'This is a good team.' Hillsboro improves to 2-0 by blanking Hazelwood East on the road

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'This is a good team.' Hillsboro improves to 2-0 by blanking Hazelwood East on the road

From the High school football continues: Full coverage from ��Ӱ�ԭ��-area games series

Warren Mayes | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Sep 3, 2026
Sep 3, 2026
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HILLSBORO_14_PB.JPGSTL1050199893 — Auston Ross (7) of Hillsboro celebrates with teammate Nathan Bulback (22) after a touchdown against Hazelwood East at Hazelwood East High School on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in Spanish Lake.
Paul Baillargeon

Warren Mayes | Special to the Post-Dispatch

SPANISH LAKE — Hillsboro High junior Preston Ross showed his powers of concentration on both sides of the football Thursday night.

Ross intercepted a tipped pass and then caught a tipped pass that resulted in a 48-yard touchdown reception.

Hillsboro recorded a 28-0 nonconference football victory over the game Hazelwood East Spartans on a hot and humid Thursday night.

“This was a big win for us,” Ross said. “We’ve got a lot of momentum heading into our next game at Holt. It was hot out there, but we stepped up and played to that challenge.”

Ross made his interception with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

Spartans senior quarterback Tyshawn Tillman threw a pass that was tipped. Ross was there to alertly grab it and give Hillsboro the ball at its own 24-yard line.

The Hawks moved to the Hazelwood East 48 and faced a third-and-10 situation.

Senior quarterback Aiden Fleming dropped back and aired out a ball to Ross along the sideline. Ross and Spartans senior Thomas Traylor went up for the ball and Traylor tipped it.

Ross never took his eyes off the ball. He caught it at the 20 and sped into the end zone for the Hawks’ final TD of the night with 10:13 remaining in the game.

“You talk about an amazing athlete,” Hillsboro coach Bill Sucharski said. “He’s a smart kid, too. He’s academic all-state for us. Last year, he started as a safety. That’s a credit to him. He’ll pick up things on film. I couldn’t be more proud of him.

“He’s got a bright future.”

Fleming said he knew Ross would come down the ball.

“I saw where their safeties were, and I saw him beating his player, so I threw it up to him,” Fleming said. “He’s a good player with good hands. I knew he’d made the catch. He made a heck play on it.”

The catch was satisfying for Ross.

“I went up and got it," he said. "The ball was tipped, but I saw it all the way. I knew I could get it.

“I did that earlier in the game on defense. I wanted to show I could do that on offense, too.”

Switching QBs

Hillsboro alternated quarterbacks for each series.

Fleming started and then sophomore Cody Reese came in on the second Hawks possession.

“Both of them are talented kids,” Sucharski said. “In each of the last two years, our senior quarterback has gotten hurt. Aiden came in last year and played. He’s worked really hard. Cody is a talented sophomore.

“They both deserve to play varsity. They want the best for each other. I think this has made them both better.”

Fleming agreed.

“It forces both of us to do better each week,” Fleming said. “We both have experience.”

Big completion leads to first TD

On their second possession, the Hawks reached the end zone.

Hillsboro marched 80 yards in 10 plays to go up 7-0. Sophomore running back Nathan Bulback ran in from the 9 at the 10:37 mark of the second quarter. Sophomore Noah Lauterwasser added the first of four extra points.

“We ran the ball well tonight,” Bulback said. “They were pretty tough up front. Our line did a good job blocking. They make a gap and I hit it and just kept going.”

A 40-yard completion from Reese to junior Alec Fleming was the big play in the drive. On the play before the pass, Reese recovered a fumble in the backfield to keep the drive alive.

Takeaway into touchdown

A bad toss play resulted in a turnover for the Spartans. Ross recovered the fumble at the Hazelwood East 28 with 6:28 left in the half.

After an incomplete pass, senior Richard Zummerly III took charge, rushing 23 yards to the 5-yard line before scoring on the next play to give the Hawks a 14-0 halftime lead.

Extending the lead

Hillsboro took the second-half kickoff and needed 12 plays to go 70 yards for its third touchdown.

Sophomore Jaydn Rice scored from the 2 with 7:47 showing.

“He played as a freshman for us last year,” Sucharski said about Rice. “He tweaked his ankle and we’ll have to get that checked out. He’s dependable at running back for us.”

Sucharski liked the long drives his offense registered in the game.

“We thought we could wear them out,” Sucharski said. “We thought we were a little bit deeper. They have some incredible athletes on Hazelwood East’s team. It was just a matter of keep running at them and making them step up.”

Spartans can’t cash in

Junior Marquis Lee recovered a fumble for Hazelwood East at the Hillsboro 42-yard line with 5:01 showing in the first quarter and no score.

However, a sack by Hawks sophomore Eli Petit followed by a fumbled snap and a penalty before an incomplete pass forced a punt.

“Offensively, we’ve got to get it going,” Spartans coach Bobby Cole said. “We didn’t help our defense and special teams out at all. We need to complement them and get the ball in the end zone offensively. We have to be able to keep the football, drive it and then score.”

Records

Hillsboro: 2-0.

Hazelwood East:��0-2.

“We drove about an hour to get here,” Fleming said. “I think we have showed we can come out and play the way we know how to no matter where we are. This is a good team.”

Cole agreed.

“Hillsboro, first of all, has a really good football team,” Cole said. “Hats off to them. My young defense and special teams did a great job tonight. We graduated 18 seniors last year. We only have two returning starters on defense.”

Coin toss and weather

Hillsboro won the toss and deferred its choice until the second half.

The temperature at kickoff was 99 degrees with a heat index of 104.

Injuries

Hazelwood East: Senior starting outside linebacker Thomas Traylor is out with a hand injury. Junior WR/SS Taylen Scarborough and junior CB Shaun Johnson are active this week following some minor injuries that lingered from the summer.

Game day captains

Hillsboro: Senior Jackson Naeger, senior Aidan Fleming, senior Richrd Zimmerly III, and senior Landon Gonzales.

Hazelwood East: Senior QB Tyshawn Tillman, senior OL Mike Lee, senior CB Alexander Ferguson, senior WR Trent Johnson, and senior CB Jeremy Mickens.

Series history

This was the first meeting between the two teams.

“Absolutely it’s good to play somebody new,” Cole said. “Hillsboro plays a tough brand of football and is a very disciplined and are a well-coached program. They were Class 4 state runners-up just a few seasons ago in 2023.”