‘Tough loss’ for HLV at Wheatland

WHEATLAND — HLV coach Kevin Smith called it a “tough loss to swallow.”

To his players it was downright sickening.

HLV led last Friday’s 8-man football game at Calamus-Wheatland the entire way until the final 52 seconds when victory was snatched away from them in a heartbreaking, 30-24 defeat.

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Both teams came into the non-district Battle of the Warriors seeking their first win of the season, Calamus-Wheatland 0-2 and HLV 0-3.

For 47 minutes HLV was in the driver’s seat, leading 12-0 at halftime, 18-8 through three quarters and 24-22 with 52 seconds when sophomore quarterback Brody Koch capped a game-winning drive for Cal-Wheatland with a three-yard touchdown run.

Freshman Cael Weisskopf had a hand in all four of HLV’s touchdowns, scoring on a 45-yard run and a 45-yard fumble return in the second quarter to give his team a 12-0 halftime lead.

Cal-Wheatland cut HLV’s lead to 12-8 to start the second half on a 5-yard touchdown run by Luke Rohling, but Weisskopf answered with touchdown No. 3 of the night on a 48-yard pass from another freshman, Bryer Jack, to make it 18-8 HLV at the end of three quarters.

Cal-Wheatland opened the fourth period with a four-yard touchdown run by Koch, pulling the hosts to within two at 18-16, but once again HLV had an answer, this time on a 41-yard touchdown run by Weisskopf, to make it an 8-point game, 24-16.

Cal-Wheatland would score the final 14 points, however, on a 24-yard pass from Koch to Chase Klatt, and Koch’s game winning three-yard TD run.

HLV out gained Cal-Wheatland in total yards, 292-204. Weisskopf had a game-high 139 yard rushing on 12 carries, and Jack, in his first varsity start, completed 9-of-16 passes for 122 yards. Weisskopf caught four of Jack’s passes for 94 yards, and Max Henstorf, who Jack replaced at quarterback, had three receptions for 20 yards.

“Both Cael and Bryer had nice games,” praised coach Smith. “As a group, we’re young and inexperienced but making improvements and doing things much better than we had the previous games.”

Two-point conversions proved to be the difference in the final outcome. HLV was 0-for-4, Cal-Wheatland 3-for-4.

HLV also lost a fumble and had a pass intercepted. Both turnovers improved Cal-Wheatland’s field position on two of their scoring drives.

In addition to his fumble return for a TD, Weisskopf led HLV in tackles with 13, including nine solo stops. Senior Ty Ballard added 10 tackles, six solos.

Now 0-4, HLV will engage in another Battle of the Warriors this Friday, traveling to Wayland to face fifth-ranked WACO (3-1). WACO suffered their first loss last week to No. 2 Winfield-Mount Union, 34-8.

“We really needed that win Friday to go into this week with some confidence and just try to survive,” coach Smith said. “I know the kids will play hard. So far, the attitude and effort they’ve shown has been good.”