PRINCETON, W.Va. — Dane Hatfield scored four touchdowns and Ethan Patrick recovered a pair of fumbles as Herbert Hoover reached the state championship game for the second time in three seasons with a 35-12 win at Princeton in the Class AAA semifinals.
The Huskies (13-0) will face the winner of Saturday’s Bridgeport/Fairmont Senior semifinal in the Class AAA Championship game on December 14.
Senior quarterback Dane Hatfield scored on touchdown runs of 4, 5, 3 and 23 yards, giving him 103 rushing touchdowns in his career at HHHS.
“When you have that guy in the locker room, guys believe,” said Herbert Hoover head coach Joey Fields. “Our coaching staff, we believe in them. I am so proud of this group. To get another week, we are playing for a state championship and that is special. But to get another week together, that’s what I am most excited about.”
The Huskies controlled the clock throughout the first half, limiting the Tigers to just 50 yards of offense in the first two quarters.
“You want to give them less possessions. But to do that, you have to get first downs. We were able to do that behind the offensive line. Those are guys that battled. Those guys have been in our program for a while. And when you have [Hatfield] and [Blake Fisher] back there, you can make some plays.”
Herbert Hoover built on their 14-0 halftime lead early in the third quarter when Fisher scored on a 28-yard touchdown run.
However, Princeton (12-1) scored on consecutive possessions to pull within 21-12. Daniel Jennings scored on a one-yard run and Chance Barker hit Bradley Mossor on a 16-yard touchdown pass. However, Hatfield scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to put the game out of reach.
Patrick recovered a pair of fumbles for Hoover in the fourth quarter.
“That’s a kid that came in as a quarterback. He moved to wide receiver because of Dane. Defensive line, offensive line he is a team guy. He deserves everything he gets because he works hard. We’ve got good kids and good leaders.”
Herbert Hoover played in the Class AA final in 2022 in Wheeling. Next week’s game will be about ten miles from their campus at University of Charleston Stadium.
“Our community is special. There is nowhere I would rather win than this place. I am excited to see our fans sleep in their own beds and come watch the Huskies play for a state championship.”