Sports News

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).
The winner of the Divide County-Williams County game today will decid the Region 5 champion. Both teams are 7-0 entering tonight’s game in Crosby. Divide County is the No. 3 ranked team in this week’s statewide power poll.
Napoleon is the No. 1 team in 9-man football. Mott-Region is No. 2 and Hillsboro No. 4.
Eight games will be played Tuesday, setting the stage for the eight games in the second round next Saturday (Oct. 20).
The quarterfinal round will be played Saturday, Oct. 27, with the semi-final round scheduled Nov. 3.
The eventual state champion will be crowned Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Dakota Bowl in Grand Forks.
The Burros play the winner of the game Tuesday game matching the No. 4 team in Region 1 and Region 3’s No. 3 team. Sargent Central or Ellendale will be the No. 4 team coming out of Region 1. Lakota is the No. 3 team from Region 3.
Hillsboro will play whichever team survives the first round playoff; it could be Sargent Central, Ellendale or Lakota.
Smart money is betting on Lakota reaching the second round and playing the Burros in Hillsboro next Saturday.
Looking ahead, provided the Burros win their playoff game next weekend, Hillsboro could meet Napoleon in the Oct. 27 quarterfinal round.
Napoleon, which defeated Hillsboro, 28-13, last year in the post-season, is the defending state 9-man champion.
“We’re excited for the playoffs to start,” said Burro coach Mark Rerick.
“We feel like we’re a better team than the quarterfinal team of last year.”
Rerick tells how his players want to prove they’re one of the better teams in the east this year.
“We’re playing our best football right now.”
The Burros, focused and intense, according to their coach, must first play Hankinson.
Rerick expected Hankinson (3-2 region, 4-2 overall before Thursday) to throw trick plays and blitzes at the Burros.
Hankinson’s only chance at making the playoffs includes a must-win over the Burros.
“They’ll come to town with guns blazing. They have an offense that can put some points on the scoreboard.”
Hillsboro is averaging 34.4 points a game; Hankinson’s average is 34.9 ppg.
Speed at the receiver positions could pose some match-up problems for the Burros, Rerick said before the game Thursday.
Having said that, the game “should be fun for our guys to finish the regular season on,” said the Burro coach.
It should be a fun ride the rest of the year, Rerick predicted.