Sports News

In a reversal of fortunes, Hillsboro, which started the 2006 football season 0-2, is off to a 2-0 season in 2007.
The Burros ran over and around the Central Valley Valiants, 50-14, last Friday in the second of two games played last week.
In the Aug. 21 season opener, Hillsboro brushed aside Thompson, 27-6.
The 2-0 Burros play tonight at Colfax against the Richland Colts, the Class B 9-man state champion two years ago.
The out-manned Valiants were simply no match for the Burros in Hillsboro’s 36-point win Aug. 24.
The Burros fumbled inside the 5 yard line in their opening drive Friday. A 2-point safety moments later gave Hillsboro a 2-0 lead.
In Hillsboro’s next drive, a Burro TD was called back on a holding penalty.
Junior quarterback Aaron Meyer broke the ice with an 8-yard TD run in the first quarter.
The Burros tacked on four touchdowns in the second quarter to ice the non-conference victory.
Fullback Andrew Grothmann sandwiched a pair of touchdowns around an electrifying 69-yard punt return by Brian Smelden before he added his third TD of the night, scoring untouched from 36 yards out with 8 seconds left to play in the first half.
Score at halftime: Hillsboro 36, Central Valley 0.
Tanner Boeddeker, 5-9 166 lb. sophomore, scored on a 20 yard run in the third quarter and freshman Alex McLean (5-8, 152) added Hillsboro’s final score of the night on a 14-yard run late in the game.
Central Valley’s two second half TDs came on a 24 yard run by Cody Waslien and 16-yard run by Zack Siewert.
Despite the convincing win, HHS coach Mark Rerick was not satisfied the Burro effort.
“It was a disappointing performance by our starters. We weren’t mentally and emotionally prepared to play the game.”
Allowing that the Burros are a good team when they “play hard, intense football,” Rerick recognized the “decent stats” accumulated by Burros against Central Valley, a perennial power in 9-man football.
Hillsboro picked up 15 first downs, 395 yards rushing and another 18 passing.
Central Valley countered with six first downs, 115 yards on the ground and 50 through the air.
Total yards: Hillsboro 413, Central Valley 165.
Grothmann and Smelden each had 100-yard games. Grothmann averaged 20 yards a carry in running for 140 yards on seven carries. Smelden added 102 yards on eight carries, a 12.8 yard average.
Meyer was 1 of 3 passing for 18 yards.
“We need to start throwing the ball better,” offered Rerick.
If we can’t open the field through the air, he said, we’re going to have problems moving the ball against the defenses we’ll be playing.
Jamie Horne and Anthony VonRuden had standout games for Hillsboro on defense.
Horne, Rerick said, “continues to make big plays from his end spot.” The 5-11 163 lb. junior, was credited with the first quarter safety for Hillsboro.
VonRuden simply has a knack for finding the runner, said the Burro coach. The 5-8 162 lb. senior and Grothmann were point leaders on defense.
Rerick also liked the play of two of his freshman, Alex McLean and Oakly Zink. McLean was running out of the Burro backfield while Zink quarterbacked the offense.
McLean played well on both sides of the ball, Rerick said, while Zink marched the Burros down to the goal line on his first series as the Burro signal caller.
The game was played on the Central Valley field under perfect conditions.
The Burros, who played penalty-free football in their first game, were whistled four times for 35 yards Friday at Central Valley.
The Valiants defeated Hillsboro, 20-18, last year. Central Valley finished the campaign last year with seven wins and three losses. Hillsboro was 8-3 in 2006.