"I think we competed," he said, noting the performance of Rico Montoya and Chris Harris, both of whom play receiver and defensive back, and George Wolfgramm, an offensive and defensive lineman.

"We were just no good on third down. If we win on third down, this is a much closer ballgame," Pearce said.

Hinds scored two touchdowns in the win and Jordan Welk caught an eight-yard pass for the first touchdown of the game. Mike Jewkes was 3-of-4 kicking extra points, but Hunter was able to block the last extra-point attempt of the game.

Fowler said it was a few players, including senior offensive and defensive lineman James Cowser, who made sure the transition from newcomer to starter went smoothly.

"He helped everyone rally around me," Fowler said. "It really helped me."

He said after Friday's butterflies subsided, all he had to do was the same thing he'd been doing in practice.

"I just put my trust in my teammates," he said. "This is a great feeling."

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E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com