SMITHVILLE – Big opportunities came and went like butterflies in a stiff breeze for Hillsdale during its showdown Friday night at Smithville.
By the end of the much-anticipated Wayne County Athletic League clash of unbeatens – in front of a jam-packed house at Keith Schrock Stadium – it was the Smithies floating toward Cloud Nine in a critical 28-14 win.
Both squads entered the night inside the top six of the Division VI, Region 21 rankings, and both were receiving votes in the Associated Press state poll.
But Smithville scored 28 unanswered points after the Falcons opened with a 7-0 lead to pull away.
Hillsdale (4-1, 1-1 WCAL) dropped a pair of long third-down passes in the first half, and Smithville seized control with two lengthy scoring drives.
In the second half, the Smithies (5-0, 2-0) came up huge on two critical fourth-down plays to bury the Falcons.
It was Hillsdale’s first loss in Smithville in 20 years, dropping the Falcons to 18-2 in the last 20 meetings between the two programs.
“When you have an opportunity to make a big play, especially in a big game, you can’t miss out on those opportunities,” Hillsdale head coach Trevor Cline said. “It’s part of the game, but we’ve gotta get those things fixed because that’s something that’s plagued us throughout the year so far.”
Smithies control the pace
Both teams entered the game having outscored their first four opponents by more than 100 total points, but it was Smithville proving its offensive mettle early.
The Smithies used the balanced rushing attack of juniors Isaiah Lee (13 carries, 99 yards) and Ben Beichler (18-75) to grind down Hillsdale with a pair of lengthy first-half scoring drives.
Beichler capped a 15-play, 77-yard, seven-minute march with a 1-yard score that made it 7-7 late in the first quarter.
The Smithies punched it in again two drives later when quarterback Brady Sidle hit Brayden Beard for a 6-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter.
That score finished off a 14-play, 83-yard drive that also lasted nearly seven minutes and made it 14-7.
“We told our kids, ‘Hey, you can play with these guys. We’re winning up front, let’s keep pounding the football and chewing up clock,’ ” Smithville head coach Phil Olsen said. “And they did that for us.”
Hillsdale star senior quarterback Kael Lewis – who scored the game’s first points on a 6-yard, fourth-down carry in the first quarter – broke off a 66-yard run late in the second quarter to move the ball inside the SHS 30-yard line.
But Beard sacked him for a loss of 12 yards to keep the score locked at 14-7 into halftime.
At intermission, the Smithies had already ran 39 plays and led the Falcons 12-3 in first downs.
Meanwhile, Hillsdale got 109 of its 130 yards in the first two quarters on just two plays – Lewis’ long run and his 43-yard completion to Ayden Salyer (4 catches, 82 yards).
Salyer also had an interception in the first half for the game’s lone turnover.
“Ultimately, our tackling killed us,” Cline said. “There were a lot of plays where it could have been second- or third-and-long and we’re missing tackles.”
Fourth-down plays crucial
The Falcons could have climbed right back into the contest, but two key fourth-down plays stung them in the second half.
On the opening drive, Hillsdale again moved into Smithville territory, only to have All-Ohio linebacker Zach Lanneaux stuff Lewis on a fourth-and-1 play.
The Smithies then covered 52 yards on two touches – a 33-yard run from Lee and a 19-yard TD run from Sidle (12 carries, 53 yards rushing; 9-of-15, 71 yards passing).
That made it 21-7 five minutes into the third quarter, and when a holding penalty negated a 27-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Kyle Turk, the Falcons stalled inside SHS territory again.
The backbreaker came on Smithville’s ensuing drive.
Faced with a fourth-and-5 at the Hillsdale 35 early in the fourth, Lee aired out a halfback pass to Brennan Piatt for a 35-yard touchdown and a 28-7 lead.
“We haven’t run that play all year, but we’ve practiced it every week,” Olsen said. “It was really cool for both (Lee and Piatt).”
The Falcons answered with 7:26 left in the fourth on a five-yard touchdown run from Mason Sloan, but the Smithies were still in control, up 28-14.
Another holding penalty on Hillsdale canceled out what would have been a 45-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to Porter Boreman with under four minutes to play.
The missed opportunities felt constant to Cline.
“The penalties came at crucial times, but we also should have played better, and those wouldn’t have mattered,” he said.
“I think (Smithville) really showed up to work and they were physical with us. We struggled getting the run game going (103 yards on 19 carries) and that’s something we have to be able to find.”
Falcons look forward
Lewis finished his night 20-of-35 passing for 226 yards while rushing seven times for 73 yards and a score.
The senior eclipsed 400 completions in his career and now has accounted for 90 career touchdowns on offense.
His twin brother, senior Knox Lewis, had eight catches for 66 yards in a physical performance as well.
But one year after the Falcons got the best of Smithville in a battle of two 5-0 teams, 35-10, it was the Smithies taking the upper hand in the chase for the WCAL crown.
“Everyone hates losing, but it’s one of those things where you find out a lot about your team,” Cline said. “Either you’re gonna stick together and be part of the solution or you’re gonna let this get in the way of what the ultimate goal is.
“We still have a chance at a WCAL title. … Now we need a little bit of help and we don’t control our own destiny, but there’s still a lot to play for.”
Smithville has yet to allow more than two touchdowns in a game this season. And after a 10-3 campaign that had them in the regional semifinals a year ago – the first time they’ve reached double-digit wins since 2004 – the Smithies seem poised for another run.
“You never feel comfortable playing Hillsdale; they’re such a dynamic offense, they’re used to success,” Olsen said.
“The big three in our league for the past five, 10 years have been Dalton, Norwayne and Hillsdale,” he added, “so anytime you can get a win over one of those teams, it does kind of galvanize for your program where you guys are at.”
Hillsdale gets back onto its home turf next week when it hosts Waynedale (1-4, 0-2), which was a 42-13 loser Friday against Norwayne (2-3, 2-0). The Falcons will be looking to expand on an 11-game home win streak.
Smithville heads to Northwestern (2-3, 0-2), which dropped a 36-6 outcome Friday at Dalton (1-4, 1-1).
