A strong first half showing from the Charger football team wasn't enough, as Hastings outscored the Cliff 17-6 in the second half to spoil Homecoming with a 24-23 Bronco win.
 
"I am proud of how our guys fought," said head coach Shane LaDage. "Credit to Hastings for making more plays in the 4th quarter. We must find ways to run the ball better while also improving our ability to stop the run."
 
A fumble on the first play of the game by Hastings, recovered by Asi Tupua, put the Charger offense on the Bronco 31-yard line just moments into the game. After stalling out on the Hastings 10-yard line, Jonathan Branner got the scoring started with a 27-yard field goal. Briar Cliff took over on their own 44-yard line with six minutes left in the first quarter and put together a six play 56-yard drive capped off by a 21-yard passing touchdown from Luke Davies to Tim Brown. 
 
The Hastings offense found their stride midway through the second quarter, driving it 91 yards on 10 plays to score their first touchdown of the day. BC began their last drive of the first half with just 2:10 left on the clock. Davies navigated the two-minute drill efficiently, completing four straight passes for 66 yards. After a BC timeout with 38 seconds left, the Chargers dialed up a trick play to find the end zone. Dawson Forcella took the handoff from Davies, and just before crossing the line of scrimmage completed a jump pass to Kreggor Clark to go up 17-7 at halftime.
 
Branner converted a 30-yard field goal to open the second half, but Hastings marched 75 yards on eight plays in their next possession to cut the lead to 20-14. The Broncos outscored the Cliff 10-3 in the fourth quarter to pull out the narrow victory.
 
Davies completed 18 of his 30 passing attempts for 267 yards and one touchdown. Kobe Johnson led all receivers with 85 yards on four catches, including a 46-yard reception. Aaron Okoro hauled in six catches for 83 yards, while Tim Brown notched five receptions for 63 yards. Asante Anglin was the main back, rushing for 55 yards on 13 carries. 
 
Freshman Ahkil Muhammad made plays all over for the Charger defense, totaling 13 tackles (nine solo), 3.0 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Tupua tallied seven tackles and one sack. Carlos Alvarez added seven tackles. Branner was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals attempts and went 2-for-2 on PATs.
 
The Blue and Gold will look to bounce back next Saturday against Midland. Kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m. between the Chargers and Warriors.