Good preparation translated into positive results for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn in its Class A first-round playoff matchup with Tri-Center on Oct. 22. The Hawks built a 44-point lead in the second half and went on to earn a 70-54 win at Peterson Field.

Hawk coach Jay Eilers credited players and coaches with being ready for the highest-scoring playoff contest in program history.

"Our kids practiced at an amazingly high level," Eilers noted. "Our coaches do a tremendous job on film breakdown and we're going to continue to try to put our kids in the best positions available, and then they prove us with just making plays and doing a great job, and playing Hawk football."

Hawk football is built on solid blocking by the offensive line, backs and receivers, along with the running of very talented backs. H-M-S rushed for 454 net yards, led by Connor Dodd who ran for 300 yards and six touchdowns, and Kooper Ebel who added 107.

"We did a tremendous job rushing the ball and it starts with those guys up front, and then we just have two specimens back there who are athletically gifted," Eilers said.

H-M-S's first score – a 25-yard run by Dodd – was set up by Keevyn Jacobsma's punt block. The next was a 49-run by Ebel, which came after his pass interception.

"To start the game with a stop defensively, a blocked punt, you couldn't ask for anything better with our kids," Eilers noted.

Dodd ran for three more scores and Ryan Borden added another to build a 44-6 lead.

Michael Turner, who scored the Trojans' first touchdown, returned the ensuing kickoff to the end zone. That left H-M-S with 1:11 on the clock which was too much time, as Dodd scored on 4-yard run with 9.6 seconds remaining.

H-M-S started the second half with Ebel's 82-yard kickoff return to the end zone. Taking advantage of a fumble recovery, Tri-Center scored on Turner's 33-yard run. H-M-S came back with a long drive that culminated with Ethan Diehm's 4-yard scoring run.

The Trojans cut the lead to 64-46 with a 56-yard run, a 71-yard pass and a punt return. Eilers had put in the JV offense and defense in the fourth quarter, but the starters were on the field when Dodd scored the final time on a 52-yard run.

Turner added the final score for Tri-Center to narrow the margin to 16 points.

Eilers admitted he was nervous as the lead dwindled, but he did not fault the JV players.

"That's a tough situation for our JV to go in versus varsity players for as long as they went against them," he said. "Our JV never went against [their] JV. I know our JV played as hard as they could and I appreciate them for that."

H-M-S allowed 247 net rushing yards and 77 through the air. Defensive leaders (total/solo) were Lance Berends 7.5/6, Travis Kamradt 7.0/5, Ebel 6.5/5, Elijah Groeneweg 3.5/3 (2 sacks), and Keaton Graves and Jacobsma 3.0/2.

• Next up: vs. North Butler, Greene

North Butler (8-1) comes to Hartley on Friday for the second round of the Class A playoffs. The Bearcats are in District 2 with West Hancock, to whom they lost (36-0). They defeated Starmont, 12-0, in the first round of the playoffs.

North Butler has scored 264 points and has only allowed 84. They've accumulated 2,350 rushing yards, passed for 346 and scored 34 offensive touchdowns.

MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS

Elijah Groeneweg is about to bring down Tri-Center quarterback Maddox Anderson for one of his two sacks in the Hawks' playoff win.

H-M-S coaches and players will prepare for Friday's game as they have all season.

"I just think we do what we do. I think we break the film down the way we do. I think we try to present the information to our kids the way we do," he said. "I did challenge our kids to increase their watching of Hudl [an athletic video service] individually, but other than that I think we just stay consistent. I think we stay with what we do and ride the horse that got us here."