It’s early, but Black Hills closes door on Rochester’s postseason

Gabe Adamson proved to be the most popular receiver on either team during the first half.

Adamson intercepted two passes and added a touchdown reception before intermission as visiting Black Hills sealed Rochester’s playoff fate just two weeks into the season with a 42-7 nonleague victory Friday.

“We were just trying to get off to a fast start,” said Adamson. “I’m not sure we were giving it our all early on, but we just kept trying to boost it up, get everyone playing together. We had some letdowns last year. I think the biggest difference this year is the senior leadership on this team.”

Chase Morrow threw two touchdown passes, hitting Adamson on a 42-yard scoring strike late in the second quarter and tossing a 15-yard TD pass to Jewell Day in the third quarter.

Christian Williams, who alternated series with Morrow at quarterback, also passed for a score.

Black Hills, which hammered 1A Montesano, 55-32, in Week One, improved to 2-0.

The loss dashed the postseason hopes of the Warriors (1-1).

Rochester, an independent in the 2A classification, needed to win all three of its regular- season games against 2A competition and win 75 percent of its 1A matchups to earn a play-in game.

The Warriors did their part with a 17-7 season-opening victory over 2A Centralia, but sloppy first-half play, including nine penalties for 60 yards doomed their chances against the Wolves.

Throw in a pair of Adamson interceptions, with the second coming at the Wolves 1 during Rochester’s lone scoring threat in the first half, and a rugby-style punt that resulted in a 5-yard loss, giving Black Hills a short field on its first score, and it proved to be too much of an uphill battle for the Warriors.

Conner Furu scored on an 8-yard run with a minute left in the first quarter

for the Wolves, who went up 14-0 on Williams’ 11-yard touchdown pass to Jordan March.

It appeared that would be the halftime deficit for Rochester after Tiki Hickle sacked Williams for a big loss late in the second quarter, ending a Wolves’ scoring drive, but Nate Kindell registered Black Hills’ third interception on the Warriors’ ensuing possession, setting up Morrow’s TD pass to Adamson.

The Wolves picked off five Rochester passes, with Wyatt Rollman returning the final one 90 yards for a score.

For the Warriors, Hickle pulled down a 35-yard touchdown pass from Nick Taylor midway through the fourth quarter.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 10:15 PM with the headline "It’s early, but Black Hills closes door on Rochester’s postseason."