Regular season ends in defeat

A regular season of ups and downs drew to a close as Waynesville football fell to Ozark Conference champion Hillcrest 35-14 Friday.

"We went against a very talented football team," Waynesville coach Rick Vernon said.

The explosive spread offense of Hillcrest proved effective as the team went into halftime with a 14-0 cushion.

After the break, Hillcrest added two more scores on two long passes, one for a touchdown, and one which set up a 5-yard touchdown rush.

The 28-0 lead was increased in the fourth quarter as Hillcrest pounded in another rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 35.

Defensively, Coach Vernon's squad forced an explosive Hillcrest offense to drive the football by limiting big plays and maintaining the line of scrimmage. Still, Hillcrest's game plan favored its many versatile athletes.

"[Hillcrest] can do so many different things," Vernon said. "They made some good plays because of the type of team they are."

Hillcrest's scores were insurmountable despite the 14-point fourth quarter effort of Waynesville, which scored twice on the ground with less than two minutes to play.

Waynesville's regular season ended in a 35-14 defeat as Hillcrest out-shined on either side of the ball.

Similar to past weeks, Waynesville was unable to capitalize on four possessions inside Hillcrest territory, and on one occasion, Waynesville's defense forced a fumble at the Hillcrest 1-yard line, but was unable to recover.

"They came and matched us up man-to-man," Vernon said of the Hillcrest defense.

Waynesville had opportunities to score, but Vernon said, "We got into fourth-and-long situations and played for field position."

Waynesville also committed two turnovers of its own Friday to add to the total of 10 in its past four games.

Both senior quarterback Alec Tebbe and junior quarterback Trent Simpson saw playing time Friday as the team sought an effective identity. But, with Waynesville's inability to establish an effective passing game, Hillcrest was able to place nine players near the line of scrimmage to eliminate the potent Waynesville rush offense.

Even in a losing effort, Vernon said his team can review the game film to prepare for a difficult postseason.

Upon losing to Hillcrest in the regular season finale, Waynesville was dealt an additional home game against Rolla in district competition.

Earlier in the season, Waynesville defeated Rolla 31-28 in an overtime thriller.

"That [win] was back in Week 4," Vernon said. "Naturally a lot of things have changed for us and them. It'll be two different teams coming in."

Rolla's pistol-type offense utilizes a tricky veer option, something Vernon's defense will practice to perfection this week. On offense, being aggressive at the point of attack and establishing the running game early will be the focus for Vernon's squad.

Still, eliminating costly turnovers and establishing the run game early improve Waynesville's chance to win.

Friday's game will take place at 7 p.m. Employee ID cards and Family/Individual passes cannot be substituted for a $4 admission. There will be no reserved seating.