The Trojans advanced to championship pool play by going 4-2 in the opening-round pool. HHS defeated Neodesha 70-20, Sedgwick 90-10 and Erie 60-30 before dropping consecutive matches to Collegiate 45-40 and Belle Plaine 60-50. The Trojans bounced back to pummel Bluestem 80-20 in their pool finale.
In the championship pool, Hillsboro went 3-2, losing to Collegiate 75-30, defeating Bell Plaine 40-20 and Hutchinson Trinity 70-30, then losing to Conway Springs 80-60 before finishing with a 40-10 victory over Douglass, who won the regional title with a 4-1 record.
Collegiate, at 3-2, was awarded second by virtue of its head-to-head win over Hillsboro. The top three regional finishers advance to state, which will be at Belle Plaine.
?Once again, everyone contributed significantly to the team?s success,? coach Stuart Holmes said. ?The kids should feel good about qualifying for state. I know they will not be satisfied just to qualify, but making the top three out of all the excellent teams in our 16-team regional was tough and is quite an accomplishment.?
Holmes said Hillsboro?s win over the regional champion, Douglass, indicates the Trojans? are a team to be reckoned with at the state level.
?Our kids are looking forward to state as they know they can compete,? Holmes said.
League?Hillsboro won the Mid-Central Activities Association league meet Jan. 31 at Lyons by edging Marion in the championship match, 45-35.
HHS escaped pool play with a 4-1 record. The Trojans defeated Collegiate 40-30 and Hoisington 75-0, then lost to Haven 50-40 before beating Hesston 75-50 and Ellinwood 60-0.
In the semifinals of the championship bracket, Hillsboro defeated Halstead on a second tie-breaker question, 40-30, to earn the right to face Marion.
?In addition to being very knowledgeable about many different subject, they have done a great job of keeping their composure and thinking clearly in tight matches,? coach Stuart Holmes said of his team. ?Today the team had four matches that were decided by 10 points?only one question out of 16.?
Goessel Invitational?At the 24-team meet at Goessel Jan. 17, the Trojans advanced to bracket competition by going 4-1 in their pool. They defeated Goessel 90-20, Canton-Galva 50-10, Bishop Carroll 60-35 and Hesston 80-40 before losing to Remington 95-30.
In bracket matches, Hillsboro defeated Newton 60-55 in the quarterfinals, Bluestem 35-20 in the semifinals and Marion 90-20 in the finals.
