It was an old-school win for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn in the annual match-up with South O’Brien. Defense and the running game carried the day as HMS blanked the Wolverines 26-0 September 10 at Paullina. The Hawks hadn’t beaten South O’Brien since 2017. Moreover, the Wolverines had won nine of the previous 10 games in the series. HMS has now won both of its games in Class A District 1 and stands at 2-1 on the season.
The Hawks held South O’Brien to under 170 yards of total offense. “Our defensive line was tough and our linebackers did a great job,” said HMS head coach Jay Eilers. He noted that information shared during a timeout helped to allow the defense to play up to its capabilities. “It was something we recognized because of scheme, and made sure of our alignment and assignments,” said the coach. “It really helped us be successful.”
Another facet of the game that helped the Hawks succeed was their ability to control the clock. HMS had a five minute drive that carried from the first quarter into the second. That, and great punt coverage put the Hawks in position to score their first touchdown. Ahead 12-0 in the third quarter, HMS took over seven and a half minutes off the clock before scoring go up 20-0. For good measure, the Hawks drained the final 5:41 off the clock at the end of the game.
“Our offense was outstanding,” remarked Eilers. “I thought we controlled the ball well. I’m proud of our kids in terms of ball security. That will be a big part of our season.”
The Hawks won the toss and deferred their choice to the second half. After receiving the opening kickoff, South O’Brien put together one of its better drives. The Wolverines were stopped on downs with HMS taking over on their own 13. After unsuccessfully trying to draw the defense offside on fourth-and-two at their own 22, the Hawks went for it but were unable to convert on the running play.
The HMS defense (with help from a penalty) forced the Wolverines into a fourth-and-17 situation. South O’Brien quarterback Jacob Van Lith scrambled for 14 yards but it wasn’t enough. “I made a couple of mistakes on fourth down,” admitted Eilers. “I’m proud of the way our kids responded. They did a phenomenal job playing defense and keeping them out of the end zone.” The coach indicated his faith in his team entered into the decision-making process. “When we are in four-down territory, I have great confidence in our offensive line in getting the first down,” declared Eilers. “South O’Brien did a great job of stopping us in those situations.”
Starting at their own 15, the Hawks got their drive kick started when the Wolverines committed a roughing the passer penalty. Another infraction, this time holding on HMS, stalled the march and forced a punt. Connor Dodd was able to down the ball on the three yard line. Three runs gained nine yards and South O’Brien punted the ball away.
Dodd executed a nice punt return to the Wolverine 28. Following an incomplete pass, quarterback Korey Ebel powered through would-be tacklers to score the first of his four rushing touchdowns on the night. HMS attempted a pass for the two-point conversion but the play was unsuccessful.
After their defense forced a three-and-out, the Hawks regained possession of the ball on their own 40. Runs by Dodd and Ebel kept the chains moving. Another tough scoring run by Ebel, this one from 13 yards out, put HMS ahead 12-0. The run for two points came up short. Both offenses bogged down during the remaining four-plus minutes and the game entered halftime.
A well-executed kick to open the second half allowed South O’Brien to steal a possession. HMS gave the Wolverines a couple of first downs by penalty but then stiffened.
Starting on their own 23 at the 7:53 mark, the Hawks began a long, time-consuming drive. It ended when Ebel went over from two yards out with just 17 seconds left in the quarter. This time HMS did convert on the two-point try, courtesy of a Dodd run, and led 20-0.
On the ensuing Wolverine possession, the Hawks questioned a defensive pass interference call, but all was well when Ebel picked off an overthrown ball and took a knee. He must have wanted to add a few extra yards to his rushing total, because on the next play he took it to the house. That put HMS up 26-0. Two drives, one by each team drained the final 10:44 off the clock and the Hawks had their well-deserved victory.
Up Next: HMS is back on the road again Friday, serving as the Homecoming opponent for an 0-3 MMCRU team. The Royals saw Cherokee rally to pull out a 27-20 win in the season opener. That was followed by District losses to Hinton (7-6) and Akron-Westfield (33-14). “We’re going against a spread offense,” noted Eilers. He sees MMCRU’s struggle with committing turnovers as something that can provide an advantage for the Hawks. “One thing I think we can be successful with is taking the ball away,” said the coach.
Game time is 7:00 p.m. Friday, September 17 at Marcus.
HMS 0 12 8 6 – 26
S. O’Brien 0 0 0 0 – 0
Second Quarter
8:42 HMS – Korey Ebel 28 yard run (2 pt pass failed) 6-0
4:46 HMS – Ebel 13 yard run (2 pt run failed) 12-0
Third Quarter
0:17 HMS – Ebel 2 yard run (Connor Dodd 2 pt run) 20-0
Fourth Quarter
10:47 HMS – Ebel 68 yard run (2 pt run failed) 26-0
(Stats for HMS were unavailable at press time)