0.
However, by halftime, the Spartans had taken a 14-13 lead and
things began to take a turn for the worse for the Eagles.
The
fumble on the second-half kickoff left the Eagles pinned inside
their ten-yard line. The Spartans then blocked an HRV punt in
the end zone for a safety and started putting the Eagles on
their heels.
Hood River did rally back, briefly re-taking the lead when
Kopecky hit Gehrig for a second touchdown and 20-16 lead.
However, Hillsboro quickly jumped back on top when Mim connected
with Kyle Peden from 10-yards out and lead that the Spartans
would not relinquish again.
The
Eagles got within three points once more when Kopecky dumped a
short pass to Jacob Bohince, who went 71-yards for a touchdown.
The
defense then took over, picking off four Kopecky passes and
grinding down the clock to get the win.
""It was a game of turnovers and of who was going to mess up the
most," Hilsboro coach Zak Hill said.
Jackson said he saw plenty of improvement in the Eagles from a
43-7 loss to Grants Pass last week, but knows the Eagles have
plenty more improvements that need to be made before starting
league play.
"We
are putting ourselves in a position to win," he said. "We played
with heart."
The
Eagles will hope to play with enough heart to win when they take
on Gorge rival The Dalles-Wahtonka next Friday.
"We
can't take anything for granted," Jackson said.
Stats
Hillsboro
Passing
Mims 19/30, 212, 3 TD
Fernstrom 0/1
Rushing
Mims 11/68, 3 TD
Anderson 7/25
Smythe 11/57
Fernstrom 1/8
Rodriguez 6/13
Receiving
Lyerla 1/8
White 6/80, TD
Fernstrom 2/40
Hastings 3/41
Smythe 2/8
Bradley 2/29
Peden 1/10, TD
Seawell 1/11, TD
HRV
Passing
Kopecky 28/49, 329, 3TD/4 INT
Receiving
Gehrig 5/63, TD
Frazier 7/ 44
Schull 7/55
Baker 5/61
Bohince 3/81, TD
Webb 1/15
Rushing
Baker 8/-1
Kopecky 2/18
Scoring
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
Final
Hillsboro 7 7 9 21 44
HRV
13 0 7 7 27
1Q
HRV Kopecky
to Gehrig 21-yard pass (Wymore kick)
HRV Bohince
45-yard punt return (Kick failed)
Hil Mims to
White 14-yard pass (Starkman kick)
2Q
Hil Mims
2-yard rush (Starkman kick)
3Q
Hil Safety
Kopecky to
Gehrig 10-yard pass (Wymore kick)
Mims to Peden
11-yard pass (Starkman kick)
4Q
Mims 12-yard
rush (Starkman kick)
Kopecky to
Bohince 79-yard pass (Wymore kick)
Mim 1-yard
rush (Starkman kick)
Mim to
Seawell 11-yard pass (Starkman kick)
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