HURON, SD – The Sturgis Scoopers outplayed the Huron Tigers on Friday night but came up short on the scoreboard, losing 14-10 in a tight, defensive struggle at Tiger Stadium.
It was Homecoming Night for Huron, who celebrated with a pre-game cookout and the burning of the “H” at halftime.
The Tigers started strong, taking the opening kickoff 52 yards downfield in 10 plays, ending with a 7-yard touchdown run by Cashton Caudell. Huron led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Sturgis answered with a solid drive of their own early in the second quarter. Senior quarterback Aiden Hedderman used a mix of option plays and short passes to move the ball to the Tiger 11-yard line. Hedderman found running back Sully Jost on a slant near the goal line with a touchdown strike, tying the game at 7-7.
Both defenses held strong in the third quarter as neither team managed to put any points on the board. The Scoopers finally started moving the ball as the fourth quarter began and got into the red zone at the Tiger 10-yard line. Huron’s defense stiffened up and Sturgis settled for a 27-yard field goal by Jost to take a 10-7 lead with 8:55 remaining.
The Scooper defense forced a turnover on downs on Huron’s next series and Sturgis looked to be in control with the clock ticking away. The Scoopers moved the ball to the Huron Tiger 26 and attempted a 43-yard field goal on fourth down that came up short.
Tiger quarterback Colton McNeil finally hit pay dirt on the next play, finding Gavin Moeding with a 74-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline with 4:28 left to take a 14-10 lead.
Sturgis continued moving the ball well on their final two series but couldn’t score. Huron escaped with a 14-10 victory on Homecoming Night.
Sturgis (2-2) finished with 285 yards of total offense. The Scoopers had 27 carries for 119 yards and were led by Hedderman, who had 10 rushes for 58 yards. Hedderman was 16-of-24 passing for 166 yards with two interceptions and one TD. The Scoopers had three penalties for 20 yards.
Huron (2-2) had 273 total yards of offense, with 27 carries for 87 yards. McNeil completed 14 passes on 27 attempts with one TD. The Tigers had six penalties for 45 yards and no turnovers.
The Scoopers are in action next Friday as they host St. Thomas More on Homecoming Night at Woodle Field
