10-02-2021
BY JACK BULLOCK
MCLEANSBORO - The 2021-22 football season for the Flora Wolves in their first school year competing in the Black Diamond Conference in football could be categorized as “so far, so good.”

Although they have lost two games to the top two teams in the BDC (Fairfield and Johnston City) head coach Brian Tackitt and his club have now pocketed four league wins.

The Wolves traveled on Saturday to Hamilton County to take on the Foxes and came away with a well deserved 28-14 triumph to put themselves into playoff contention.

The formula of strong defense and a strong running game was apparent on Saturday afternoon as Coach Tackitt's squad excelled in both categories.

Behind a strong rushing effort by 6-foot, 200 senior running back Hayden Gibson and 5-foot-9, 180 junior Beau Propes, Flora pounded the ball at the Foxes' defense for most of the contest.

Propes led all rushers with 75-yards on 19 carries, with a touchdown run.

Gibson carried the ball 16 times for 63-yards for Flora.

Quarterback Jace Helm, a 5-foot-11, 175 senior, connected on 7-of-13 passes for 98-yards and three touchdowns in the road win.

His receivers helped make him look good with 6-foot, 180 senior Cole Young catching three passes for 57 yards and a pair of scores.

Malachi Tolliver, a 6-foot-2, 165 junior, caught one pass for a 25-yard touchdown.

The other receivers in on the fun were junior Eli Duke, 5-foot-8, 170 junior Jacob Hawkins and 5-foo-9, 180 junior John McGee.

Each caught a single pass for a combined 16-yards.

Helm also ran the ball four times for 13-yards.

“We think that the best defense is a good ball controlling/clock controlling offense. Running the ball and the clock. We have two good backs (Propes and Gibson) and we stuck with the game plan of running the ball,” said Coach Hackitt. “We know that they always run hard and are capable of breaking one for a long run.”

Defensively speaking when your defensive linemen and linebackers are making most of the tackles, you're having a good day.

Propes and Gibson, who both play linebacker, led Flora with 12 tackles each while linemen Jeffrey Mitchell (6) and Travis Henson (5) added to the dominating performance.

The defense held Hamilton County to just 66 yards total offense from scrimmage.

Defensive backs Eli Traub and Malachi Tolliver made five tackles apiece.

Hamilton County never got going offensively for Coach Jason Craig as they fell to 2-4 on the season.

The Foxes had four different players carry the ball on offense with little success.

If it weren't for one great defensive play and one great special teams play, the Foxes probably don't score in the contest held on a rainy afternoon in McLeansboro.

Hamilton County senior quarterback Grady Lueke struggled with the Flora defense; connecting on just 2-of-13 passes for a total of two-yards gained and an interception.

Lueke, senior Arion Allen, senior Darian Pike and junior Hunter Rhodes combined for 29 rushing attempts and just 64 yards rushing.

“We have played well defensively the past two games which is impressive. Hamilton County has some kids that are nice weapons and we tried to keep their quarterback (Lueke) in the pocket because he is pretty good when he gets out and can run,” said Coach Hackitt. “For the most part we were able to do that.”

The game actually began well for the Foxes as their defense forced a turnover on downs on the Flora opening possession.

After taking the ball to the Hamilton County 45-yard line, three rushing attempts resulted in just nine yards.

The Foxes stopped Flora on fourth-and-one on the Hamilton County 36.

However after a three-and-out by the hosts and a punt to the Wolves' 30-yard line, Flora put together its first touchdown drive.

Coach Tackitt's offense took nine plays to go 70-yards.

All nine of the snaps turned into rushing attempts as Propes and Gibson took turns pounding the ball against the Hamilton County defense.

The biggest play of the drive was a 20-yard run by Propes on third down that got the ball to the Hamilton County three-yard line.

Three plays later from the one, Propes went up the middle for the game's first score.

The PAT was no good after a bad snap as Flora struck first for a 6-0 lead with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter.

Hamilton County managed its best drive of the half after a Flora kickoff.

Senior Brady Thrane returned the Wolves' kickoff 19 yards to the Foxes' 29.

The Foxes moved the ball into Flora territory in the early part of the second quarter on a drive that took 10 plays to reach the Wolves' 45-yard line.

However a fourth-and-13 from the 48 turned into a scramble by Lueke as he was chased out of the pocket and force out of bounds after just a two-yard gain.

Operating from their own 42, Flora QB Jace Helm took off on a run to the right of the Foxes defense where he was met by defender Thrane who wrapped him up for a tackle.

However on the way to the ground, Hamilton County senior defender Kaleb Middendorf reached in and took the ball away from Helm.

The 6-foot-4, 210 senior linebacker took off towards the Flora end zone.

He ran the ball 42-yards to the Flora eight-yard line which setup the Foxes in scoring position.

A five-yard run by Allen and then a three-yard run by Rhodes got Hamilton County on the scoreboard with 7:49 left in the half.

The two-point conversion run by Middendorf was good as the senior plowed his way into the end zone for an 8-6 Foxes' advantage.

It took Flora just over three minutes to take back the lead for good.

Another good kickoff return, this time by Cole Young (28-yards) set the Wolves up at their own 42-yard line.

On the ensuing drive, Helm completed a pass to Hawkins to get Flora into Hamilton County territory.

With a second down and 10 to go at the Foxes' 35, a blown play by the Wolves turned into a touchdown pass.

Helm took the snap and, with no running back to hand it to, scrambled to the right and found Young near the right sideline.

The senior receiver took the pass and then made a couple of moves to break away from a host of Foxes.

Young then went to the left where he found some open terrain ahead of him.

Picking up a down field block, Young went the rest of the way for 35-yard touchdown.

A two-point conversion pass from Helm to Duke on a slant pattern made it 14-8 Flora with 4:46 left in the half.

“He (Helm) improvised and found Cole (Young) and he did the rest,” said Coach Hackitt. “Our run game sets up the pass. When we get the ball in our skill kids' hands we know that they can make plays.”

After the two teams exchanged punts, Hamilton County was stopped after getting the ball on their own 47-yard line.

Three plays lost six-yards and the Foxes again punted to Flora, who ran out the first half clock.

The offensive struggles for Hamilton County continued in the second half.

Another three-and-out punt from the Foxes gave the ball back to Flora.

But instead of exchanging punts, the next two possessions ended up with each team being stopped on fourth down.

However it was the Foxes that gambled a bit as they went for it on fourth down at their own 35-yard line and were stopped after no gain.

Facing their own fourth down on the next possession, Flora got a 12-yard completion from Helm to Duke to the Hamilton County 25.

On the next play, Helm found Tolliver cutting across the middle of the Foxes' secondary.

The junior took the ball to the left and ran into the end zone for a TD.

The PAT was successful as Flora led 21-8 at the 4:24 mark.

Thanks to some good kickoff returns Hamilton County totaled 139-yards in return yardage.

The Foxes got 84-yards of it on the ensuing Flora kick.

Thrane received the kick and took the ball to the right sideline where he picked up some key blocks

He sprinted past the Wolves all the way for a touchdown.

The two-point conversion run was ruled short of the end zone as the scoreboard read 21-14 Flora with 4:12 left in the third quarter.

Hamilton County had opportunities to score more points in the remainder of the game but the mistakes kept adding up offensively and defensively.

They were stopped on a fourth down on an interception by Flora's Hawkins.

After forcing a Flora fumble and recovering the ball at the Wolves' 38, Hamilton County lost yardage and failed on another fourth down.

Lueke was sacked by Mitchell at the Flora 46.

Flora moved the ball to the end zone in seven plays which featured a disputed fumble, a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Hamilton County and a player ejection.

Propes, running up the middle, was hit and tackled at the Foxes' 25.

The Foxes came up with the ball but the play was ruled dead by the officials.

An argument ensued which resulted in Middendorf being ejected from the game.

The two penalties were marked off which put the Wolves on the Foxes' seven-yard line.

Consecutive runs by Propes and Gibson got the ball to third-and-goal at the two.

Helm connected with Young in the left corner of the end zone for the game's final tally.

The PAT was good for a 28-14 lead with 4:39 left.

Another return by Hamilton County to its own 44 put the Foxes in good field position again.

Nevertheless, like most of the other times they got good field position near mid-field, the Foxes were unable to move the ball.

A run for short yardage and three more incomplete passes ended the drama, giving Flora the ball back with 3:17 left.

Coach Tackitt's team ran out the clock for the win.

In an agreement between the two schools, and the Flora and McLeansboro Rotary Club's, the winner of this annual football game will take home the “Rotary Championship Game” trophy each season.

Flora gets to take home this inaugural prize for 2021.

Flora has three BDC games ahead of them as they will try to reach the playoffs after going 6-4 in 2019.

The 4-2 Wolves added a game this Friday night at home against Shelbyville.

They could have taken the forfeit win this week from Vienna/Goreville (who didn't field a varsity team this year) but they chose to play a home game on Friday

After that they will gear up for games at Sesser-Valier/Waltonville on October 15 and at home against Carmi-White County on October 22.

Two wins of the three potential games would give the Wolves six victories would make Coach Hackitt's squad playoff-eligible.

The Foxes, who are now 2-4 on the season, have Fairfield at home next Friday while they will get their forfeit from V/G on October 16.

The season finale will be October 22 hosting Sesser-Valier/Waltonville.

“We tell the kids anytime you can win a game on a Friday night (or Saturday) it means you did a lot of things right. It sets us up for the last third of the season. We're in a good position to qualify for the playoffs,” said Coach Hackitt, a 1996 Flora graduate.