, 
The first football game of the season was a nailbiter for Hills-Beaver Creek players and fans on Sept. 1 when the Patriots pulled off a 28-26 overtime victory in Granada.
After a game delay due to short-staffed referees, the teams were chomping at the bit to start.
The Patriots had worked hard in the off-season and in long practices leading up to their first contest with the Granada-Huntley-East Chain-Truman Jaguars.
But as the 7 p.m. kickoff time approached, they had to wait until a few of the assigned referees finished officiating a volleyball match of the host Jaguars.
As it turns out, it was worth the wait after the Patriots clawed their way back from a 20-0 half-time deficit and found their way to
a 28-26 overtime victory.
After exchanging punts in the first quarter, the Jaguars struck first with an 11-yard pass for a touchdown. The conversion pass was good, and the score stood at 8-0 Jaguars.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Patriots drove to the Jaguar 13-yard line. That drive made it to the red zone and was highlighted by a few outstanding plays: An 8-yard run by sophomore quarterback Sawyer Bosch, a 22-yard pass and catch from Bosch to junior end Riley Tatge, and a 14-yard run by senior Brock Harnack.
However, on a fourth-and-3, Bosch was held to a 2-yard gain, turning over the ball on downs at the Jaguar 11-yard line. The very next play, a first-and-10 for the Jaguars, the quarterback and receiver hooked up on an 89-yard pass play and scored with 3:53 left in the first quarter, extending the Jaguars’ lead to 14-0.
The Patriots managed to return the kickoff into Jaguar territory, but an interception and 54-yard return by the Jaguars put the score at 20-0 in favor of GHEC/T at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw each team exchange punts, then H-BC’s Brock Harnack intercepted a Jaguar pass only to have the Patriots’ drive stalled at the Jaguar 46-yard line.
There were no more scoring threats the rest of the half.
At the start of the third quarter the Patriots went on a 15-play drive that covered 70 yards and culminated with a three-yard Bosch keeper. The 2-point conversion failed, but the Patriots score deficit was narrowed to 14 with 4:33 left in the third stanza.
H-BC’s next drive would begin with an interception by Justin Roelfs at the Patriots’ own 8-yard line.
With just 1:59 left in the third quarter, the Patriots controlled the ball on a 17-play drive and scored on a Bosch 10-yard run with just 4:48 left in the fourth quarter.
The score stood at Jaguars 20 and Patriots 12 after the failed 2-point conversion. On the Jaguars’ next possession, they attempted a pass on second-and-7, but Roelfs intercepted another pass and brought it back to the house to close the gap to 2 points with the conversion attempt coming.
Bosch took the ball over the goal line to tie the game at 20 with 4:05 remaining in regulation play. The Patriots had just scored 14 points with only 43 seconds coming off the game clock.
During the Jaguars’ first-and-10 on the next possession, H-BC’s Roelfs grab his third interception of the game. However, that Patriot drive also ended with a Jaguars interception with just 1:07 left in regulation.
Neither team was able to score during the remainder of the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime. Each team received one possession in the overtime from the 10-yard line with up to four untimed downs.
The Jaguars went on offense first and scored on a 10-yard run on a second-and-goal from the 10-yard line. The 2-point conversion was no good.
The Patriots’ turn to get the ball was next, but a first-and-goal from the 10 became a first-and-15 after a false start.
On first-and-15, Roelfs ran for four yards bringing up a second down and 11. He scored on the next play from the 11-yard line, tying the game with the conversion yet to be attempted. Bosch plunged into the end zone to send the visiting Patriots home with a 28-26 overtime victory.
Patriots head coach Rex Metzger reflected on the rough first quarter and his team’s performance.
“We had a couple of turnovers, and they broke a long TD, which gave them the early momentum,” he said.
“But we put a nice drive together to start the second half and were able to create some turnovers in the fourth quarter and got ourselves back in the game.”
He said hard work and determination paid off in the end. “I was proud of the guys in how we stuck together and kept fighting,” Metzger said.
“We had a big 2-point conversion stop in OT and gave ourselves a shot to win the game.”
The 1-0 Patriots will host the 0-2 Madelia Blackhawks Friday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Team statistics
HBC – 247 rushing yards, 32 passing yards, 279 total yards, 1 first downs, 8 penalties for 55 yards, three turnovers.
GHEC/T – 62 rushing yards, 241 passing yards, 303 total yards, 7 penalties for 65 yards, four turnovers.
Individual statistics
Rushing: Bosch 41 – 174 yards, Harnack 5 – 50 yards, Roelfs 10 – 19 yards, Cooper Gehrke 2 – 8 yards, Beau Bakken 3 - minus 4 yards, Team – 1 – 0 yards
Passing: Bosch 3-23 for 32 yards.
Receiving: Tatge 2-31yards, Cooper Gehrke 1-1 Yard.
Defense:
Roelfs 4 tackles & three interceptions, Brock Harnack 3.5 tackles & 1 interception, Luke Fuerstenberg three tackles, Cole Rozeboom three tackles, Gehrke three tackles, Brayden Metzger three tackles.