PASSING GAME … Hilltop’s Bryce Grubbs goes for the over the shoulder catch on a pass from Cameron Shimp.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL NAGEL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SOLO TACKLE … Anthony Jiannuzzi of Hilltop wraps up the Antwerp ball carrier.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (September 6, 2025) – Hilltop AD and PA announcer Tony Gerig should’ve made a pre-game recording, just to save his voice…”there’s a penalty marker on the play.”
Thirty-eight times…yes you see that number right…that verbal notification came across loud and clear on a Saturday night as more yellow flew on the field than postgame confetti at the Super Bowl.
In between all those penalties that accounted for over 250 yards, Antwerp rolled to a 29-0 halftime lead on their way to a 36-0 shutout of the Cadets, for the Archers’ first win of the season. The Cadets are now 0-3.
Flags flew the first three plays of the game to set the standard for the night. The Archers worked around a holding penalty and two five-yard markoffs in their first series to take an 8-0 lead on Gage Clevinger’s six yard run and two-pointer.
Kane Hines intercepted the Cadets’ Cameron Shimp two plays later to set up the Archers at the Hilltop 44. Hampton Rogge hit Hines for 27 yards to set up Zac Salas’ short touchdown run that pushed the Archers up 14-0 at the end of the first.
Scotty Bowers 16-yard run and Shimp’s 20-yard strike to Anthony Jiannuzzi got the Cadets into Antwerp territory at the 13 but consecutive holding penalties and Hines second pick ended the threat.
With 6:31 left in the half, Ryder Hines stepped in front of a Shimp aerial for the pick and raced 74 yards to pay dirt and a 21-0 bulge.
Antwerp got one more before halftime. Rogge hit Kane Hines for 21 yards and Ryder Hines for 17 more to get the ball to Hilltop’s eight-yard line.
A holding penalty backed the Archers up 10, but Ryder Hines got around the right side and bolted 18 yards for a score to make it 29-0. A whopping 25 penalties were called in the first half.
Antwerp totaled 214 yards in the first half and kept going in the third on their first possession. Sales capped a 10-play march with a 38-yard sprint for a touchdown to initiate the running clock rule and give Antwerp their last score of the evening.
Hilltop made one last attempt to score late in the contest as Bowers ran for 39 yards on five carries to the Antwerp 26.
Again, a penalty backed up the Cadets and two Shimp passes fell incomplete to end the game.
UP NEXT: September 12 – Hilltop (0-3) at Whiteford, MI (1-1)
AHS 14 15 7 0 – 36
HHS 0 0 0 0 – 0
A – Clevinger 6-yd run (Clevinger run)
A – Salas 3-yd run (conversion failed)
A – Hines 18-yd run (conversion good)
A – Salas 38-yd run (kick good)