After two losses by seven points each to private-school powerhouses, the Hillsboro football team found itself in unfamiliar territory at 0-2.
So the Hawks responded by pounding Washington 37-7 Sept. 13 in Hillsboro’s annual tribute to POW-MIA veterans. The win should reestablish the team’s credentials as a championship contender both in the Mississippi Area Football Conference (shooting for four straight titles) and in Missouri Class 4 District 1.
Not since 2020, Bill Sucharski’s first season as head coach, had the Hawks started 0-2. Sucharski has since stacked the Hawks’ schedule with teams like Mary Institute Country Day School, St. Louis University High and repeat state champion Cardinal Ritter (Class 3 in 2022 and Class 5 in 2023). In recent playoff outings, Hillsboro lost to St. Mary’s (2022 quarterfinals) and beat Lutheran North (2023 semifinals), continuing the private-school gauntlet.
Last season the Hawks didn’t suffer their second loss until they played Kearney at Faurot Field in the Class 4 championship.
And now you can add a dash of controversy to the picture. Hillsboro is contesting its season-opening loss to MICDS Aug. 30 because the game was postponed by storms midway through the third quarter, with the Hawks trailing 21-14, and never restarted. The teams agreed not to resume play that night, but Sucharski said Hillsboro lined up the same officiating crew for a Saturday restart and the Rams declined. So it looks like the Missouri State High School Activities Association will have to resolve the dispute.
Meanwhile, back on the gridiron, “We played a good SLUH team all the way to the end,” Sucharski said of the 21-17 loss to the host Junior Billikens Sept. 6. “It’s a good environment with a packed house. The track around the field has fewer lanes and the fans are more on top of you, like (at) Jackson.”
In the win over the Blue Jays, by the time the Hillsboro first-team defense left the field, it had allowed 40 yards of offense on 26 snaps.
“Defensively, it was one of our better games we’ve played since I’ve been coach,” Sucharski said.
Hawk special teams created two turnovers that led to points and freshman Caleb Arnold kicked a 22-yard field goal, his second this season. Arnold is stepping into the sizable shoes left by graduated super-kicker Nick Marchetti, the school career scoring leader – in soccer.
Playing in a steady rain, Hillsboro fumbled on its first drive but scored touchdowns on its other three possessions in the first half. Washington scored in the fourth quarter against the second team.
“We preach, ‘Make their points expensive,’” Sucharski said. “We took care of the ball.”
Senior running back Aidan Roland scored rushing and receiving touchdowns for the Hawks. The special teams stood out again when senior Chris Duncan returned a kickoff 90 yards for a TD to start the second half. Senior quarterback Preston Brown, a North Dakota State recruit, had a short touchdown run and tossed a TD pass to senior Keiten Pipkins.
Hillsboro begins defense of its MAFC crown Friday, hosting North County (2-1, 1-0) for Homecoming. The Hawks have beaten the Raiders in four of their last five meetings, including 48-0 last year.
“They’re physical up front and run right at you, so we have to be ready for that,” Sucharski said. “I have respect for what those guys do, so we’ll have to bring our A-game to win. We’ve both been in tight games. It’s a good rivalry for our kids.”
St. Pius wins its first game this season
After St. Pius X went independent earlier this year, head coach Frank Ray wanted the Lancers to compete against the toughest schedule he could put together.
In a case of “be careful what you ask for,” Ray’s squad opened the season with tough losses at Caruthersville (41-20) and Fort Zumwalt East (17-6).
Next up was 2-0 Knob Noster for the Lancers’ home opener Sept. 13 and it looked like more of the same early as the Panthers took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter.
A swarm of Pius defenders tackled the Panther quarterback in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter to make it 8-2. Knob Noster held that lead until the third quarter, when Pius senior running back Justin Lehn scored on a 31-yard run and freshman kicker Conner Meffen converted the PAT for a 9-8 edge. The Lancers scored two more TDs for a 22-14 win.
The visitors earned respect not just for playing hard but for traveling from western Missouri. Knob Noster (population 2,782) is nestled just north of Whiteman Air Force Base and east of Warrensburg.
“They’re really a disciplined team,” Ray said. “They play really hard and are a physical team. All three (of our) games have been dogfights within a score or two late. We learned a lot about ourselves and the kids handled the adversity well. We’re starting to see a team that, no matter the score (or) what the weather or situation happens to be, has a lot of fight.”
For the second time this season, junior cornerback Jack Michaud returned an interception for a touchdown. In the opener against Caruthersville, Michaud set a state record with a 107-yard return. Against Knob Noster, he gave Pius a 16-8 lead in the second half with a 53-yard pick-six.
“He really is starting to realize his potential,” Ray said. “He’s big (6-3, 185) and athletic. I don’t know if, as a sophomore, he was playing as big as he is, but he’s become aggressive. He’s playing some of the best defense at the cornerback position. It’s easy to talk about the picks, but it’s also the passes defended.”
Ray described how he and his coaches marveled at Michaud’s record-breaking interception while it was happening.
“He outjumped the kid for it,” he said. “He was 10 inches from the back of the end zone when (he came down). Jack had the wherewithal to see the (defensive) kids’ backs and he took it out. In my headset, I told the coaches, ‘Man, what is he doing?’ He got to about the 25 and I said, ‘At least he got there.’ Somewhere around their 40 or 30, I realized he was going to ‘house’ it.”
Filling in for starting QB Danny DeGeare in the fourth quarter, freshman Evan Eckrich extended the Pius lead to 22-8 with a 10-yard touchdown run. DeGeare was suffering from cramps. Knob Noster scored its other TD with about five minutes left.
The Lancers hit the road Friday about 11 a.m. to play Senatobia (Ms.) (2-2) for one of their two out-of-state games. The other is Oct. 18 at Chattanooga (Tenn.) to play private Baylor School.
Jags improve to 3-0, extend regular-season streak
Seckman won its 20th straight regular-season game Sept. 13, routing host Northwest 41-7 to improve to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Suburban Conference Orange pool. The Lions dropped to 2-1 and 1-1. So far, the Jaguars have outscored the opposition 115-28.
Seckman head coach Nick Baer said his team’s defense played well all night, with the exception of the Lions scoring on a 70-yard pass in the fourth quarter against the second team. The first- team defense didn’t allow a first down and gave the Jaguars a 2-0 lead with a safety in the first quarter.
Northwest started the game with an onside kick and recovered it, but couldn’t seize the momentum after Seckman forced a quick three-and-out.
“Northwest is much improved,” Baer said. “They did a good job of having us stall out in the first quarter. But after that, we started imposing our will on offense.”
Three seconds into the second quarter, running back Brady Ambrose plunged in from one yard and the scoring avalanche began. Three minutes later, Ambrose scored from 11 yards. Both PATs failed and the Jags led 14-0. Running back Ben Lewis scored on a four-yard run and Cam Benson caught a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brody Kube for a 27-0 halftime lead. Kicker Conner Day made one of three field-goal attempts.
Lewis and running back Chance Ruble scored TDs on short runs in the second half.
“We don’t wave a magic wand and score points,” Baer said. “You have to do a lot right. On our first drive, we had a penalty. On our second drive, an interception. Our third drive, we fumbled inside the (Northwest) 10. We got to the second (quarter) and started doing what we do.
“Having the ability to trust three or four tailbacks is huge. They’re all hungry and ready for the ball.”
After Kube threw the interception, Baer said he wanted to see how he’d respond.
“They were sitting heavy in the box, they put pressure in his face and Cam made a great catch in the end zone.”
Seckman will try to keep its streak going at winless Mehlville (0-3) Friday.
“We talk about doing the right things at practice and doing our jobs on Friday,” Baer said. “They (the Panthers) have a lot of overall team speed and athletic ability.” The way you shut that down on defense is keep leverage and keep gap integrity and we’ve done a good job of that so far.”