Hoxie Indians Face Off Against Ell-Saline Cardinals in a Hard-Fought Game
Launch the media gallery 1 playerOn Friday, October 2, the Hoxie Indians traveled to Brookville to take on the Ell-Saline Cardinals for some Friday Night Football. Hoxie and Ell-Saline fought through a muddy game Friday night, with the Indians ultimately losing 12-22. Despite the loss, the Indians' performance showed immense resilience, as well as gaining valuable experience through the defensive game that remained scoreless all through the first half.
The game opened with Hoxie’s ball, and the Indians immediately took the initiative when sophomore Gage Epp connected with senior Chase Meyer on a deep pass that nearly resulted in a touchdown. From there, both teams settled into a defensive struggle. Rather than taking risks on a fourth down, the offenses relied heavily on field position, with the punters repeatedly pinning their opponents deep in their own territory.
Field conditions proved challenging for both teams. Ell-Saline had received several inches of rain earlier in the week, leaving big portions of the field muddy and slick. Snaps became difficult to control, players repeatedly lost their footing, and the wet football slipped through the fingertips of the receivers. Despite these obstacles, Hoxie’s defense kept the Cardinals from finding much of an offensive rhythm. Multiple opportunities for Hoxie to break the stalemate appeared before halftime, including a drive that reached the Cardinals’ 31-yard line, but an interception from the Cardinals ended the threat. The Indians went into halftime with a score of 0-0, leaving the crowd eager for the second half.
The third quarter finally brought a breakthrough. Nearly halfway through the quarter, Epp handed the ball to junior Noah Nickelson, who cut back across the field before freshman Hadley Juenemann made a crucial block to spring Nickelson for a 20-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion fell incomplete, but Hoxie had seized momentum.
The Cardinals answered with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, taking a 6-14 lead before another score extended the advantage to 6-22. Hoxie refused to quit. Chase Meyer broke through for a beautiful 13-yard touchdown run, bringing the Indians within striking distance with a score of 12-22, with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
Hoxie continued to push downfield in the final minutes, but the muddy conditions kept creating problems. Ell-Saline’s determined defense made the comeback incredibly difficult, and with several passes falling incomplete, the Cardinals ultimately ran out the clock to secure their 12-22 victory over the Indians.
The Indians battled through difficult conditions, persevering until the final whistle. “I think the field conditions played a role in such a low-scoring game,” said head coach Lance Baar. “It was tough to get a footing. But there’s lots of important lessons we can learn from that game.” The Indians will host the Oberlin Red Devils on Friday, October 9. We wish the boys luck and hope to add another win to Hoxie’s record!