Hill City Prevailer

The Rangers might have won 3-0 (25-19, 25-12, 25-20) against the Spearfish Spartans on Sept. 10, but there was nothing easy about the win.

The mood in Gins Gym was electric that night as the two teams traded leads with one another before the Rangers closed out the game.

The match started out with a strong start by the Rangers, who went up 11-0 in the first set thanks to some excellent service by senior Hailey Wathen, who had two aces during that run.

Spearfish, though, did not go quietly into that goodnight.

The Hill City Rangers football team looks to improve every day and create a football mentality in each player, said head coach Brett Eckert.

He also expects them to create a physical aspect to their game.

“Austin Groven has started on both sides of the ball last year and has taken over our qurterback position,” Eckert said.” He is very knowledgeable about our offense which gives us the ability to check into good plays at the line of scrimmage under his direction. Tanner Davis is only a junior and is expected to lead.”

The Hill City Rangers volleyball team is aiming high.

The team lost just two seniors to graduation, yet the two were strong players, said Lindsy Wathen, head coach. The team is looking to fill the gaps the pair left in the front row and go further into post season play this year.

Sophomore Braden Weiss started this year’s wrestling season with a bang by winning the 120-pound weight class at last weekend’s season-opening Custer Invitational.

Weiss started the tournament with a bye before defeating John Jeffery of Spearfish by major decision 15-2. Weiss followed that up with a 12-2 major decision victory over Ryne Bostrom of Sturgis 12-2 before defeating Maverick Simons, also of Sturgis, 4-2 for the tournament title.