HILLSBORO - Southwestern's football team played Hillsboro as tough as they could Friday night, bowing by only seven points, 29-22 on the road.

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Southwestern was down 21-6 at the half, but speedster Michael Nolte returned the second half kickoff for an 80-yard touchdown.

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The Piasa Birds then recorded a safety to make it 21-14. Quarterback Caleb Robinson scored at the beinning of the fourth quarter ona  10-yard scamper to give Southwestern a 22-21 lead. Hillsboro scored with seven minutes to go to make it 29-22.

"We did get the ball back and got to their 30, but couldn't punch it in," said Southwestern coach Aaron Fricke. "Scott Kasting had the first touchdown on a reception from Caleb Robinson. It really hurts to be so close again. We had penalities and mistakes in the first half that put us in the hole.

"But to battle back and take the lead says a lot about the kind of kids we have this year."

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