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Last modified: Monday, November 9, 2009 8:39 AM CST
Pirates rally to reach 9-man championship game
by Kathleen Leinen • Daily News
Hankinson came into the fourth quarter with a two touchdown deficit.
In order to reach the state finals, they knew they had to stop Hillsboro’s option and score two touchdowns.
They’ve come from behind before and they knew they could do it again. With just under four minutes of play, Hankinson was in scoring range. Garrett Stein ran in from 10 yards out and a stunned Hillsboro team saw their 20-8 lead dwindle to 20-15.
The defending 9-man champions had the ball and time on their hands. Hillsboro thought they could run the clock out, but four downs later they turned the ball over on downs.
An electric team had less than two minutes to dance with destiny. Quarterback Alex Althoff put the Pirates into position by taking it to the air. He found receivers under pressure and moved the ball down the field.
Coach Jason Monilaws called time out when his team was first and goal.
Althoff looked him in the eye and asked for the ball.?He said, “I can do it.” Monilaws couldn’t have put the ball in better hands. The 5-yard touchdown run put the Pirates up by two. They sealed the win in the final six seconds when Danny Hangaard picked up the ball and ran in a 76-yard fumble recovery.
Hankinson won 29-20 and move on to the state finals this Friday. They play the Parshall Braves at 12 p.m. Friday in the Fargo Dome.
“I am so proud of each and everyone of you,” Monilaws told his team. “You gave this everything you had and we won.”
As their excited fans congratulated the team, a stunned coaching staff looked at the score again. When Hankinson won the quarterfinal game the week before Monilaws said in order to beat Hillsboro the boys would have to climb a mountain. Not only did they climb that mountain, they scaled the peak and put their flag on top to claim the territory.
Hi-Mayo 39-yard run (pass failed)
Hi-Mayo 21-yard pass (Mayo to Grothmann)
Ha-Althoff 5-yard run (Stein run)
Hi-Mayo 19-yard run (run failed)
Ha-Stein 10-yard run (Roeder kick)
Ha-Althoff 5-yard run (Roeder kick)
Ha-Hangaard 76-yard fumble recovery (Roeder kick)
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