Springfield, Mo. (For OzarksSportsZone.com)  -- Starting the 2012 season with Dorial Green-Beckham in Columbia and featuring a virtually new slate of offensive starters, Hillcrest had a lot to prove Friday night against No. 9 ranked Camdenton. 

PHOTOS FROM CAMDENTON VS. HILLCREST

“Losing a big star (in Dorial), the talk was as if we’d pack up our tents and give up football,” coach John Beckham said after his Hornets downed the Lakers 18-12 to begin the season.

 “We had a little joke going on ‘No DGB? No problem,’” he continued, and this sentiment was expressed rather vocally by a handful of Hillcrest players as the clock ticked off in the final minute of play. 

The Hornets offense thrived off of its tight-end turned signal caller in senior QB Jonah Hill.
 
Hill carried the ball 20 times and completed seven passes with only one interception to total over 200 yards against a strong Lakers defense. 

“We had to do what was best for our team … We felt (Jonah) gave us the best chance to win at quarterback,” said Beckham of the position switch.

Defensively, Hillcrest couldn’t stop Camdenton’s senior halfback Murphy Ward from gaining the 32 yards needed to break a school record, yet they succeeded in only allowing the bruiser to get one touchdown – coming on his goal-line leap to take the lead in the third quarter.  The Lakers’ only other scoring play came on a 22-yard catch and run from senior Cory Simpson and junior Ryan Elliott to the tie the game in the first half.

All things considered, both teams came out firing with intensity and both featured exciting plays from skilled backs.

Hillcrest brought the game to a 12-12 tie when junior Juwan Johnson assisted a wrapped-up Hill by grabbing a flipped pass and taking it 16 yards for a touchdown to set the stage for a final Hillcrest drive. Hill would run the ball in from the 9 yard-line to make it an 18-12 game that the Lakers wouldn’t be able to effectively challenge with less than two minutes on the clock.

Camdenton will travel to West Plains next Friday on August 31 while Hillcrest will host Glendale.