If Burns entered last year’s Class 3A state playoffs under the radar, there was good reason.

The Hilanders hadn’t won a state title since 2014. Moreover, they were seeded No. 11, and no team seeded that low had won a championship in any classification since the OSAA began seeding the entire bracket in 2013.

However, they thrived in their role as road warriors, beating four higher-seeded teams — twice after making long bus rides to the Willamette Valley — to enter the history books with their 42-16 victory over Eastern Oregon rival Vale .

And the Hilanders have picked up where they left off last fall, rolling to a 6-0 start during which they’ve outscored opponents 266-44, including a 38-18 victory over North Valley on Friday in Bend.

“Our team has been working very hard to continue on

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