It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Bismarck Lions had no problem doing just that on Friday. They breezed by Hackett at home to the tune of 42-13. Considering Bismarck has won nine contests by more than 27 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Hackett's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performance. Perhaps the best among them was Brycen Hamilton, who gained 129 total yards and a touchdown. Hamilton really tore up the turf during one magnificent 73-yard run. Another player making a difference was Wyatt Hester, who picked up 170 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The victory was the fifth in a row for Bismarck, bringing their record for this year to 9-2. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 0-10 Two Rivers and 1-9 Danville (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 32.9% over those games). As for Hackett, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-5.
Bismarck will face off against Charleston at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Charleston is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road. Hackett does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
