NEW PRAGUE — The Austin football team kept it close for most of the first half, but it couldn’t hang with No. 2 seeded New Prague in a 38-12 loss in the first round of the Section 1AAAA playoffs Tuesday.

Austin quarterback Josh Hart hit Andrew Heickly for a 51-yard touchdown pass over the middle to make it 6-6 early in the second quarter, but New Prague responded with an eight play, 77 yard drive that saw Zach Shetka get free on a three-yard toss play for a score with 6:58 left in the first half.

After Shetka’s score, Austin lost a fumble, but Blas Estrada picked off a New Prague pass off a leaping deflection by safety Marcus Stoulil to give the Packers the ball on their own two-yard line. Heickly lost two yards on third down for a safety to make it 15-6 at the break and New Prague blanked Austin 16-0 in the third quarter.

“I’m disappointed, I thought we were improving,” Austin head coach Matt Schmit said. “It’s a fun group of kids and they were starting to get it. They deserve to play again.”

The Packers (0-9 overall) held New Prague’s Jacob Molitor to three yards or less on six of his first seven carries, but he eventually got loose and he finished with 192 yards on the ground to lead the Trojans (6-3 overall).

“We’ve got to play a complete game and when you have miscues on both sides of the ball it’s difficult,” Schmit said. “I’ve never questioned the kid’s heart. They played hard and that’s what you ask for.”

The Trojans (6-3 overall) scored their first touchdown of the game when Alex Dittbemer scored from 11 yards out on fourth and three on a reverse. Dittbemer had converted a third and 12 with a 32 yard run earlier in the drive on the same play.

STATS

Austin rushing: Anthony Condit, 6-for-64; Blas Estrada, 5-for-21; Jay Ettinger, 1-for-(-1); Cole Adams, 1-for-(-2); Andrew Heickly, 4-for-(-8)

Austin passing: Josh Hart, 6-for-16, 118, 2 TD, INT; Estrada, 0-for-3

Austin receiving: Heickly, 1-for-51, TD; Ettinger, 3-for-49, TD; Tom Aase, 2-for-21; Tom Olmsted, 1-for-5

Austin interceptions: Estrada (1)

Austin penalties: 1-for-15

New Prague rushing: Jacob Molitor, 26-for-192, 2 TD; Zach Shetka, 4-for-45, 2 TD; Alex Dittbemer, 2-for-43, TD; Sam Anderson, 2-for-32; Ben Trewartha, 6-for-19; Dakota Cole, 3-for-14; Nick Natole, 3-for-9

New Prague passing: Trewartha, 1-for-2, 16, INT

New Prauge receiving: Molitor, 1-for-16

New Prague penalties: 3-for-15

SCORING SUMMARY

Austin 0 6 0 6 — 12

NP 6 9 16 7 — 38

First quarter

(NP) :0 Alex Dittbemer 11 run (kick failed) (7 plays, 48 yards)

Second quarter

(A) 11:08 Andrew Heickly 51 pass from Josh Hart (kick failed)

(NP) 6:58 Zach Shetka 3 run (Dittbemer kick) (8 plays, 77 yards)

(NP) 1:39 Heickly tackled for safety by New Prague

Third quarter

(NP) 6:32 Jacob Molitor 1 run (Shetka run) (6 plays, 34 yards)

(NP) 2:34 Molitor 11 run (Shetka run) (7 plays, 29 yards)

Fourth quarter

(NP) 11:16 Shetka 35 run (Dittbemer kick) (4 plays, 82 yards)

(A) 10:46 Jay Ettinger 22 pass from Hart (run failed) (4 plays, 78 yards)