WAYNE — The high-flying Herbert Hoover offense dominates headlines to casual fans, but the Huskies’ defense more than holds up its end of the bargain.
Herbert Hoover, ranked No. 2 in the Class AA playoff ratings, limited Wayne to just two first downs after the first quarter and to 54 yards of total offense in a 53-0 victory over the host Pioneers.
The Huskies (7-0) blocked three punts and had multiple possessions start inside the Wayne 20-yard line, including two inside the 10.
Freshman quarterback Dane Hatfield ran for three scores and threw for a fourth.
Nathan Harper returned the opening kickoff 60 yards to get Herbert Hoover on the board just 11 seconds into the game.
Wayne responded with a 16-play drive, converting two fourth downs and gaining 54 yards before turning the ball over on downs at the Hoover 21. The Pioneers would net zero yards of offense the rest of the way.
Hatfield led all rushers with 73 yards while also completing 5 of 8 passes for 97 yards, including a 40-yard strike in which Brayden Jones outmuscled a defender on the goal line for a score.
The Huskies had 252 yards of offense, the benefit of excellent field position much of the evening.
It marked the second straight meeting the Huskies blanked the Pioneers, following a 17-0 victory at Pioneer Field in 2019. The teams did not play a year ago due to COVID restrictions the week they were scheduled to meet.
