The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Into their final game of the Nine-Man Region 1 season, the Hankinson Pirates were looking good for the region's last playoff spot, at least on paper.
The Pirates, along with Maple River, were each in need of a win and hopeful for the other's defeat to grab the number four seed.
All Hankinson needed to do was get past the 1-6 Griggs/Midkota Titans, while Maple River had the misfortune of drawing top-ranked Sargent County in the luck of the scheduling.
But that's why they play the game.
Hankinson did indeed take a 34-26 win over the Titans in Cooperstown Friday night, October 13, to make the field and draw #2 overall seed New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock in this past Saturday's first round, but G-M certainly made them earn it.
"We felt like we really matched up well with them," Titan Head Coach Ryan Dockter said. "Being a playoff-caliber team, they certainly have the capabilities to score, and in the first half, we went back and forth with them."
Parker Hubrig's one-yard run put Hankinson on the board first, and G-M answered with a six-yard touchdown by Kindle Carlson. Neither team converted on their two-point attempts, and it was 6-6 after one.
The script remained the same for the second quarter, as the Pirates' Raeshaun Earl and Titans' CJ Rainey traded scores. And, again, both PAT tries failed, making a 12-12 halftime score in the finale.
In the third quarter, Rainey accounted for both the touchdown and the two-point play to give G-M their first lead at 20-12, but that euphoria was short-lived as Hubrig took the ensuing kickoff to the house. With the missed extra point, the Titans had a slim two-point advantage at 20-18 going into the fourth.
Dockter maintained optimism that G-M was turning the tide.
"For the third, I thought we really outplayed them on both sides of the ball, and [Hankinson] was getting tired," Dockter said. "Our offense was running smoothly, and the defense was able to create some turnovers."
The Titans thought they had the back-breaker with Rainey's 52-yard run to make it 26-18, but they missed the two-point conversion, keeping it at a one-possession game.
Hankinson took that opportunity and tied the game with a big 52-yard pass from Earl to Hubrig, and Earl's two-point run. The Pirates' winning score came on a three-yard score from Earl, and he added the conversion for good measure.
"At the end of the game, we struggled covering their five wide receiver sets, while still trying to manage [Earl's] running ability, and we came up just a little short," said Dockter. "There were a few broken coverages along the way, too."
Dockter lauded the efforts of the Titan offensive line, which allowed the ground game to get over 250 yards rushing. Rainey was the top runner, with 131 yards on 14 carries.
In the passing game, lineman Levi Kautzman even got into the act with a 75-yard reception, which set up one of Rainey's three touchdowns.
Griggs/Midkota's season concluded with a 1-7 record, but they played within a possession in two of those losses, and the lessons learned could help them move up the standings in future campaigns.
Nine-Man - Region 1 Football
Hankinson 34,
Griggs/Midkota 26
Hank. 6 6 6 16 - 34
G-M 6 6 8 6 - 26
First Quarter
Hankinson: Parker Hubrig 1 yard run (conversion failed)
G-M: Kindle Carlson 6 yard run (conversion failed)
Second Quarter
Hankinson: Raeshaun Earl 2 yard run (conversion failed)
G-M: CJ Rainey 4 yard run (conversion failed)
Third Quarter
G-M: Rainey 9 yard run (Rainey run)
Hankinson: Hubrig 70 yard kickoff return (conversion failed)
Fourth Quarter
G-M: Rainey 52 yard run (conversion failed)
Hankinson: Hubrig 52 yard pass from Earl (Earl run)
Hankinson: Earl 3 yard run (Earl run)
