Danny Hangaard, one of eight seniors hoping to make the playoffs, helped Hankinson make the most of its first appearance in a state championship football game.
Hangaard's two third-quarter touchdown receptions lifted the Pirates to a 27-12 win over Parshall-White Shield and a North Dakota 9-man state title Friday at the Fargodome.
"This is unbelievable ... it's amazing," said Hangaard, who admitted he never would have dreamed at the start of the season playing for the school's first state championship football team. "We started believing."
Especially after last week's incredible come-from-behind 29-20 semifinal win over defending state champion Hillsboro. That's when the Pirates overcame a 20-8 deficit in final three minutes.
"I can't really describe this feeling because it's been such an emotional roller coaster during these playoffs," said Hankinson head coach Jason Monilaws, whose team also posted a come-from-behind second-round win at Napoleon. "It's our eight seniors ... period. They took it on their shoulders that they were going to play until their last breath."
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Nursing a 12-6 lead in the third quarter, Hangaard got behind two Parshall defenders to score a 23-yard touchdown. On Hankinson's next possession, Parshall bit on a fake handoff to running back Garrett Stein - leaving Hangaard wide open for a 37-yard touchdown reception.
"It was run, run, run, so we knew the play action would work," said Hangaard, son of longtime Sargent Central football coach Glenn Hangaard.
"We've kind of been waiting for Danny to have a big game," said Monilaws, whose team won its final nine games to finish with a 10-3 record. "And he definitely picked the right game to have it."
Parshall-White Shield, led by quarterback Jaren Enockson's 124 yards rushing, finished the season with a 9-3 record.
Hankinson 27, Parshall-White Shield 12
Parshall-White Shield 0 6 0 6 -- 12
Hankinson 6 6 15 0 -- 27
H-Althoff 31 run (kick failed)
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P-Two Crow 26 pass from Enockson (pass failed)
H-Anderson 29 pass from Althoff (run failed)
H-Hangaard 23 pass from Althoff (Althoff run)
H-Hangaard 27 pass from Althoff (Roeder kick)
P-Oster 12 pass from Enockson (run failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: P-Enockson 24-124, Hendrickson 16-18. H-Stein 20-86, Althoff 11-74, Riemann 2-13, Krump 1-3.
PASSING: P-Enockson 9-15-2, 89 yards; Hendrickson 0-1-0, 0 yards. H-Althoff 5-7-0, 109 yards.
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RECEIVING: P-Oster 2-29, Hendrickson 3-24, Two Crow 2-40, Zacher 1-(-1), Finley 1-(-3). H-Hangaard 3-81, Anderson 1-29, Stein 1-(-1).
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