Hill City Prevailer

Messick hits 1,000 point milestone

Published by admin on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 9:43am
Hill City senior Zane Messick reached a major career milestone Tuesday night as the Rangers rolled past Hot Springs 60-20 in the opening round of the Region 8A boys basketball playoffs.
An all-senior starting line-up took the court for the final home game of the season. The Rangers came out aggressive on both ends of the floor, moving the ball well and spreading out the offense. The team’s hustle defense set the tone early, forcing turnovers that converted into offensive opportunities. 

Rangers advance over Bison, fall to Cavs

Published by admin on Wed, 03/04/2026 - 8:50am
The number three seeded Hill City Rangers girls’ basketball team opened postseason play in a dominant fashion Tuesday night, rolling past the Hot Springs Bison 64-16 in a first-round home playoff matchup.
Hill City’s relentless defense and up-tempo offense overwhelmed the young Bison team from the outset.
Hot Springs’ Haylee White scored the first point, going one-for-two from the free-throw line. It would be the only Bison point until late in the opening quarter, when Taryn Bande Stroet added two more from the line.

Hill City Rangers pounce on Wildcats

Published by admin on Wed, 02/25/2026 - 9:30am
The Hill City Rangers boys basketball team ended its regular season with a  big win against the Custer Wildcats after a 60-41 loss to St. Thomas More Feb. 21.
The Rangers came into the Custer game Feb. 23 with an 11-8 record while the Wildcats were struggling to create a winning season, sitting at 5-14 and coming off of back-to-back losses.

Frasier brings home fifth place at regions

Published by admin on Wed, 02/25/2026 - 9:27am
Hill City seventh grader Aspen Frasier placed fifth in the 106-pound weight class bracket at the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) Region 4B wrestling tournament held in Hill City Feb. 21.
The 93-pound Frasier faced opposition from five opponents, beating three. Frasier took on seventh grader Traedyn Stirling of Harding County early in the day in a one period match up. Frasier next faced Whitten Luper of Hot Springs. The match went two periods with two Frasier takedowns.

Rangers play cat and mouse with Wildcats

Published by admin on Wed, 02/25/2026 - 9:26am
In a game marked by sheer unpredictability, the Hill City Rangers and Custer Wildcats played a physical and cunning game of cat and mouse in Tuesday night’s matchup in Custer.
“You really have to buckle down mentally in physical games like that, and we struggled to do so,” said head coach Anna Eckert.

Boys basketball knocks down two more

Published by admin on Wed, 02/18/2026 - 8:32am
The Hill City Rangers celebrated Senior Night Thursday in front of the home crowd prior to tip-off against the Douglas Patriots.
Recognized from the basketball team were Dax Frandsen, Brensen Veneklasen, Zane Messick, Nick Schroeder, James DuBois and Isaiah Brewer. From the cheer team, Dacey Williams, Layla Williams and Anna Winter were also recognized.
“It was nice to see so many people out for Senior Night,” said head coach Laramie Harvey. “It’s a group of kids that have invested a lot into the program, and we’re very grateful.”

Rangers round out Patriots, fall to Tatanka

Published by admin on Wed, 02/18/2026 - 8:31am
The Hill City Ranger girls basketball team hosted the Douglas Patriots Tuesday night at Gins Gym, using a fast start and stifling defense to secure a decisive victory.
The game opened at a quick pace and turned heated as the Douglas coach received a bench warning early in the first quarter followed by a player technical foul as tensions flared.
Alaina Dean calmly knocked down both free throws, and the Rangers took next possession where Daril Frandsen put-back her own rebound to continue a 13-point Ranger run.

Ranger girls take two more wins

Published by admin on Wed, 02/11/2026 - 9:26am
The Hill City Rangers girls basketball team hosted their neighbors from the south, the Chadron, Neb., Cardinals in the Gins Gym last Tuesday night.
The game opened at a fast pace but with little polish, as both teams traded turnovers and struggled to find any kind of offensive rhythm early in the first quarter.

Ranger boys win back to back games

Published by admin on Wed, 02/11/2026 - 9:25am
The Hill City Rangers boys basketball team took home two wins this week. The boys played the Chadron Cardinals at home Feb. 3.
Chadron scored first and had the lead by as much as eight points in quarter one. 
The quarter ended with four points separating teams. The Cardinals scored points early in the second and kept the lead until about five minutes remained in half. The Rangers dumped baskets getting nine unanswered points. 

Wrestle mania came to Hill City tournaments

Published by admin on Wed, 02/11/2026 - 9:23am
It was a weekend of wrestling in Hill City as the high school hosted 28 teams at the Black Hills Classic Tournament Feb. 7.
The Hill City Rangers high school wrestling team  placed 24th overall and had three wrestlers compete. 
Aspen Frasier took sixth place in the 106 weight class. Frasier faced six opponents and defeated three, including eighth grader Eric Willims of Rapid City Stevens, who Frasier beat by decision 6-3.