FREDERICKTOWN — Thomas Hinkle had one of the best games ever by a Fredericktown quarterback on Friday, throwing five touchdown passes, four of them over 25 yards, in leading the Freddies to a 48-13 victory over Berne Union.
Hinkle completed 18-of-23 passes for 285 yards, and had 306 total yards for the game. He threw three TD passes in the first half, and another two in the second. Fredericktown (2-0) had a good game all around, allowing 233 yards, including one play of 91 yards. They also forced five turnovers, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions by C.J. Ruhl.
Fredericktown marched down field on its first drive, which ended in Hinkle’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Hathaway with 9:55 to play. The lead improved to 14-0 with 2:29 left in the quarter, when Ruhl hauled in a 36-yard TD reception.
A turnover gave the Freddies the ball early in the second quarter, and Ruhl pounded in a 2-yard touchdown run to increase the lead to 21-0. Fredericktown went into the break up 28-0 when, with 1:48 remaining, Hinkle and Nathan Cubbage hooked up for a 26-yard scoring pass.
The Rockets (0-2) finally found the end zone in the third quarter, on a Curtis Moore 2-yard run with 5:55 left which left them down 28-7. Fredericktown got those points back with 1:12 to play in the quarter, as Hinkle and Ruhl connected for an 11-yard TD pass for a 35-7 lead.
The only Freddie defensive lapse came on the first play of the fourth quarter, as Berne Union scored on a 91-yard pass from Brock Shull to James Whitt with 11:44 left in the game. Again, however, Fredericktown came back quickly, and with 10:05 to play Tony Lybarger caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Hinkle for a 42-13 lead. Dillon Esteph came off the bench to score from 3-yards out with 5:43 to complete the Freddies’ scoring.
Ruhl caught seven passes for 106 yards for Fredericktown, and also ran six times for 32 yards. Lybarger caught six passes for 94 yards.
