Big Plays Open Up Game
The Hill City Ringnecks played competitively against the St. Francis Indians on Friday evening, September 15, in Hill City. The Ringnecks entered the contest with a 1-1 record. In their first two games, Hill City (HC) lost to Spearville 48-0 and defeated Stockton 64-18. The Ringnecks moved the ball against the Indians and also made offensive yardage a bit difficult to earn, but several big plays by the Indians blew the game open in the second period, and the Indians rolled to another lop-sided win. St. Francis lead 14-4 after one quarter of play, but closed the contest by halftime 50-4.
St. Francis received the opening kick-off from freshman kicker Jayce Hamel (5' 10" 170 lb.). Hamel's first kick rolled out-of-bounds near the 5-yard line, and the Ringnecks re-kicked after a 5-yard penalty. The successive kick-off was returned approximately 60 yards by Tate Busse for an Indian touchdown. Following good blocking, Busse was not touched on the return. Jordan Raby also ran untouched around the left end for the conversion points. The Indians had struck early, and led 8-0 with only 10 seconds gone on the game clock.
Dalton Straub's kick-off was returned to the Hill City 22 where Wyatt Hackler made the stop. On first down, Ethan Hamel (5' 9" 150 lb. Sr.) ran the right side and was stopped for no gain. On second down, the Ringnecks attempted a play-action pass, but Luin Norris and Trayton Doyle sacked the HC quarterback for a loss. Unfortunately, the Indians were guilty of an inadvertent face-mask and were penalized 5 yards on the play. The replacement down found the Ringnecks attempting a pass to Garrett Handley (6' 2" 145 lb. Sr.). Good pressure by the Indian defense caused the pass to be incomplete. On third down, Hamel rounded the left end and picked up 10 yards before being forced out-of-bounds. The Ringnecks punted on 4th-and-1 from the HC 31. The punt bounced out-of-bounds at the St. Francis (SF) 8 yard line.
Jordan Raby picked up three yards around the right end on first down and three more trying the opposite side on the next play. On 3rd-&-4, Raby earned a new series of downs running left to the SF 20. On the next play, quarterback Brady Dinkel completed a deep pass to Tate Busse on the right side side for the second Indian touchdown. The Indians were called for a procedure penalty on the conversion attempt, and the ball was placed at the 8 yard line. Dinkel's pass intended for Busse was incomplete on the conversion attempt. The Indians led 14-0 with 8:26 remaining in the first period.
Freshman Brody McDowell (6' 0" 132 lb.) returned the Indians' kick-off to the SF 36. On 1st down, a deep pass attempt was well covered by Tate Busse and fell incomplete. On 2nd down, a pass to Dalton Stephen (6' 5" 175 lb Sr.) was completed in the left flat and earned 5 yards. Tayton Weeter made a nice stop on a middle screen on third down. Facing 4th-&-5, the Ringnecks earned big yardage with a pass to Stephen across the middle of the field. A tackle by Wyatt Hacker prevented even bigger yardage. The play took the Ringnecks to the St. Francis 18 yard line. Though it looked like the Indians might trample the Ringnecks early, the Ringnecks had other plans and were now threatening. On the next play, the Indian defense stepped up. Jordan Raby intercepted the Hill City pass on the right sideline at the 3 yard line.
Taking possession at the three yard line, the Indians needed to move the football to gain a bit of operating room. On first down, Stephen broke through the St. Francis line and tacked Brady Dinkel in the end zone for a safety. It was the first points scored by an Indian opponent this season. With 6:06 left in the first quarter, the Indians led 14-2.
McDowell returned Straub's free-kick to the HC 35 yard line. Hamel ran the right side picking up 9 yards on first down. On second down, Trayton Doyle made the stop, and a procedure penalty backed the Ringnecks up 5 yards. On 2nd-&-6, the Ringnecks completed a pass on the left sideline, but the receiver was ruled out-of-bounds. A 3rd-down pass attempt was tipped by Luin Norris as he applied pressure to the HC quarterback. On 4th-&-6, HC punted out-of-bounds at the SF 1 yard line.
Operating with their backs to the end zone, the Jordan Raby gained two yards on a quick-pitch to the right side. A pass to Tate Busse on the following play moved the ball to the SF 18 yard line. After a gain of three by Raby up the middle on first down, Brady Dinkel found Busse over the middle with a pass advancing the football to the the SF 35. Raby ran right and Dinkel left to pick up a new set of downs at the HC 34. St. Francis then took their first time-out. The next snap was inaccurate and mishandled, but was recovered by Dinkel for a 12 yard loss. An option right was stuffed for a 6-yard loss by the Ringnecks on the next play. HC's Alyzae Moreno (5' 7" 167 lb. Jr.) made a good read on the following play, a middle screen by the Indians, and made a tackle for another 6-yard loss. Facing 4th-& 34, the Indians punted. The punt was short and returned up the right sideline by Dalen Journigan (6' 0" 150 lb. So.) to the SF 8 yard line before he was forced out-of-bounds by Luin Norris. On 1st-&-goal, Jayce Hamel was stopped for a 4-yard loss by the Indians. After an incomplete pass on 2nd down, Hamel tried the right side and was tackled by Tayton Weeter at the 10. A fourth down pass intended for Journigan in the left flat fell incomplete. The Indians had stopped the Ringnecks.
On 1st down, again deep in Hill City territory at the 10, the Indians took over. A bad snap on the opening play of the drive resulted in another safety for Hill City. With 11:06 on the second quarter clock, the advantage reduced to 14-4.
Tayton Weeter's free-kick went out-of-bounds at the HC 5 yard line requiring a re-kick. McDowell returned the second kick to the SF 38 yard line. After a pass into Indian traffic over the middle fell incomplete, Hamel made a strong run up the middle gaining 5 yards before being tackled by Jordan Raby and Tate Busse. On 3rd down, a swing pass to Journigan on the left side netted a gain of two. On 4th-&-3, Hamel earned just enough for a measured 1st down around the right end. A slant pass to Handley earned another first down on the next play. The Ringnecks earned zero yards on the next two plays as the Indian's defense stiffened. On third down, a late-hit penalty on the Indians aided a swing pass gain and moved the ball to the SF 8. Luin Norris tackled Hamel for a one-yard loss on the next play. A pass in the left flat was caught by a Hill City receiver on the next play, but fumbled.
Raby recovered for the Indians, ending a good Hill City drive, and returned the football 74 yards for a touchdown. The conversion run, a quick-pitch to Raby, was stopped short of the goal line. The Indians had changed the game's momentum and now led 20-4. The game clock showed 7:12 left in the second period.
The SF kick-off sailed into the end zone. Hill City's first play from the 15 yard line was completed out-of-bounds due to good pressure from the Indians. Hamel was stopped for no gain on the next play. On 3rd down, a pass to Journigan was complete for good yardage, but was also ruled out-of-bounds. The Ringnecks punted.
The Indians did not field the punt and set up on the SF 38 yard line. On first down, Jordan Raby rounded the left end and sprinted 42 yards for another Indian touchdown. Brady Dinkel's pass to Dalton Straub was good for the conversion points. The advantage now stood at 28-4 with 5:59 left in the first half.
The next kick-off also found the end zone preventing a return. The Indian defense was now hungry. On first down, Hamel was forced to scramble and lost 8 yards. On the next play, Hamel tried the left side and was tackled by Trayton Doyle at the HC 3 yard line. On 3rd-&-23, a pass over the middle was well-defended by Cody Baxter. The Ringnecks punted from the end zone, but a holding penalty in the end zone, gave St. Francis a safety moving the score to 30-4 with 4:14 left in the first half.
The Hill City free-kick was returned by Tate Busse 48 yards for another touchdown. With 4:03 on the clock, the conversion pass attempt was incomplete, but the Indians were on a roll leading 36-4.
Tayton Weeter's kick found the end zone again. A pass to Jayce Hamel on the right side gained 7 yards on first down. On the next play, Hill City bobbled the snap, but completed a dump pass for a new set of downs at the HC 28. A pass to Handley gained four more before a tackle by Wyatt Hacker stopped the play. Hamel then ran right and was forced out-of-bounds setting up a 3rd-&-very short situation. A pass to the left side fell incomplete. On 4th-&-inches, the Indian defense stopped a run to the right and took possession of the football at the HC 34 with 2:41 on the clock.
Consecutive false start penalties on the Indians reduced field position by 10 yards. A run around left end by Raby netted 8 yards before a pass intended for Cody Baxter fell incomplete. A 3rd down slant pass to Wyatt Hackler gained 7 more. On 4th-&-5, Dinkel's pass to Jordan Raby resulted in another SF touchdown. The play covered 25 yards. The conversion was also good and moved the scoreboard to 44-4 with 1:27 left.
Tayton Weeter's kick-off was muffed by the Ringnecks and traveled into the end zone. On first down, the Ringnecks fumbled again, and the ball was recovered by Weeter and Dalton Straub.
Brady Dinkel made a strong run to the right and nearly scored on the first play of the series. On the next play, Jordan Raby dove into the end zone from 1 yard out to move the scoreboard to 50-4 with 38.4 seconds remaining. The conversion run by Dinkel was stopped short.
Journigan returned Weeter's kick-off to the HC 31. Three plays later the clock expired. St. Francis had scored 36 points in the second period to defeat the Hill City Ringnecks 50-4.
The Indians will play Decatur Community in Oberlin on Friday, September 22. Decatur Community enters the game with a 0-3 record losing to Cambridge, NE 62-32, Dighton 53-8, and Rawlins County 48-0.
