Sports News

Hillsboro’s Burros, ranked 5th in the first statewide power poll, play a team tonight (Friday) that’s accustomed to winning.
The Richland Colts, 6-2 last year and the 2005 state champion in 9-man football, beat Sargent Central, 34-13, last week. The Colts were beaten by Edgeley-Kulm, 20-0, in the opening week of the 2007 high school football season.
Edgeley-Kulm, knocked out of post-season play last year by the Burros, was the third ranked team this week behind Napoleon, last year’s state champ, and Mott-Regent. Divide County was this week’s 4th ranked team.
The Colts, unbeaten in their 2005 state title year, return seven starters from last year’s team.
Juan Enriquez (5-9 185 lbs.) quarterbacks the Colts. The junior started last year.
Senior end Jon Johnson (5-7 170) was a second team all-state selection in 2006. Senior linebacker John Bessette (6-3 210) is a force on defense.
The Colts will be “very competitive,” said coach Jeff Sheehan.
The Mark Rerick-coached Burros expects Richland to spread the field tonight in Colfax.
“We’ll have to shore up our open-field tackling,” warned the HHS coach. And, he said, we’ll have to play better than we did against Central Valley.
“Richland is too good to make many mistakes and still be successful.”
Execution by the Burros on offense will be the key, said Rerick.
Lee Alfson, formerly of Hillsboro, is an assistant coach with Richland.
Hillsboro shares the early lead in Region 2, along with unbeaten Griggs County Central. Both teams are 2-0.