The No. 1 seed in this week’s District 3 girls volleyball tournament in Hillsboro will be the No. 3 seed in next week’s Region 2 tourney in Grafton.
The Hillsboro Burros, the regular season champs in District 3 and seeded No. 1 in the district tournament played this week in Hillsboro, were regulated to the consolation bracket when they were beaten by Central Valley, 3-0, Monday night at the Events Center.
The Burros bounced back Tuesday night, beating Griggs County Central, 3-0. The win gave the Burros an automatic bid in the Region 2 tournament starting Monday in Grafton. Keep reading →
Hillsboro’s Burros were instructed all year they had to execute and outwork every opponent in every game.
“We’re an average team if we don’t,” explained coach Mark Rerick.
The game plan stressing a work ethic that proved unrivaled in its first 10 games, all won by the Burros, Hillsboro abandoned the winning formula Saturday at Napoleon in a 44-19 loss to the Imperials in the quarterfinal round of the state’s 9-man football playoffs.
The disappointing loss ended Hillsboro’s season at 10 wins and one loss. Keep reading →
For the third straight year Hillsboro has been eliminated in the postseason by the Napoleon Imperials.
It happened again last weekend.
The defending 9-man state champion overpowered the Burros, 44-19, Saturday at Napoleon in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs.
The Imperials knocked the Burros out of the running two years ago in Napoleon. Last year, the Imperials beat the Burros, 28-13, in Hillsboro in the quarterfinal round. Keep reading →
Click here to get to the Banner PhotoSpot to view the latest & greatest in local sports images!
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. Keep reading →
Don’t forget… The Banner PhotoSpot is your online sports photo source!
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. Keep reading →
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. Keep reading →
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. Keep reading →
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. Keep reading →
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.” Keep reading →
