Comets Power Past Hancock with Statement Win

The Comets put together a commanding performance under the Friday night lights, rolling past the Hancock Owls 40–14 in front of a charged home crowd. Behind senior quarterback Ethan Swedberg’s five-touchdown night and a balanced attack on both sides of the ball, the Comets showed poise, explosiveness, and grit to move forward in their regular season campaign.

Hillcrest wasted little time setting the tone. Late in the first quarter, Swedberg connected with Maverick Peterson on a 15-yard touchdown pass to break the ice. What followed was a second-quarter onslaught that buried Hancock’s hopes early.

Swedberg bulldozed his way into the end zone on a 1-yard keeper, then followed it up with a 3-yard conversion run to extend the lead. The senior wasn’t done; he scored again on rushes of 5 and 18 yards, capping off a dominant four-touchdown quarter that had the Comets up 28–6 at halftime. Hancock’s lone response came on a short touchdown pass.

Hillcrest didn’t stop after the break. Swedberg added his fourth rushing score of the night with an 11-yard scamper in the third quarter, putting the Comets firmly in control at 34–6.

The highlight of the fourth came from sophomore quarterback Sam Swenson, who launched a 45-yard strike to Isaac Hamilton for a touchdown that brought the Hillcrest sideline to its feet. Hancock managed a pair of late scores on the ground, but the game was already well in hand.

The Comets’ offense rolled up 388 yards, spreading the ball effectively with 137 yards on the ground and 251 through the air. Swedberg completed 16 of 26 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown while also rushing 18 times for 108 yards and four scores.

Isaac Blaskowski hauled in eight receptions for 93 yards, and Peterson caught four passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Hamilton’s long grab added exclamation to an already explosive passing game.

Defensively, Hillcrest swarmed the field, piling up 43 total tackles. Sean Berge anchored the effort with 7.5 tackles, while Hamilton chipped in seven of his own. Jerry Oleson and Dane Larby teamed up for three sacks, pinning Hancock deep and stalling drives. Eli Walkup added an interception to cap a strong night for the secondary.

The Comets outpaced Hancock on the stat line. Hillcrest owned first downs (24 to 14), total yards (388 to 215), and sacks (3 to 1). The Comets’ discipline on both sides of the ball kept the Owls scrambling, despite a heavy penalty count of 14 flags for 86 yards.