By John RittenhouseHills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth fell from the unbeaten ranks in football when it came up on the short end of a 30-22 decision to Lincoln HI-Lake Benton in Lake Benton Friday.Playing their first game without senior leader Curt Schilling (quarterback-linebacker), who was lost for the season with a knee injury the week before, the Patriots needed to pull together as a team to overcome his absence.H-BC-E met the challenge by battling LH-LB to a draw at 22 as late as the fourth quarter, but the hosts scored the game’s final eight points to hand the 4-1 Patriots their first loss of the season.In the end, it was LH-LB’s ability to run the ball against H-BC-E’s revised defense that proved to be the difference in the game. LH-LB ran for 405 yards and scored two of its four touchdowns on the ground Friday."We had a hard time topping their power running plays," said Patriot coach Dan Ellingson. "That is something we’ll have to work on."LH-LB showed the ability to move the ball early in the game when its first offensive possession turned into a scoring-drive capped by a 27-yard touchdown run by Justin Jerzak. LH-LB quarterback Josh Prosch tossed a successful conversion pass to Dayton Heard after the touchdown to make it an 8-0 game.The Patriots answered the challenge by putting together a touchdown drive with their first possession of the game.Zach Wysong, who carried the ball 20 times for 166 yards, stunned the hosts when he dashed 65 yards for a score to end the possession. H-BC-E tried to run for a two-point conversion, but the attempt came up short, leaving the hosts with an 8-6 edge.LH-LB put some extra pressure on the Patriots by scoring touchdowns with their second and third possessions of the game.Garret Peterson found a hole in the H-BC-E defense while running 47 yards for a touchdown before the first quarter was complete. A run for a two-point conversion failed, leaving the hosts with a 14-6 advantage.A LH-LB drive early in the second quarter ended with Prosch tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to Jerzak. Peterson ran in the conversion to make the difference 22-6.The H-BC-E defense provided the team with a big play when lineman Brian Gacke forced Prosch to fumble while sacking the quarterback.Gacke recovered the loose ball, and it set up a three-yard touchdown by Wysong late in the first half. Patriot quarterback Tom LeBoutillier tossed a successful conversion pass to Chris Nuffer after the touchdown, trimming LH-LB’s lead to eight points (22-14) before the intermission.After the teams played to a scoreless draw in the third quarter, H-BC-E tied the game at 22 on the first play of the fourth quarter as LeBoutillier tossed a 32-yard scoring strike to Wysong. LeBoutillier ran in the conversion to tie the game after the touchdown.LH-LB regained the lead at 30-22 when its next possession ended with Prosch throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Heard. Peterson ran in the two-point conversion to make it an eight-point difference.The Patriots were in position to tie the game again when a 35-yard LeBoutillier-to-Wysong pass advanced the ball to the LH-LB six-yard line, but a fumble on the next play was recovered by the hosts with 3:30 left to play.LH-LB then ran the remaining time off the clock to ice the win.The Patriots will play 5-0 Lakeview in Ellsworth Friday. The game will be Ellsworth’s 2003 homecoming tilt.Team statisticsH-BC-E: 212 rushing yards, 101 passing yards, 313 total yards, 16 first downs, five penalties for 30 yards, two turnovers.LH-LB: 405 rushing yards, 35 passing yards, 19 first downs, four penalties for 25 yards, three turnovers.Individual statisticsRushing: LeBoutillier 8-45, Wysong 20-166, Cody Scholten 7-3, Travis Broesder 3-minus 3.Passing: LeBoutillier 9-11 for 101 yards.Receving: Wysong 6-89, Broesder 2-4, Nuffer 1-8.Defense: Scholten 12 tackles, Gacke 11 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery, Greg Van Batavia 11 tackles, LeBoutillier four tackles and one sack, Wysong one interception, Jason Martens one fumble recovery.
