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CITY (NewsDakota.com) – When the dust cleared after a wild night of North Dakota high school football on Friday, two No. 1 teams had been knocked off their perches, the jumbled East Region standings of Class AA became even more jumbled, and the Valley City Hi-Liners earned a statement win over the Lisbon Broncos.
The Hi-Liners ran over, around and through the Lisbon defense, getting touchdown runs from four different players en route to a 40-13 victory in the annual Sandbag Bowl.
Anthony Olstad had touchdown runs of one and seven yards; Dustin Lindgren scored from 20 yards out; Brandon Breckheimer waltzed in from eight yards away; and Shane Undem broke a 43-yard touchdown run in the victory.
Undem’s score with 3:53 to go in the first quarter opened the scoring and capped off an 11-play, 74-yard drive. Lisbon answered back with an impressive drive of its own, capped off by Dylan Urbach’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Mittleider, but from there it was all Hi-Liners.
Breckheimer’s touchdown run was the frosting on a 7-minute, 15-play, 67-yard drive for Valley City as they took a 14-7 lead into the halftime break. Olstad’s first touchdown put the Hi-Liners up 20-7 early in the third quarter; Lindgren’s 20-yard scamper extended the lead to 28-7 and Olstad all but put the game away with his second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter, putting Valley City up 36-13.
The Hi-Liners would add two late safeties for the final of 40-13. It was an impressive performance for Valley City’s backs and the offensive and defensive lines, which dominated as the game wore on.
Valley City’s win improves their record to 3-1 in Region play and 4-1 overall. The night began with four teams tied for second place in the East Region standings, and ended with four teams tied for first place, including the Hi-Liners.
No. 1 Shanley was upset by Central Cass 32-20, giving Shanley, Valley City, Grafton and Wahpeton all a share of the first place with 3-1 region records.
Valley City takes control of the traveling Volunteer Trophy after the victory over Lisbon. The Hi-Liners continue their season at Shanley next Friday in Fargo. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on KOVC 1490.