Hillman welcomes Mio for opening round playoff matchup
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HILLMAN -- For the 16th year in a row, the Hillman football team is back in the playoffs.
After a rocky start to the season, the Tigers went from battling just to get into the playoffs to winning five straight to end the regular season and hosting a first round playoff matchup tonight.
Hillman (6-3) will welcome a familiar foe in longtime North Star League rival Mio (6-3) and the Tigers will be looking to avenge an early loss to the Thunderbolts.
Mio blanked the Tigers back in Week 2, 12-0.
Hillman was sluggish out of the gates this year, being shut out in its first two games of the season on their way to a 1-3 start.
Since then the Tigers managed to claw their way back to the postseason in convincing fashion, scoring 20 points or more during their five-game winning streak.
"We've been focused and have been working really hard. After starting 1-3, I never would have thought we would be hosting a playoff game. I didn't even think it was a possibility because we were just battling to stay in," Hillman coach Cody Allen said. "Credit to the team for sticking together and buying into what we were trying to do and it paid off."
The Tigers learned a lot from the loss to Mio as turnovers and penalties hurt Hillman. The Tigers are aware that the Thunderbolts are a physical team that plays tough defensively. Mio has held three opponents to 16 points or less this season and posted a pair of shutouts, including the victory over the Tigers.
Both teams know each other very well. Tonight's game will mark the 64th overall meeting between the two programs, with Hillman owning the slight 33-30 edge in the rivalry.
The Tigers have lost their last two games against Mio and suffered a 36-20 defeat in their most recent playoff game against Mio in 2010.
Despite the 63 games played between the two schools, this will be just the third time Hillman and Mio meet in the playoffs. Both teams have won a first round matchup and the Tigers shut out the Thunderbolts 27-0 in 2007 in the teams' first playoff meeting.
"Coming into this game, we're a better team now and they're a better team too so this should be a real good fight," Allen said. "They are a balanced team. They like to throw and they're going to run. Limiting their big plays and playing Hillman style football, controlling the clock, running the ball effectively will be key for us tonight."
Hillman enters tonight riding a wave of momentum and that momentum could prove to be the difference. Mio has played just one game in the past three weeks, having two games result in forfeit, a forfeit win three weeks ago for the Thunderbolts and a loss as a Covid issue forced Mio to forfeit its regular season finale.
The Thunderbolts lost the last game they played, 38-26 to Rogers City, so Mio hasn't earned a victory on the field in nearly a month.
"This will be the third playoff game we've played against them during our playoff streak and it's 1-1 right now. You really just have to throw away what happened against them in the regular season and just expect a hard-nose, physical North Star League matchup," Allen said. "Control the ball, don't let up big plays on defense, control the clock and really grind out the win the best way we can has always been what we've done here in Hillman. We're real excited and excited to have the opportunity to host a playoff game. The kids are excited, but at the same time, focused on trying to get that win Friday night."