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.

As World War II unfolded, lights began glowing in the Hillcrest chapel for alumni serving across the world. Each bulb represented someone who had once walked the halls of Hillcrest and now stood in places marked by uncertainty, sacrifice, and war.

Psalm 19 says that “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” At the hatchery, students saw that same declaration in flowing water, in schools of fish, and in the intricate systems that sustain life beneath the surface. What began as a school trip became something more: a reminder that education is at its best when it awakens wonder, invites exploration, and helps students discover how God may be calling them to use their gifts in His world.

The 5th Grade Send-Off was not simply the end of elementary school. It was a reminder that childhood should be filled with meaningful markers that help young people step confidently into the next season of life, knowing they are loved, equipped, and sent forward with purpose.

In a culture where gratitude is often reduced to quick responses and shallow politeness, the students were being taught something far more meaningful. They were learning how to observe goodness carefully enough to name it. They were learning that healthy communities are built by people whose service often goes unnoticed. And they were learning that saying “thank you” carries more power when gratitude becomes personal and precise.

A teacher paused mid-note, looked up, and you could almost see the connection being made. Across the room, others leaned in, not out of obligation, but because something had just clicked. The kind of clarity that doesn’t just inform your thinking, but reshapes it. Last week at Hillcrest, that kind of moment didn’t happen once. It happened again and again as Dr. Kathy Koch led upper school faculty through a training that moved beyond theory and into transformation.

While team finishes in both meets reflect the level of competition the Comets are facing, the deeper story is one of steady progress. Across sprints, distance events, and relays, athletes are stepping into new roles, competing with consistency, and building the kind of depth that defines a strong team over the course of a long season.