Hills-Beaver Creek returning to 9-man state football tourney

The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots football team is headed back to the Minnesota State 9-Man Tournament for the fourth year in a row.

Brodie Metzger connected with Brett Truebenback on a 12-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, and Metzger then scrambled for a huge two-point conversion that gave Hills-Beaver Creek a 10-point lead as the unbeaten Patriots held off Edgerton 38-28 Friday at Southwest Minnesota State University.

With the score at 30-28, the Patriots' defense stopped the Flying Dutchmen on a fourth-down play just shy of midfield with nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter. H-BC then methodically moved down the field, using nearly six minutes of clock before Metzger hooked up with Truebenback for a score with 2:53 to go.

A 15-yard penalty on the Patriots followed the touchdown, but Metzger weaved his way through the Dutch defense from 17 yards out to put H-BC up 10. Jace Gacke then sealed the victory for the Patriots with an interception inside the Hills-Beaver Creek 10 with 1:24 to go.