Sports News

Hillsboro won its fourth straight game of the year, third in Region 2 9-man football, by shutting out Northern Cass, 28-0, last Friday on the Burros’ home field.
The whitewash of the Jaguars maintained the Burros’ share of the region lead.
Hillsboro, Wyndmere-Lidgerwood and Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page are undefeated and 2-0 in the region. The Burros, 4-0 overall, have one more win than the 3-0 W-L Warriors and the 3-0 F-S-H-P Spartans.
Hillsboro and Wyndmere-Lidgerwood clash tonight at Wyndmere in a game many are certain will live up to the hype of a Friday Night Lights clash of two high school Class B powers.
The Burros for the last two weeks have been the No. 5 team in the state 9-man power poll, trailing Napoleon, Mott-Regent, Edgeley-Kulm and Divide County. Wyndmere-Lidgerwood has received votes from the state’s sportswriters and sportscasters but not enough to break into the top 5.
Playing better each week, the Burros dominated the Jaguars last Friday. Wyndmere-Lidgerwood stopped Richland, 28-22. The Burros beat the Richland Colts, 35-8, two weeks ago.
The Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page Spartans kept pace with the Burros and Warriors by beating Hankinson, 44-36, in a Region 2 shootout.
The Burros and F-S-H-P Spartans meet Sept. 28 in Page.
Never mind what the rest of the region is doing, Burro coach Mark Rerick hinted.
“Friday night will be our biggest challenge so far this season. Wyndmere-Lidgerwood has been a perennial playoff team in both 9-man and 11-man.”
The Warriors, Rerick said, are athletic, extremely so. “They’re battle-tested and they’re physical.”
The Warriors are led by running backs Chris McKay (5-8, 160 lbs.), Zach Puetz (5-11, 195) and Garret Heitkamp (5-11, 190). McKay was second team all-state last year.
They could give us all kinds of problems, offered Rerick. How well the Burros contain the Warrior running game will be a huge factor in who wins the game.
Rerick would prefer his defense dictate the tempo of the game.
“We have to avoid a shoot out with them because they can put a ton of points on the board.”
Hillsboro and Wyndmere-Lidgerwood are two playoff caliber teams, according to the Hillsboro coach.
The Warriors reached the semi-finals of the 11-man playoffs last year.