Madison-Plains football: History making
By JOSH WALKER
Hillsboro Times-Gazette
HILLSBORO — Five offensive plays, 21 points.
That is what Madison-Plains second quarter looked like.
The Golden Eagles combination of Ryne Davis and Steve Lemieux was unstoppable Friday night on Richards Memorial Field, accounting for M-P’s first five touchdowns as they routed Hillsboro 42-12 to improve to 4-0 on the season.
All totaled, Madison-Plains scored on six of its eight possessions (the other two ending in fumbles).
Each team only completed one possession in the first quarter. The Golden Eagles overcame four penalties that put them in a first-and-24 to start the game after stopping HHS’s first drive. Following the four penalties, they converted a first down on four-and-4 and never looked back. Lemieux did the honors, capping an 80-play drive on a run up the middle from eight yards out.
Things got ugly in the second quarter as M-P scored on two two-play drives. The first took 41 seconds with a nine-yard run from Davis and a 31-yard TD run by Lemieux.
The second drive was even worse for the Indians.
Madison-Plains started with the ball on its own 9 yard-line when Hillsboro’s ended on a failed fourth-and-goal conversion. After an 11-yard run by Lemieux, the
M-P back broke away on his second attempt, running the ball up the middle, then breaking left after clearing the line. As he cut the ball up near the sideline, he turned all the way back across the field, running to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown.
Hillsboro’s next possession went three-and-out, leading to a Madison-Plains timeout with 1:34 left. However, the snap on the punt attempt went high and the Golden Eagles recovered on the three yard-line. Davis snuck the ball in on the first play to make the score 28-0 at the half.
The Indians showed signs of life in the second half, which began with a fumble by M-P. They drove the ball down, converting a fourth-and-6 from the opponents 39 on a 14-yard pass to Kordell Ford. He later deked his way into the end zone from the 15 yard-line to get HHS on the board. Hillsboro was unable to get the extra point attempt off, leaving the score at 28-6.
The score represented HHS’s only points scored in the second half this season.
“You finished strong. I’m proud of you for that,” Hillsboro coach Brian Spicer said to his team after the game. “But, you all have to realize that 11 people have to do their job on every play.”
The Golden Eagles kept their foot on the gas, driving the ball 61 yards for another touchdown. The drive began and ended with runs by Davis. The first was a 33-yard run and the last was a one-yard plunge into the end zone.
Each team added a score in the fourth quarter.
Hillsboro scored on a four-play drive midway through the quarter. The drive started with a 20-yard pass from Logan Leslie to Craig Jackson, who hauled the ball in on the left sideline. A late-hit penalty resulted in the ball being moved up to the M-P 18. Three plays later, Kyler White broke through the line from 11 yards out.
Madison-Plains added a final touchdown after a seven-play, 55-yard drive. After a run of 23 yards by Matt Wilson, Jake Datz took the ball in from 18 yards out to bring the game to its final score of 42-12.
“We did not do all the things we were supposed to do at a consistent level,” Spicer said. “On defense, it is about stopping them enough for us to put some points on the board.”
Hillsboro will be at Miami Trace next week.
