Hornets see season end when Warriors score twice in two-minute span of fourth quarter

MT. STERLING, Ill. — Two minutes decided the outcome, but it doesn’t change what two and a half months revealed.

That’s the character of the Brown County football players.

And that’s why Tom Little had to pause, fight back tears and collect himself before talking about the postgame huddle with the Hornets following Saturday’s 16-0 loss to Casey Westfield in the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs at the Nest.

“I told them I love them,” Little said. “This is always the hardest part. You spend so much time with them they become like your kids. To see them disappointed and hurt and to know we don’t get to coach the seniors again is the toughest thing.

“We’re still proud of where they’ve come as men and what they are going to accomplish in the future. They’ve learned a lot from the game of football.”

Perseverance and sticktoitiveness are two of those life lessons put on display Saturday.

Trailing by two touchdowns with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, the Hornets (6-5) reached the red zone, but turned the ball over on downs.

“If you score there, you can onside kick or look at one of the many options you have,” Little said. “Unfortunately, we just couldn’t punch it in.”

Casey Westfield had similar issues until the fourth quarter.

A fumble by the Hornets at their own 14-yard line led to the Warriors scoring with 9:56 to play as quarterback Nolan Clement plunged in from 3 yards out. The two-point conversion made it 8-0. Brown County was forced to punt on its possession, and Casey Westfield’s Ryan Richards returned the punt 47 yards for a touchdown and a 16-0 lead with 8:10 to play.

The Hornets moved the ball on the ensuing drive, reaching the Warriors’ 4-yard line, However, a 4-yard loss on third and goal and a sack on fourth down ended the drive and the any chances.

“They kept believing and fighting until the very end,” Little said.

Playing in a steady rain that turned the field into a quagmire, the Hornets managed 142 yards rushing on 38 carries, while quarterback Vince Little completed two passes for 26 yards. 

“To come out in these kind of elements and play that kind of football says so much about our guys,” Little said. “We had our opportunities. We just couldn’t punch it in. I’m not disappointed in the effort. I’m disappointed with the outcome for our guys. They fought for it.”

They also got Brown County back to the playoffs and paved the way for future teams to find success.

“With the schedule in front of us, we knew it did not look good and they were going to have to grow each week,” Little said. “They took the mindset they could do it. You look at the games they played and they did continue to do that. I just wish we had more opportunities to keep working with them.”