“Momentum’s a cruel mistress,” Hillsboro senior running back Joe Garner said after the Hawks were eliminated from the Class 4 playoffs with a 34-20 loss at home Friday night to Ladue in the state quarterfinals.
And she plays for keeps.
The Rams led the Hawks 17-0 a minute and a half into the second quarter and had Big Mo on their side. Ladue looked bigger and played faster than Hillsboro on a frigid night, but the Hawks weren’t about to be divorced from their quest to reach the state semifinals for the first time without a fight.
The two things that hurt Hillsboro the most was the bubble screen – which has been the Hawks’ nemesis since a one-point loss to Mary Institute-Country Day School earlier this year – and the inability to get the Rams’ offense off the field on third-and-long.
Leading 20-6 on the first drive of the second half, Ladue senior quarterback Jordan Jackson scampered for 21 yards on third-and-17. Two plays later, Hillsboro defenders Garner, Josef Marschuetz and Joe Becker converged simultaneously on Jackson and planted him for a 10-yard loss. But on third-and-20, the unshakable Jackson threw a quick screen to junior Dale Chesson who did the rest and scored a 53-yard TD. Kicker P.J. Hensley made all four extra-point attempts and booted a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter.
“It’s a play we run,” Ladue head coach Mike Tarpey said of the touchdown. “Dale is a heck of a football player. We’re always trying to get the ball to our playmakers on the edge. Hillsboro played extremely well.
"(Jackson’s) been a great player for us. He’s been a starter since his sophomore year and he showed what he’s made of. When there’s only eight teams left in your class, it’s going to be great football.”
The Rams led 27-6 and seemingly had full control of the game.
Hillsboro went three-and-out on the next series and all Ladue needed to do was score again to make it a quick night. But this time the Hawks held the Rams on third down and got the ball back at their own 9-yard line with 5:54 left in the third quarter.
Like they did before in the Class 4 District 1 championship against Cape Girardeau Central, Hillsboro showed it could move the ball the length of the field using a few simple plays. Senior running back Micheal Keller ripped off a 47-yard run on the drive and senior QB Tyler Isaacson ended it on fourth-and-1 with 34 seconds left in the third. Isaacson, who scored the game-winning touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Cape Central and Farmington, ran in the two-points conversion and the Hillsboro faithful shook loose of the icy grip of defeat for a few minutes.
“Tyler’s a great kid and he plays hard,” Hillsboro head coach Lee Freeman said. “These seniors are great human beings. They’ll go on to be great dads and great husbands and they’re going to make a lot more money than I make.”
Freeman opted to try the onside kick next and senior Justin Konersmann recovered for the Hawks, setting them up at midfield. Isaacson fumbled on the first play of the fourth quarter and senior Jaliil Swope jumped on it for Ladue. After Jackson fired a 22-yard completion to Chesson, Jackson fumbled and senior defensive lineman Paul Stewart recovered as the turnover wheel continued to shift the hopes of both teams.
Hillsboro benefitted from a pass interference call on third down and moved toward the goal line with three big plays: a 21-yard catch by senior Riley Thompson on third-and-9; an 11-yard run on third-and-15 by Isaacson that made fourth down more palatable; and a 12-yard pass from Isaacson to senior Justin Sanders on fourth-and-4. Senior Joe Gregory finished the drive with a 6-yard TD run, but the conversion failed and the Rams led 27-20 with 6:18 to play.
A second onside kick wasn’t successful for the Hawks and Ladue took over at midfield with a chance to put the game away. The Rams would twice have to convert on fourth down to do it. Senior Matt Allen caught a 13-yard pass from Jackson on fourth-and-5 and senior Cameron Meeks scored his second TD of the night on fourth-and-1.
Twice Tarpey called timeout to decide if he wanted to try to pick up the first down or send his all-state kicker in for a chip shot.
“It’s risk-reward and we were just trying to get a first down there and we got a touchdown,” Tarpey said. “We would have felt comfortable putting the field goal team on. To the kids’ credit, they executed the play.”
Ladue (11-2) plays Parkway Central (12-1) on Nov. 18 in the semifinals. The Colts thumped Rolla 49-21 in their quarterfinal. The Rams were in the semifinals last year and lost 14-10 to Kearney.
For the Hawks, Friday’s loss was the culmination of two highly successful seasons where they had a combined record of 18-7. A season after they lost their entire offensive line to graduation, Freeman has to say goodbye to one of the best backfields in team history in Keller, Garner, Luke Skaggs, Gregory and Isaacson.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to play with,” Garner said. “I wouldn’t choose any other group of seniors. I’m super proud of how we bounced back tonight.
“I’ve always dreamed I could contribute at the varsity level and I was finally able to do that this year. You never can count us out. The coaches and players all believed that.”
Ladue 34, Hillsboro 20
Ladue 10 10 7 7 – 34
Hillsboro 0 6 8 6 – 20
First quarter
L: Kalen Lang 3 run (P.J. Hensley kick), 4:28
L: Hensley 32 field goal, 1:25
Second quarter
L: Cameron Meeks 6 run (Hensley kick), 10:27
H: Tyler Isaacson 1 run (run failed), 3:00
Third quarter
L: Dale Chesson 53 pass from Jordan Jackson (Hensley kick), 9:51
H: Isaacson 1 run (Isaacson run), :34
Fourth quarter
H: Joe Gregory 6 run (run failed), 6:18
L: Meeks 14 run (Hensley kick), 2:54