Sports News

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. 
Napoleon averages 35 points a game; the Imperials have been allowing teams 7 points each game. Hillsboro, meanwhile, has been averaging 39 ppg and giving the opposition an average 15 each game.
Hillsboro beat Lakota last weekend, 35-6. The Imperials stopped Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page 28-14.
In other quarterfinal games tomorrow (Saturday), Dakota Prairie is at North Border; Central McLean is at Divide County; and Mott-Regent hosts St. John.
The Burros are excited about playing Napoleon, said Rerick.
“Playing the No. 1 team at their place is the biggest challenge we’ve had yet.”
It will be a playoff atmosphere in an unfriendly environment, according to the Burro coach.
The Hillsboro coach feels good about the game tomorrow.
“We’re playing with a ton of confidence right now.
He doesn’t expect a high-scoring game. I’ll be surprised, very surprised if there’s more than 40 points total scored.”
The Imperials, he said, will come right at his Burros.
“They play power football, they run between the tackles, nothing fancy.”
They indicate where they want to go and try beat you there, said Rerick.
Ball control will be a key in the game.
Who makes the stops and gets the ball back with time on the clock will be in the driver’s seat, the Burro coach explained.
Imperial players to watch are Kriss McCleary, 5-11 210 lb. running back and a linebacker on defense; Cole Laber, 6-3 210 lb. lineman on offense and linebacker on defense; and Evan Gross, 5-8 160 lb. running back. Gross will carry the ball 30 to 40 times a game.
McCleary, Laber and Gross are studs, according to Burro coaches.
The defending state champions graduated six starters from last year’s team that stopped the Burros, 28-13, in the second round. Napoleon is coached by Jon Schiele.
The Burros were in “good spirits” at practice this week, Rerick noted.
“We were a little dinged up after the Lakota game, but we’ll be all right.”
The Burros have added a handful of new plays just for Napoleon, said the HHS coach.
“It should be fun,” he said again.
No, it’ll be a war.