By RICHIE HALL
Hamilton Heights had a tough assignment on Friday, as the Huskies hosted Class 3A No. 4 West Lafayette in the first round of Sectional 28.
The Red Devils won 52-7, which moved them into the sectional semi-finals. West Lafayette will play at No. 10 Guerin Catholic next Friday, while Heights finished its season with a 2-8 record.
The Red Devils average over 53 points per game, and their high-flying offense overwhelmed Heights in the first quarter. West Lafayette led 34-0 after the first period, and then went up 52-0 at halftime.
“They’re good at what they do,” said Huskies coach Jonathan Kirschner. “Athletic, big, strong, fast.”
The second half was played with a running clock, but Heights never stopped fighting. The Huskies got a reward for that in the fourth quarter: Camron Knott caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Guy Griffey. Michael Lecher made the extra-point kick.
“Scoring that touchdown at the end was nice,” said Kirschner. “Get a little bit of something going at the end. That’s the thing that I’m going to miss the most about this team is this year, they fought. It didn’t matter what the situation, they fought. They stayed together, they didn’t get at each other, they didn’t yell. They fought. They always played with heart and they always played with more effort than I could ever ask for.”
Griffey finished the game completing 9 of 20 passes for 88 yards. Nate Hulen was the leading rusher, gaining 58 yards on the ground, with Knott running for 32 yards. Knott also led in receptions, making four catches for 64 yards.
Kirschner said this team was close this year, and praised its effort, discipline and how it was able to handle adversity during the season.
“I’m going to miss this group because of that,” said Kirschner. “And the seniors, that’s going to be part of their legacy.”
WEST LAFAYETTE 52, HAMILTON HEIGHTS 7
Score by Quarters
West Lafayette 34 18 0 0 – 52
Heights 0 0 0 7 – 7
Team Stats WL HH
First Downs 19 8
By Rush 9 6
By Pass 8 1
By Penalty 2 1
Rushes-Yards 28-167 26-103
Yards Passing 317 88
Comp-Att-Int-TD 20-30-0-6 9-23-3-1
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 7-57 8-48
Punts-Average 2-29.0 4-31.5
Heights Scoring
Fourth Quarter
5:11 – Camron Knott 52-yard pass from Guy Griffey (Michael Lecher kick)
Heights individual stats
Rushing: Nate Hulen 10-58, Knott 6-32, Griffey 2-8, DeShawn King 7-4, Blake Webel 1-1.
Passing: Griffey 9-20-88, Knott 0-3-0.
Receiving: Knott 4-64, Isaac Tuma 4-19, Ethan Rodriguez 1-5.
Hamilton Heights’ Nate Hulen led the Huskies with 58 yards rushing during their first-round sectional game with West Lafayette on Friday. (Kent Graham)