Highland falls to East Buchanan 24-12 in home opener

RIVERSIDE — It was a hot night in Riverside as the Highland Huskies kicked off the 2021 football season with a 24-12 loss to the East Buchanan Buccaneers.

Both teams struggled to gain momentum early in the game when the temperature was 90 degrees at kickoff.

Highland’s first possession of the game ended on a third-down interception at the Bucs’ 10.

On the subsequent drive, East Buchanan turned the ball over on downs at the Highland 10.

It was 8-0 Bucs at the 9 minute, 54 second mark of the second quarter on a 5-yard run by Adam Hackett.

Three minutes later, the Bucs had a 46-yard passing touchdown nullified by a holding penalty. That drive ended when Highland’s Luke Miller recovered a Bucs’ fumble.

The Huskies, however, were not able to capitalize on the turnover.

With less than a minute before halftime, East Buchanan doubled its lead on a Connor Williams 2-yard touchdown run.

The Huskies turned the ball over on the first snap of the third quarter — their fourth turnover of the game — and the Bucs began a drive deep into Highland territory.

The drive ended without points when East Buchanan fumbled the ball into the end zone, and the Huskies recovered it for a touchback.

Later in the third quarter, a Buccaneer punt returner muffed a punt. Miller picked up the ball for Highland and ran into the end zone, but officials ruled that a muffed punt could not be advanced.

Officials later called back a Connor Grinstead-to-Miller touchdown pass due to a holding call against the Huskies.

Highland head coach Scott Morrel said that his team’s penalties kept them from gaining any momentum.

“We were driving, then all of a sudden there’s a 5-yard penalty, or we have a big play, and there’s a holding,” Morrel said. “That’s really frustrating.”

With just over 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Highland quarterback Grinstead broke free for an 81-yard touchdown run, giving the Huskies their first points of the game.

The teams traded touchdowns late in the fourth quarter.

Williams scored his second touchdown of the game for East Buchanan with 3:26 remaining in the game.

Just 13 seconds later, Grinstead connected with Logan Bonebrake for a 62-yard touchdown catch and run.

“We continued to fight,” Morrel said. “Near the end, you saw that run by Connor. That catch by Logan was huge. It gave us confidence that we could throw the ball a little bit.”

Friday the Huskies travel to Columbus, which is coming off a 9-6 opening night overtime win against Louisa-Muscatine.