STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — It’s true. Austin Hinder actually lives here, so he doesn’t just fly in for games.
The fast times at Steamboat Springs High broke from the gate for a blistering start Saturday afternoon, as Hinder and a deep skill corps were too much for Holy Family. The Class 3A Sailors led all the way in a 41-21 decision over the 2A Tigers at Gardner Field in Zero Week, the odd extra slot of the regular season.
Hinder, the much-ballyhooed quarterback who starred at various offseason camps, is rated within the top 100 players nationally at any position and has committed to California, ran for a 59-yard touchdown on his team’s fifth play from scrimmage, then fired five touchdown passes that totalled 326 yards.
Yes, he’s good.
Interestingly, the 6-foot-5, 185-pounder was decked on his first play by the fired-up Tigers, a jarring hit that provided immediate reality.
“I was fighting to keep down a couple of eggs (before the game), then their guy just drills me,” Hinder said. “It was good to get that out of the way.”
A settled Hinder fired two touchdown passes in the second quarter as the Sailors rolled to a 21-7 lead. He added another in the third and two more down the stretch. Ultimately, he was 20-of-29 passing and threw an interception.
All told, Steamboat Springs’ receiving unit had its way with the Holy Family secondary. In addition to drawing multiple interference penalties, Jack Spady hauled in seven receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and made a couple of circus catches; Jack Verploeg caught eight passes for 47 yards and a touchdown; and Dylan Pivarnik’s two catches resulted in 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Hinder also drew some wows by completing a pass after checking off to his fourth option.
Veteran Holy Family coach Mike Gabriel, not exactly a proponent of Zero Week play, said, “there were a lot of things we could have ironed out in a (regular) scrimmage” (as opposed to playing a week early), but offered no excuses.
“We made some mistakes,” he said, including three interceptions. “But (the Sailors’) skill kids are for real and Hinder can put the ball wherever he wants to.”
Bryan Murphy had four receptions for 64 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers, who also clearly had superior moments up front, but the Sailors found ways around that, mostly through Hinder.
“You see how little we are and those are good, smart, great students and great kids who work their tails off,” Steamboat Springs coach Aaron Finch said. “They just were not genetically blessed to be 250.”
Also, the Sailors were without injured running back Joe Dover, probably their top all-around athlete, who’s due back in Week 2 (Steamboat Springs will be idle in Week 1).
“We played well, but we made some mistakes that we’ll fix,” Hinder said. “This could be a scary team. We’ve got tough boys.”
Holy Family 7 0 0 14 — 21
Steamboat Springs 7 14 6 14 — 41
SS — Hinder 59 run (Schuette kick). HF — Murphy 14 pass Sommers (Gerry kick). SS — Spady 30 pass from Hinder (Schuette kick). SS — Pivarnik 34 pass from Hinder (Schuette kick). SS — Pivarnik 2 pass from Hinder (kick blocked). HF — Haynes 4 pass from Sommers (Gerry kick). SS — Verploeg 12 pass from Hinder (Spady run). SS — Spady 54 pass from Hinder (Schuette kick). HF — Murphy 24 pass from Sommers (Gerry kick).
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
