Hillcrest entered Saturday afternoon with two wins this week already, but the Comets’ third match brought a different kind of test. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley would not go away quietly. Twice the Wolves erased a Hillcrest lead, twice they changed the feel of the match, and twice the Comets had to prove their momentum was more than a string of good bounces. By the final whistle, Hillcrest convinced the crowd that they weren’t the beneficiaries of fortunate events, and earned their 4-2 victory to move to 6-2 and gave them three wins in a demanding week.

Down 8-0 early. Down 16-6 in the second half. Then, after fighting all the way back to take the lead, the Comets watched Hancock return an interception for a touchdown to tie the game at 22-22.

Playing their first home match of the season Thursday night, the Comets swept Hancock in straight sets, 25-21, 25-13, 25-10, combining aggressive serving, improving net play, and a balanced offensive attack to earn another Little Eight Conference victory.

Maggie Mark stepped in front of a Viking pass, carried the ball through traffic, and unleashed a right-footed strike from outside the 18-yard box. The shot curled toward the upper corner and into the net, delivering the decisive goal in a dramatic 3-2 Hillcrest victory at Danielsen Field.

Hillcrest moved to 5–0 Monday night with a 4–0 road victory over East Grand Forks, using patience in the first half, an explosive start to the second, and another relentless defensive effort to keep their perfect season intact.

“Both teams came out ready to play,” Comet Head Coach Rod Jensen noted following the game. Looking back on the first half, it was clear Hillcrest has developed a sharper approach to soccer. The Comets pressured the ball aggressively, disrupted Fergus Falls before attacks could fully develop, and quickly transitioned from defense into dangerous scoring opportunities. That pressure paid off in the 18th minute.

On this particular day, the prairie became their textbook, insects became their lesson, and curiosity led them toward worship. Sometimes seeing more of God’s creation simply begins by looking a little closer, and realizing that God made us for this.

The Hillcrest boys overwhelmed the Pirates 14-0 behind a relentless attack that produced 28 shots, while the girls broke through a stubborn Crookston defense late for a 2-0 victory. When the final whistle sounded, both Hillcrest teams had improved to 3-0 on the young season.

Behind deep defensive digs, controlled first passes, and precise setting from Stella Moline, Hillcrest’s hitters spent much of the night soaring above the net as the Comets powered past Rothsay 3–1 for their first victory of the 2026 season.

The Comets left Newfolden Friday night with a 14–8 victory over Northern Freeze, using 174 passing yards, four defensive sacks and a second-half defensive stand to survive a physical season opener.

The Comets’ 6-3 road win was impressive, in a match that was more competitive than the final score might suggest. Walker challenged Hillcrest through the midfield and stayed within striking distance for much of the first half, but the Comets kept finding ways to break through.

The Comets are not simply filling holes left by last year’s leaders. Players are stepping into those spaces and making them their own. Roles are getting bigger. Expectations are getting heavier. And through two games, Hillcrest is showing that it has players willing to carry both.

Chairs turned inward. Bibles open. A group of students huddled close, not for a casual study break, but because something is happening in the pages in front of them. Their heads are bowed over Scripture, but their hearts are reaching upward and inward simultaneously.

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy came out flying against Pelican Rapids over the weekend, scoring four goals from four different players, forcing turnovers across the field, and carrying a 2-0 halftime lead into a convincing 4-1 season-opening victory.

Hillcrest walked away with a 2-0 win, a 14-2 advantage in shots on goal, and the first shutout of the season for senior keeper Will Selvig.

Week after week, Hillcrest gathers around something larger than the school itself. Teachers and students stand together under the same Word. Christ is proclaimed. Faith is strengthened. Community is formed. Students are prepared not merely to succeed, but to serve.

Teachers are not simply running classrooms, delivering lessons, or keeping hallways orderly. They are helping young people learn to attend, obey, respect, take responsibility, receive correction, extend grace, repair relationships, and recognize what is true, good, and beautiful.

Before the first bell rings, before students settle into desks, before assignments are given or lessons begin, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy begins the school year in a different place. In prayer.

High school is not too early to start this work. If anything, it may be the last window before students face these questions without a teacher, a mentor, or a community walking alongside them. At Hillcrest, apologetics is not just a class, but a posture threaded through science labs, history seminars, literature circles, and Bible classes alike, giving students something they will need for the rest of their lives: the ability to say, with Evelyn's same confidence, exactly why they believe what they believe.

The Comets finished the season with much to celebrate: school records, state-level competition, senior leadership, and a team culture that reflected hard work and gratitude. It was a strong season for Hillcrest Track and Field, and one that leaves plenty of excitement for what is ahead.