Battle of wills goes to H-M-S

Wins in intra-county football battles with South O'Brien have been limited in the past decade, so Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn had plenty to celebrate after a 26-0 triumph at Paullina.

The victory over the Wolverines was just the second for H-M-S since taking three straight from 2008-10, including two shutout wins.

Hawk coach Jay Eilers anticipated Friday night's game would be a ball-control battle and it was. He was pleased with the outcome.

"Our offense was outstanding. I thought we controlled the ball well," Eilers said. "I'm proud of our kids in terms of ball security. That will be a big part of...