Niese makes big plays, C-R downs Arcadia

RAWSON – Cory-Rawson's Hunter Niese did just about everything Friday night against Arcadia. The junior ran for a pair of touchdowns, and had an interception return that set up another. He rushed for 126 yards. And with his team down by a point in the fourth quarter, Niese showed he had one more trick up his sleeve. With the Hornets trailing 22-21 with 4 ½ minutes left, and the ball at the Redskins 27, C-R quarterback Carson Reese tossed the ball to Niese, who moved left. The play was a designed double-pass, but Niese quickly recognized something was wrong. "Our line actually blocked the wrong way," Niese said. "(Arcadia's best defensive end came right at me, so I just kind of chucked it up there." Niese lofted a high pass down near the goal line. Receiver Mason Hall made a nice adjustment on the play and brought the ball in before going into the end zone, putting C-R up, 27-22. A conversion run from Niese – moments later – gave the Hornets their winning margin, 29-22. "Oh, my goodness," said Hornets first-year coach Eric Heffner. "It's unbelievable what Hunter Niese can do. He did it all. He ran the ball, he threw the ball, when we needed it the most, he came through." The Hornets defense then came through, forcing the Redskins into a three-and out. After a punt, Cory-Rawson was able to run out the clock. "These boys deserve this win, and I'm so thankful that they had this opportunity," Heffner said. The Hornets grabbed a lead early. Niese had a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, then Reese threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Colin Sons, and C-R went up 14-0 early. But the Redskins stormed back. Matthew Cole caught an 18-yard touchdown from quarterback Tripp Brubaker, and Nickolas Myers added a 2-yard touchdown run in the third to tie the game at 14. After Niese scored his second touchdown, putting the Hornets up 21-14 in the final minute of the third, Arcadia rallied again. Brubaker ran in a 10-yard touchdown, and a two-point conversion gave the Redskins their first lead, 22-21. Brubaker had a touchdown run earlier in the game called back by a penalty. Arcadia also had some other dropped passes and missed chances. The way Arcadia coach Derek Kidwell saw it, his team left 18 points on the field in the first half. Still, Kidwell was proud of his team's effort. Myers led the squad with 92 yards rushing. "I just told the kids, I loved the fight and the grit and the resolve they had to come back," Kidwell said. "But we've gotta get a stop on defense, also." Arcadia 0 &emsp;&emsp;6 &emsp;&emsp;8 &emsp;&emsp;8 – 22 Cory-Rawson 6 &emsp;&emsp;8 &emsp;&emsp;7 &emsp;&emsp;8 – 29 FIRST QUARTER C-R – Hunter Niese 13 run (kick blocked) SECOND QUARTER C-R – Colin Sons 15 pass from Carson Reese (Niese run) ARC – Matthew Cole 18 pass from Tripp Brubaker (kick blocked) THIRD QUARTER ARC – Nickolas Myers 2 run (Kale Price pass from Brubaker) C-R – Niese 7 run (Reese kick) FOURTH QUARTER ARC – Brubaker 10 run (Brubaker run) C-R – Mason Hall 27 pass from Niese (Neise run)