Hillgrove and Roswell hit each other with one big play after another Friday in their Class AAAAAA second-round playoff game, but Hillgrove had more of them and escaped with a 38-28 victory.
Quarterback Matthew Wilson threw four touchdowns passes and ran 53 yards for another score to lead the Region 4-AAAAAA-champion Hawks (9-3).
Wilson finished 20-for-34 for 329 yards passing and ran 11 times for 71 yards. His 53-yard touchdown run on the Hawks’ second play from scrimmage tied the game 7-7 with 8:07 to play in the first quarter, and Hillgrove never trailed again.
The victory puts Hillgrove in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. Hillgrove will meet Archer, the No.1 seed from 8-AAAAAA, next Friday at a site to be determined by a coin flip.
Hillgrove led 24-14 going into the fourth quarter before Roswell (8-4) made things interesting. Quarterback James Whitaker scored on a 70-yard run on the second play of the quarter to cut the lead to 24-21 with 11:26 to play.
After the teams exchanged punts, Hillgrove restored the lead to 10 points when Wilson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Bridges with 6:12 to play to makes it 31-21.
Roswell countered on the next play when Whitaker passed to Mechane Slade, who took it 75 yards to cut the lead to three points again with 5:51 left.
But Hillgrove had one final answer to put the game away. Wilson’s 66-yard touchdown pass to Tavion Walker gave the Hawks a 38-28 lead with 3:41 remaining.
Roswell had one more possession but turned it over on downs, and Hillgrove ran out the clock.
Wilson’s biggest play of the night, however, was perhaps the one that gave the Hawks the lead for good. Facing a third-and-16 from their own 3, he threw a short pass over the middle to Richard Hallman, who turned and ran all alone up the center of the field for a 97-yard score to make it 14-7 with 7:47 to play in the first half.
Wilson threw a 23-yard touchdown to Ethan Tull later in the quarter, and Eirick Abney kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 24-14 at halftime.
Roswell got an outstanding performance from sophomore running back Sheldon Evans, particularly in the first half when he rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Evans finished with 223 yards on 34 carries.
The two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards in total offense, with Roswell finishing with a 524-487 advantage. Hillgrove’s Hallman finished with eight catches for 174 yards, and Roswell’s Slade had nine receptions for 191 yards.
Roswell – 7-7-0-14 – 28
Hillgrove – 7-17-0-14 – 38
R – Sheldon Evans 64 run (Turner Barkhoff kick)
H – Matthew Wilson 53 run (Eirick Abney kick)
H – Richard Hallman 97 pass from Wilson (Abney kick)
H – Ethan Tull 23 pass from Wilson (Abney kick)
R – Evans 1 run (Barkhoff kick)
H – Abney 25 field goal
R – James Whitaker 70 run (Barkhoff kick)
H – Jeremiah Bridges 12 pass from Wilson (Abney kick)
R – Mechane Slade 75 pass from Whitaker (Barkhoff kick)
H – Tavion Walker 66 pass from Wilson (Abney kick)
