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All eyes are on Hillsboro as the Burros tackle the third leg of their title run at the Dakota Bowl in the FargoDome.
The Burros, 35-6 winners in last Saturday’s second round, play Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter tomorrow (Saturday) in the quarterfinals of the 9-man playoffs.
Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. on the Napoleon High School football field.
The Burro team bus is leaving tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock. Napoleon is about 3 hours from Hillsboro.
The Road to the Dome started 10 weeks ago with the Burros’ 27-6 victory over Thompson. The Burros have won nine straight games since the Aug. 21 season opener.
The postseason ends Saturday, Nov. 9 with the Dakota Bowl at the FargoDome.
Eight teams are still on the Road to the Dome.
The road will become less crowded after tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
Hillsboro doesn’t figure to be one of the teams eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the state 9-man football playoffs.
“It should be a lot of fun,” commented Hillsboro coach Mark Rerick.
It’ll be a war.
Both teams are undefeated with perfect 9-0 records. Napoleon, which knocked Hillsboro from the postseason the last two years, has been the No. 1 ranked team all year long.
Hillsboro has been riding along as the No. 4 ranked team, behind the Imperials, Mott-Regent and Divide County. (more…)
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Perhaps, Lakota underestimated the Burros.
They shouldn’t have, if they did.
And if they did, they learned early it was a mistake.
Running on adrenaline and a sore ankle, Hillsboro’s horse in the backfield, Andrew Grothmann, burst through the line on two first quarter plays, pushed aside Lakota’s linebackers and rumbled untouched for 36 and 76 yards and the Burros were ahead to stay 14-0. (more…)
By NEIL O. NELSON
Playoff football fever has enveloped Hillsboro.
The fans are excited, anyway.
The football Burros are another story.
Quietly embracing the notoriety of being a repeat region champion and the No. 4 ranked team in the state in 9-man football, the undefeated Hillsboro Burros will take their business as usual game strategy into tomorrow’s playoff game much like they have all year.
They’ll quietly march in orderly fashion from the Hillsboro Events Center to the adjacent football field, where they’ll line up for pre-game warm-ups, ever mindful of the opposing team that is noisily preparing for the start of the game, which by the time Hillsboro is on the field is only minutes away. (more…)
Lakota, the preseason pick to win Region 3, finished third behind unbeaten North Border and the 8-1 Dakota Prairie Knights.
The Raiders, the No. 3 seed out of the northeast region in 9-man fooball, beat Sargent Central of Forman, 38-13, Tuesday to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
Hillsboro’s opponent tomorrow (Saturday) finished the regular season schedule with six wins and two defeats. The Raiders, beaten earlier this year by Dakota Prairie, were defeated by North Border last Thursday at the Alerus center on a last minute touchdown.
A team that stakes much of its success on the Raider running game, much like Hillsboro, Lakota generally hands the ball off to Lance Johansen, who scored two touchdowns against Sargent Central Tuesday. (more…)
Junior fullback Andrew Grothmann scored five touchdowns in Hillsboro’s come from behind 48-34 victory over Hankinson last Thursday on the Burros’ home field.
But it was his late-game interception that sealed the Burros’ eighth straight win.
Andrew Grothmann, said Burro coach Mark Rerick, “continues to be there when we need him.”
Leading 40-34 late in the fourth quarter, Grothmann picked off a Hankinson pass deep in Burro territory. The 210-lb. fullback’s last of five touchdowns and Hillsboro’s last TD of the night a minute later gave the Burros win No. 8 in the 2007 9-man high school football season.
The linebacker on defense also had eight solo tackles.
His interception, said Rerick, was big. (more…)
With the start of the District 3 volleyball tournament a week away, Hillsboro has one match remaining on its 2007 regular season schedule.
The Burros play in Fargo Monday night at Oak Grove.
The District 3 tournament, hosted by Hillsboro, starts Thursday. The tourney at the Hillsboro Events Center ends Tuesday night.
The Burros, who beat West Fargo JV, 3-2, Monday night, remain at the top of the district standings.
All of coach Jamie Rerick’s players participated in the Monday night match at West Fargo.
And they were all tired at the end of the match, said the Burro coach.
“That’s a good sign, they all worked very hard. They deserved the win.” (more…)
By ANNA AUSTIN
Central Valley’s well-maintained football field is no longer without a name. At the school’s last regular season home game October 5, the field was officially named after the Valiants coach of over 30 years, Randy Vigen.
“It’s a big surprise and honor,” said Vigen. “Something I will always cherish.”
Vigen, a native of Hatton, N.D., coached alongside former assistant coach Dave Kleveland for the duration of his career. He now has four other assistant coaches —Nathan Walsh, who is on his seventh year coaching, Skylar Dutton, Frank Justin and Aaron Sundeen.
“He is a top notch coach and an even better friend,” said Walsh.
Walsh is finishing his second year as head assistant coach. (more…)
Leading 41-0 at the half, the Hillsboro Burros coasted to their eighth win of the season Friday, beating Griggs County Central, 49-28, on the Burros’ home field.
The win clinched the Region 2 title for the undefeated Burros, who played Hankinson yesterday (Thursday) in the final game on the regular season schedule.
Hillsboro drew a bye in the first round of the 9-man football playoffs. The Mark Rerick-coached Burros will play next Saturday (Oct. 20) in Hillsboro. The Burros will meet the winner of Tuesday’s game between the No. 4 team in Region 1 and the No. 3 team out of Region 3. (more…)
With 8 down, 1 to go, Hillsboro played Hankinson yesterday (Thursday).
The game was a tune-up for 9-man state playoffs, starting Tuesday across the state.
Already with a bye in the opening round, the Burros will play next Saturday on their home field. Kickoff is anticipated to be 1:30 p.m. Burro football fans are cautioned: NDHSAA will set game times next week for all Oct. 20 playoff games.
The exact bracketing in the state playoffs will be set after this week’s games.
Region champions already determined and awarded first-round byes, in addition to Hillsboro, were North Border (Region 3), Napoleon (Region 1), and Mott-Regent (Region 6). (more…)
