JEROMESVILLE — It’s 70 miles from Bowerston to Jeromesville. That was a road too far for the Conotton Valley football team.
Top-seeded Hillsdale (10-1) made that bus ride seem even longer by thumping the No. 8-seed Rockets 63-6 in Friday night’s Division VII, Region 27 quarterfinal.
Coach Trevor Cline’s club erupted for eight touchdowns, four in the first quarter for a 28-0 lead, and for more in the second period for an incredible 56-0 bulge at intermission.
Quarterback Kael Lewis threw for 199 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Hayden McFadden, and ran for another score. McFadden added 95 yards receiving and three TDs, while Owen Sloan contributed 49 yard rushing and two touchdowns.
The avalanche began in the first quarter. Sloan scored on a 4-yard run, Lewis connected with McFadden on a 20-yard pass, and then with Brock Bower on a 5-yard toss. The QB finished the first quarter with a 6-yard TD blast to make it 28-0.
McFadden got loose on a 37-yard scoring catch, Aiden Hoffman added a 37-yard pick-six, Slone punched it in on an 8-yard jaunt, and McFadden’s 38-yard TD catch completed a 56-0 romp at halftime.
The entire second half was played with a running clock amid the wet, windy, chilly conditions.
The Rockets managed just three first downs and 106 yards of total offense.
The Falcons will host next Friday’s regional semifinal against Willow Wood Symmes Valley (9-2). The fourth-seeded Vikings beat No. 12-seed Glouster Trimble 41-12 on Friday night.
Conotton Valley finished the season with an 8-4 record.