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CITY  (NewsDakota.com)–The Hi-Liner football team settled in behind a massive running attack to win their first official game of the year, powering past Dickinson Trinity 28-18 at Hanna Field in Valley City Friday.

The interior running game by the Hi-Liners could not be stopped, or even slowed by the Titans, as Anthony Olstad rushed for 152 yards on 24 carries, and Brandon Breckheimer added 120 more on 15 carries, shredding the Titan middle repeatedly in the game.

Head coach Scott Roehrich credited an undersized Valley City offensive line for the effort.

The Hi-Liner defense struck for the first big play of the game after the Titans won the toss and chose to take the ball.  Tailback Brendin Steiner put the ball on the turf on the game’s opening play from scrimmage, and Valley City recovered.

Eight plays later, quarterback Austin Svenningson connected with tight end Tayler Lentz for Valley City’s first score.

Valley City would then demonstrate their ability to drive the ball, marching 61 yards on 10 plays during the second possession, with Shane Undem finding the end zone.

The Hi-Liners added a third score with 5:25 left of the half on a 67-yard drive, with Svenningson sneaking in from three yards for a 20-0 lead.  Trinity, however, responded with a 65-yard pass from Ben Gordon to Jacob Good to cut the lead to 20-6 at the break.

Trinity then forced a Hi-Liner turnover on the initial drive of the second half, and 11 plays later, Gordon found Jacob Volk for the first of two touchdown connections.

But Valley City responded beautifully.  Taking over at the 24, they would drive 76 yards in 14 plays, capping the drive with the same play as the first score, rebuilding a 28-12 lead.

Roehrich said there was no real sense of urgency after the Titans cut the lead to one score.

Trinity added a bomb to Volk covering 46 yards late, but came up empty on the conversion try, effectively ending the game.

Valley City is now 1-0, after their opener was rained out as a no-contest last week at Carrington.  They host Wahpeton to start Region I (eastern division) play Friday night.

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