“Fireworks” is the word we can use for the Hillsborough Terriers as they completely dominated the defending State Champion Jefferson Dragons 48-20.
Hillsborough (5-1, 3-0) opened the game with the pass. Senior quarterback Jeremy Agrinzonis connected with Evan Jennings twice in the first quarter for touchdowns of 30 and 20 yards.
“All week the coaches have been telling me to go up for the ball because they are going to give me a chance,” Jennings said. “We knew they didn’t have a safety over the top and we just exploited it.”
The Terriers’ only mistake in the first quarter was a bad punt, from their own endzone, that went out of bounds at the 20 yard line. Jefferson capitalized on the mistake with three straight runs as William Watson punched it in from 13 yards out.
Hillsborough held the advantage 20-6 after a 29-yard-run by Purdue commit Anthony Brown in the first quarter.
Hillsborough’s offensive attack didn’t slow down in the second though. Junior WR/CB Jeremiah Green scored on a 15-yard endaround sweep. Jennings would later score in the second on a 19-yard pass from Agrinzonis. The Terriers took a 35-6 lead into the half.
“We played a good first half,” Terriers’ HC Earl Garcia said. “We played great defense. We didn’t turn the ball over. That’s about as good as you can play against the defending state champions.”
The third quarter was a tale of two different teams. Jefferson went to the air, a lot. Sophomore Deiondre Porter was picked off by senior Armaud Herndon on his first pass attempt and it looked like the lead would be stretched even further, but the Jefferson defense was able to come up with a stop and give the ball back to its offense.
Porter continued to throw the ball on the next drive completing five passes, capped by a 25-yard touchdown to senior Charles Booth. On the play Porter was pressured heavily by Miami commit Earl Moore, but was able to scramble to the short-side of the field and Booth made an acrobatic catch fully extended and came down with his right foot on the goal line pylon.
Later in the third Porter would punch in another score from less than one yard out to cut Hillsborough’s lead to 35-20.
“We [Hillsborough offense] fooled around and we gave them two scores. The defense really only gave up one score, because two came off offensive mistakes,” Garcia said. “As a coach we will look at our mistakes, but right now we will take the win.”
The Terriers put the game away in the fourth with Brown adding two more touchdown runs. He finished the game with touchdown runs of 29, 4 and 6. His quickness is evident and he makes really nice cuts in the open field.
Jefferson (1-4, 0-2) is now in a very difficult situation. It needs to win out (will be no easy task with Sickles left on schedule) and it needs Hillsborough to lose to Armwood and Sickles/King to even have a chance at making the postseason.
Things don’t get any easier for Hillsborough. They will host Sickles before playing at Armwood.
HC Garcia Keys to Victory vs. Sickles: “We have to control the line of scrimmage; protect the ball; not turn the ball over. We had one turnover tonight and it led to a touchdown. We had them stopped at the four-yard line and a facemask led to a first down. We got to eliminate those mistakes because Sickles is going to be ball control too.”
“We’re going to get that tape [Sickles vs. Armwood] tonight and start on it at 6:30 tomorrow morning.”
Jefferson, having gone through the meat of its schedule, will face King and Sickles before closing the season out versus Leto, Strawberry Crest and Brandon. VIDEO AND MORE HERE
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Email: kbennett.ut@gmail.com
Twitter: KyleBennettUT