The injury bug bit Aberdeen Central at a most inopportune time.

Because of injuries to both their first and second-string quarterbacks, the Golden Eagles moved senior wide-out Colby Dauwen from receiver to quarterback and put together a revamped offensive scheme for Friday’s Eastern South Dakota Conference football contest against Huron.

But despite more than 150 yards passing from Dauwen and some key defensive stands, the Golden Eagles couldn’t find a consistent rhythm, falling to the visiting Tigers by a 10-0 count.

“That doesn’t help at all,” said Central coach Justin Briese of having to revise its offense schematics in the middle of the season. “It kind of makes us a little more one-dimensional and a little bit easier for defenses to key in on what we’re doing. It makes it a tough go for the offense. There were some sparks here and there. We had some receivers open, just couldn’t come down with the ball. Just tough, hard to change up your offense mid-season like that.”

Dauwen, for his part, was 15 of 32 passing for 153 yards with completions to five different receivers. He also carried the ball 13 times on designed runs, while taking just one sack and throwing just one interception, that coming late in the game as the Golden Eagles became pressed for time.

“I always have the mindset that I want to be the guy,” Dauwen said. “I took it a little too hard on myself, I think, this week, but I wanted to be that guy.”

Huron scored with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half and again with less than 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jonathan Peterson caught a 1-yard pass from Colton McNeil to cap a Huron drive that started on the Tigers own 27. Micah Larson then booted home a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter after Central withstood a first-and-goal situation from the 1-yardline.

“Our defense is tough,” Dauwen said. “So good. … It’s so hard to play offense against us. We did a hell of a job. We’ve got to put points on the board on offense.”

Central also blocked a second Huron field goal attempt in the third quarter when Jaxon Henley rejected a 34-yard attempt from Larson.

“The defense is playing tough,” Briese said. “It’s tough when it’s bad field position at times. We put ourselves in a tough spot, but they’re always playing hard and looking to make plays.”

Down two possessions, the Golden Eagles appeared to put a dent in that deficit with a Dauwen touchdown pass to Joey Dallman with 1:45 to play in the game. That score, however, was negated by Central’s first holding penalty of the contest.

“It hurts,” Dauwen said of that revoked score. “We could have made a run, get the onside kick and then that happened. But it was back and forth all game. You can’t define us by one play.”

Dallman had nine carries for 43 yards to lead the way for the Golden Eagles. He also had three catches for 31 yards. Ridley Waldo also caught three passes for a team-best 47 yards, while running nine times for another 17 yards.

Huron was led by McNeil’s 21-for-38 passing effort for 210 yards. He completed passes to six different receivers, most notably Anderson Porisch, who caught four passes for 52 yards. Blake Ellwein also had four catches for 47 yards.

As a team, Huron finished with negative yardage in the run game, concluding with -5 yards on 26 attempts, though 10 of those negative yards came on kneel downs to run out the clock at the end of the game.

“That’s what we want them to do,” Briese said. “Take away their run game and force them to pass. They started throwing the ball and made some completions and some receptions that we thought we had guys covered, but didn’t.”

Central has two games left in the regular season, including next weekend’s home finale against Sioux Falls Lincoln.

“It’s time for us to focus on us and focus on what we did well and what we didn’t do well,” Briese said. “Obviously, we get some more players back and fight this injury stuff that goes through the season, that’s just what happens. You have to fight through it and find a way. Next guy up’s gotta be able to make something happen. We’ll get a few guys back and it starts to get more normal.”

Aberdeen Central 0 0 0 0 – 0 

Huron 0 7 3 0 – 10

First quarter

No scoring.

Second quarter

HUR – Jonathan Peterson 1 pass from Colton McNeil (Micah Larson kick), 29.8.

Third quarter

HUR – Larson 23 field goal.

Fourth quarter

No scoring.

OFFENSE: Huron rushing 26- -5 (Thackory Hansen 14-16); passing 21-38-1 for 210 (Colton McNeil); receiving (Anderson Porish 4-52, Blake Ellwein 4-47, Mason Jurgens 4-44, Landon Hulst 5-44). Aberdeen Central rushing 32-86 (Colby Dauwen 13-29, Joey Dallman 9-43); passing 15-32-1 for 153 (Dauwen), receiving (Ridley Waldo 3-47, Dallman 3-31, Brody Aesoph 4-31).
DEFENSE: Huron, Porisch interception; Aberdeen Central, Cordel Rychlik interception, Jaxon Henley blocked kick.