Hood River Valley football outlasts Hillsboro, 35-28

Hillsboro put together a 14-play drive to pull within a touchdown, 35-28, with 4:52 remaining, but Hood River was able to run out the clock for the win.

Touchdown runs by Wells of 10 and three yards, and his 41-yard touchdown pass to Davin Snyder gave the host team a 20-0 lead. Up to that point, Hillsboro had more penalty yards in the first half vs. yards from scrimmage.

That changed midway through the second quarter when a 32-yard Carter Challinor to Chris Otzoy-Tayun pass gave the Spartans a first down at the Eagle 15. Two plays later, Hood River defensive back Peter Downing stepped in front of a Challinor pass a few yards in the end zone to halt the drive.

Hood River fumbled the ball back to Hillsboro on the next offensive series and the Spartans took advantage with Challinor’s 15-yard TD pass to Sorne Olson to pull within 20-7.

Hood River went ahead 27-7 in the third quarter on a nine-yard Wells run, capping an eight play, 53-yard drive. The good field position was set up by Snyder’s 38-yard punt return. Hillsboro scored the next 14 points and looked poised to score again when Wells stepped in front of a Challinor pass with a head of steam at the Eagle 23-yard line. He shook off one attempted tackle, broke to the outside and won a footrace to the end zone for what proved to be the clinching points.  

Hood River’s defense was tough in the first half, limiting Hillsboro to net 20 rushing yards on 13 carries, 57 passing yards and three first down. Thirty-two of those yards in the air came on one play.

Wells finished 11-for-20 passing for 113 yards, one TD pass and one interception. That came from Olson, who had an exceptional game for Hillsboro. The senior got the HRV defense to bite on a pass route late in the first half for a 15-yard TD reception. He scored again in the third period on a simple slant route on a catch and run covering 65 yards.

Wells was a workhorse for HRV. The sophomore missed on a couple of pass plays he usually connects on, but he was clutch running the ball. He carried 21 times for 111 yards. Teammate and fellow sophomore, Kase Sietstra, added 89 yards on 15 carries. Hillsboro running back Jayden Cruz carried 28 times for 106 yards, but as a team the Spartans had net 104 yards rushing, attesting to HRV’s defense – mostly in the first half.