By John RittenhouseTurnovers and mistakes on special teams set the stage for the third straight loss for the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth football team Friday in Brewster.Taking on winless Southwest United for a Southwest Ridge Conference test, H-BC-E made things easy on the Wildcats by turning over the ball four times in the game.Miscues on special teams also figured into the mix as botched snaps and blocked kicks allowed the hosts to score nine of their 29 points in what ended as a 29-6 victory."We had a tough night," said Patriot coach Dan Ellingson. Turnovers and special team mistakes really hurt us."The situation turned bad for H-BC-E early in the contest.After the Wildcats forced the Patriots to punt four plays into the game, SU mounted a long drive that ended with Anthony Johnson scoring the game’s first touchdown on a one-yard plunge. A missed extra-point attempt left the hosts sporting a 6-0 lead.The first of three crucial mistakes by the Patriots allowed the Wildcats to increase their lead to 14-0 before the first period was complete.H-BC-E was attempting to punt when a SU defender blocked the kick. Another SU player recovered the loose ball and returned it to the Patriot four-yard line.Moments later, Wildcat running back Dylan Mathias scored on a one-yard run before a successful conversion pass gave the hosts a 14-point cushion.The Wildcats received excellent field position again in the second quarter when an H-BC-E fumble was recovered by the hosts and returned to the Patriot one-yard line.SU quarterback Jared Smith tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to Mark Riley moments later, and a successful extra point made it a 21-0 game.The Patriots gave the Wildcats another gift when trying to punt as the second quarter progressed.The snap from the center to the punter was dropped in the Patriot end zone. H-BC-E did recover the ball in the end zone, but SU was credited with a safety on the play to take a 23-0 lead into the intermission.SU completed a 29-point run when Smith broke loose for a 66-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. The extra-point attempt failed.H-BC-E avoided a shutout by scoring a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.Zach Wysong, who ran the ball 15 times for 110 yards in the game, scored on a 58-yard run to make the difference 29-6. The pass for a two-point conversion failed.Ellingson gave credit to SU for playing well while notching its first win of the season."They were 0-6 coming in, but we knew it was going to be a tough game because their biggest loss of the season was by 12 points. It was their homecoming game, and they came out ready to play," he said.The 4-3 Patriots capped the regular season by hosting Edgerton Wednesday, Oct. 15. H-BC-E will open the playoffs Tuesday against a team and at a site yet to be determined.Team statisticsH-BC-E: 193 rushing yards, 22 passing yards, 215 total yards, seven first downs, five penalties for 35 yards, four turnovers.SU: 287 rushing yards, 82 passing yards, 369 total yards, 10 first downs, five penalties for 25 yards, one turnover.Individual statisticsRushing: Wysong 15-110, Tom LeBoutillier 14-65, Blake Hanisch 2-14, Travis Broesder 7-4, Drew Spykerboer 2-0.Passing: Broesder 3-13 for 20 yards, Spykerboer 1-1 for two yards.Receiving: Greg Van Batavia 3-13, LeBoutillier 1-5.Defense: Wysong five tackles and one interception, LeBoutillier five tackles and two sacks, Cody Scholten 10 tackles, Brian Gacke 10 tackles and one sack.
