Photos by RUTHIES IN HIS IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHY and BRIAN GRAHAM

Seniors on the Burns High School football team pose with their parents during the home game against Nyssa.

The Hilanders had their first home football game at Corbett Memorial Field in almost two years, and everyone in attendance was entertained by an intense, yet heartbreaking contest. Ultimately, the Hilanders came up short on completing a two-point conversion pass at the end of overtime, losing to the Nyssa Bulldogs 28-26.   

While the Burns players came up short on the score, there was never a lack of effort by the Hilanders that night.  Nyssa junior quarterback Andrew Enders created the biggest problem for the Hilanders, as he was involved in every scoring touchdown, either running or passing.  

However, Burns had its own surprise that night, as senior quarterback Jaden Tiller made his first start since the 2019 state semi-final game. Coming back from an ACL surgery in February, Tiller didn’t skip a beat, as he mixed up runs and passes to march the offense down the field on its first possession in 11 plays, totaling 78 yards.  Junior running back Hunter Kemper would cap the drive, scoring on a nine-yard run. The extra point attempt failed, but Burns was up early 6-0.  

After the kickoff, Nyssa started from their own 30 yard line. It wouldn’t take long for the Hilanders to understand what kind of night they were going to get from Enders, who eventually finished the 10-play drive on a two-yard touchdown run with the big play coming on a third down, 48-yard QB sneak to keep the drive going.  

After a couple of changes of possessions on offense, Burns pinned the Bulldogs deep in their end of the field at the four yard line with under two minutes left in the 2nd quarter.  On the first play from scrimmage, Enders ran up the middle and broke tackles to take off on a 96-yard touchdown run to put Nyssa up. Enders also ran in the two-point conversion to increase the score to 14-6 with 1:06 left before the half.     

Burns got a big turnover after being forced to punt on their first possession of the second half. Adam White hit a 38-yard punt inside the Nyssa 10 yard line, where the returner fumbled. Hunter Kemper recovered the Nyssa mistake on the Burns three yard line.  

On the first play after the turnover, Kemper bolted into the end zone  for his second score of the night. The extra point pass attempt was just off the fingers of a diving Ethan Peasley-Richardson, but the Hilanders had cut the score to 14-12.  

After a couple more changes of possessions, just as the clock was winding down to end the 3rd quarter, Nyssa’s Enders again broke an inside run to out race the Hilander defenders for a 64-yard touchdown run. The extra point attempt was no good, but Nyssa was now up 20-12.  

The fourth quarter saw the defenses force punts with one Hilander fumble that also stopped a drive. With under three minutes left in the game and Burns needing a score, Tiller directed the offense down the field and found Dalhton Proffitt on a 31-yard crossing route with Proffitt putting on an impressive juke move to get into the end zone with 1:10 left on the clock. Burns had to get into the end zone on the two-point conversion to have a chance to win.  

On a little “trickeration” — a reverse run to White with him throwing to Tiller — the Hilanders completed the two-point conversion, and the game was tied 20-20.   

The game headed into overtime with Nyssa getting the ball first. On third down, Enders threw a 25-yard touchdown pass and then ran in the two-point conversion to put Nyssa up 28-20.  

Burns countered with a touchdown of their own on third down, as Tiller again hit an open Proffitt for 25 yards to score. On the two-point conversion, Nyssa appeared to send everyone, as the pressure forced Tiller to scramble and heave a desperation pass toward the end zone, which fell incomplete.  

The final score was Nyssa 28, Burns 26. 

Tiller completed 11 of 22 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

H. Kemper led the rushing attack for Burns with 15 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Easton Kemper had five carries for 52 yards. Proffitt carried the ball twice for 12 yards, Owen Graham had one carry for 12 yards, and Oliver Barnes had one carry for 11 yards.

Proffitt caught three passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Peasley-Richardson had two receptions for 26 yards, White caught two passes for 24 yards, and H. Kemper caught 4 passes for 22 yards.

Burns (3-3) will play Baker (3-4) on Friday, Oct. 22 at Corbett Memorial Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.