Hillsboro built a 20-8 lead on Cape Girardeau Central in the prep Class 4 District 1 football championship game Monday night (Nov. 11) at Hillsboro, but couldn’t sustain the advantage in a 59-33 loss that ended the Hawks’ season at 9-3.
Two turning points in the first half heavily influenced the final outcome. After going up 20-8 on a four-yard run by Seth Castleman with 4:34 left in the second quarter, Hillsboro recovered an onside kick and had the ball at the Tigers’ 44. But on their first play the Hawks fumbled it right back to Cape Central, which scored three plays later on a 65-yard pass from Dennis Vinson to Alfrialzo Young. The Tigers scored again with less than one second left on the clock before halftime as Vinson connected with tight end James Wilferth for a 13-yard touchdown and a 24-20 halftime lead.
The Tigers blew the game open in the third quarter when senior tailback Mikey Jones exploded for three touchdowns in less than six minutes on the clock. His runs to pay dirt covered 55, 34 and 65 yards. Shortly thereafter he romped 89 yards and would have scored again except for Joe Melton’s TD-saving tackle at the two-yard line. Braion Owens took it in on the next play, however, and Central had an insurmountable 52-26 lead. Hillsboro’s Trey Terry was the lone Hawk bright spot in the second half as he rushed for more than 100 yards and scored his team’s final touchdown with 39 seconds left. The other Hillsboro TD of the second half came on a 65-yard pass from Jarrett Johnson to Brett Cole midway through the third quarter.
Cape Central (8-4) advances to the Class 4 quarterfinals and will play District 2 champion Miller Career Academy (11-0) on Saturday in St. Louis.