Hilliard's Baird does it all in win
QB carries Wildcats over Golden Bears
By Ray Stein
Dispatch Sports Reporter
Quarterback Steve Baird spent yet another Friday in his opponents’ cross hairs. Coach John Sines spent another Friday night in the emotional spin cycle.
But today, Sines, Baird and everyone else connected with the Hilliard High School football team can spend a few moments reflecting on what might have been the biggest win in school history.
Baird, a marked man all night, passed for 155 yards, rushed for 107 and delivered three touchdowns to help Hilliard beat host Upper Arlington 28-27 in a crucial Ohio Capital Conference game.
The win pushed Hilliard (8-1, 3-1) into a first-place tie with the Golden Bears (6-3, 3-1) in the Central Division. More important, it put the Wildcats one victory away from a very likely Division I playoff appearance.
“This is a huge win for Hilliard,” Sines said. “It’s something we’ve been working hard for for three years. For us to come back like that and win, well, we took it to them.”
More specifically, it was Baird, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior, who took it to UA. He completed 9 of 14 passes and carried 22 times. Of Hilliard’s 21 plays from scrimmage in the second half, Baird passed or ran on 19.
And yet, with the Wildcats trailing 21-14 with 8 ½ minutes to play, Baird directed two scoring drives to give Hilliard a 28-21 lead with 3:12 remaining.
“They were looking at me every play, but I knew it would be like that from the get-go,” Baird said. “Everyone does that every week, anyway.”
Everyone included Sines, who demanded even more from his quarterback when it was learned on Tuesday that top running back Dax Madden would miss the game with a shoulder separation.
“I basically just told Steve to go out and do what he had to do to win the football game,” Sines said. “We try to add a wrinkle now and then, but for the most part, it was all him.”
Baird’s first TD, a 1-yard run in the second quarter, gave Hilliard a 14-7 halftime lead, but the Golden Bears dominated play to start the second half.
UA pulled to 14-13 when Brent Martin capped a 16-play, 91-yard drive with a 10-yard run, then took a 21-14 lead on its next possession when Matt Malatesta passed 7 yards to T.R. Sweinsberger with 8:30 remaining.
But Baird brought Hilliard right back with a 17-yard pass to Mike Furrey at the 5:06 mark. Then, after a short punt gave Hilliard possession at the UA 40, Baird scooted around left end for a 29-yard touchdown and a 28-21 lead.
“With our offensive line, you’re going to get some yards,” Baird said. “Our line was unbelievable all night.”
So, too, was Malatesta, who finished 16 of 23 for 230 yards and two TD’s. Malatesta hit 3 of 3 passes for 68 yards, the final 7 coming on a third-down scoring pass to Matt Gable to make it 28-27 with 1:37 left.
Upper Arlington coach Jeff Jones then elected to play for the two-point conversion and the win. But Malatesta’s pass to Sweinsberger fell incomplete in the end zone.
“I knew they’d go for it,” SInes said. “Their kicking game has been shaky all year. But our defense has responded, too. I had no doubt they’d come through.”
By Ray Stein
Dispatch Sports Reporter
Quarterback Steve Baird spent yet another Friday in his opponents’ cross hairs. Coach John Sines spent another Friday night in the emotional spin cycle.
But today, Sines, Baird and everyone else connected with the Hilliard High School football team can spend a few moments reflecting on what might have been the biggest win in school history.
Baird, a marked man all night, passed for 155 yards, rushed for 107 and delivered three touchdowns to help Hilliard beat host Upper Arlington 28-27 in a crucial Ohio Capital Conference game.
The win pushed Hilliard (8-1, 3-1) into a first-place tie with the Golden Bears (6-3, 3-1) in the Central Division. More important, it put the Wildcats one victory away from a very likely Division I playoff appearance.
“This is a huge win for Hilliard,” Sines said. “It’s something we’ve been working hard for for three years. For us to come back like that and win, well, we took it to them.”
More specifically, it was Baird, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior, who took it to UA. He completed 9 of 14 passes and carried 22 times. Of Hilliard’s 21 plays from scrimmage in the second half, Baird passed or ran on 19.
And yet, with the Wildcats trailing 21-14 with 8 ½ minutes to play, Baird directed two scoring drives to give Hilliard a 28-21 lead with 3:12 remaining.
“They were looking at me every play, but I knew it would be like that from the get-go,” Baird said. “Everyone does that every week, anyway.”
Everyone included Sines, who demanded even more from his quarterback when it was learned on Tuesday that top running back Dax Madden would miss the game with a shoulder separation.
“I basically just told Steve to go out and do what he had to do to win the football game,” Sines said. “We try to add a wrinkle now and then, but for the most part, it was all him.”
Baird’s first TD, a 1-yard run in the second quarter, gave Hilliard a 14-7 halftime lead, but the Golden Bears dominated play to start the second half.
UA pulled to 14-13 when Brent Martin capped a 16-play, 91-yard drive with a 10-yard run, then took a 21-14 lead on its next possession when Matt Malatesta passed 7 yards to T.R. Sweinsberger with 8:30 remaining.
But Baird brought Hilliard right back with a 17-yard pass to Mike Furrey at the 5:06 mark. Then, after a short punt gave Hilliard possession at the UA 40, Baird scooted around left end for a 29-yard touchdown and a 28-21 lead.
“With our offensive line, you’re going to get some yards,” Baird said. “Our line was unbelievable all night.”
So, too, was Malatesta, who finished 16 of 23 for 230 yards and two TD’s. Malatesta hit 3 of 3 passes for 68 yards, the final 7 coming on a third-down scoring pass to Matt Gable to make it 28-27 with 1:37 left.
Upper Arlington coach Jeff Jones then elected to play for the two-point conversion and the win. But Malatesta’s pass to Sweinsberger fell incomplete in the end zone.
“I knew they’d go for it,” SInes said. “Their kicking game has been shaky all year. But our defense has responded, too. I had no doubt they’d come through.”