Comets grind past Tigers, stay unbeaten with 36–20 rivalry win
The Comets jumped ahead quickly Friday night, piling up 16 first-quarter points behind quarterback Ethan Swedberg, who accounted for three touchdowns in the opening frame. He connected with Drew Fischer on a 39-yard strike, powered in a 3-yard rush, and found Maverick Peterson from 16 yards out to put Hillcrest up 16–6. By the end of the half, Swedberg had added another highlight, an electrifying 62-yard bomb to Griffen Haus, stretching the lead to 22–6.
What made the night unusual was the way Rothsay dictated pace. The Tigers ran the ball 45 times for 132 yards and held the football for a staggering 37 minutes of possession, compared to Hillcrest’s 15. The Comets, normally a team that thrives on tempo and wide-open space, had to win playing Rothsay’s style of football. That meant fewer plays, long defensive stands, and making every possession count.
The Hillcrest defense bent but didn’t break. With the Tigers pounding away at the Comets’ goal line, Hillcrest stuffed two third-quarter drives inside the 5-yard line, once at the two, and again at the four. Those stops proved critical, keeping Rothsay off the scoreboard until the final quarter. Linebackers Eli Walkup and Xander Knutson set the tone, each racking up 9.5 tackles, while defensive linemen Jerry Oleson and Luke McGuire came up big in the trenches. Swedberg even added an interception on defense.
When Rothsay finally broke through to make it 22–12 early in the fourth, Swedberg answered with authority. He fired a 53-yard laser to Sean Berge, setting up a short touchdown toss to Fischer, then muscled in the two-point conversion himself to make it 30–12. The Tigers countered with a 40-yard touchdown pass and a bruising 3-yard keeper to close within 30–20, but Hillcrest slammed the door with a 12-yard scoring strike from Swedberg to Peterson, his fifth touchdown pass of the game.
Statistically, Hillcrest was outgained in first downs (16 to 18) and run plays, but the Comets more than made up for it through the air. Swedberg finished 11-for-20 passing with 212 yards and five touchdowns, adding 98 yards rushing on 12 carries. Fischer hauled in six catches for 66 yards and two scores, Peterson grabbed three passes for 31 yards and two more touchdowns, and Haus turned his lone reception into a 62-yard score.
After the game, Coach Korey Fry reflected on the different kind of win: “We’re a team that likes to play with speed and space, but tonight we had to adapt and play their game. It was a great test for us to show that we can win those grind-out games. At the same time, we need to clean up the little things.”
Hillcrest may have had the ball for less than 15 minutes, but its efficiency proved decisive. In a rivalry clash where Rothsay tried to slow the tempo, the Comets showed they can win fast and win tough. Hillcrest remains unbeaten and battle-tested heading into their next home challenge against the Hancock Owls.