BURTON — The Granger Lions capped off an undefeated regular season and secured the outright District 13-2A Division II championship Friday night with a thrilling 35-33 victory over the Burton Panthers at Panther Stadium.
The win not only kept Granger’s perfect record intact at 10-0 (7-0 district) but also marked a statement performance against a tough Burton squad that refused to back down.
Senior standout Noah Hobratsch set the tone from the opening whistle, returning the kickoff for a touchdown and adding the two-point conversion to give the Lions an early 8-0 lead. After Burton quickly answered, quarterback Wyatt Rochner broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-6.
Despite a series of penalties and momentum swings, Granger continued to find ways to respond. Caleb Hobratsch added a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter, while Rochner connected with Tre Castillo for a 42-yard scoring pass in the third to extend the Lions’ lead to 28-19.
Burton kept clawing back behind quarterback Kayden Patterson, but Granger’s defense made timely stops throughout the night — including three red-zone stands in the second half.
Rochner’s 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter proved crucial, giving Granger just enough cushion heading into the final minutes. With the game on the line, senior Ryder Bice made the play of the night, stopping Burton’s two-point conversion attempt with 34 seconds remaining to seal the win and the district crown.
It was a particularly meaningful moment for Bice, who was taken to the hospital the previous week after passing out during the Somerville game but was cleared shortly after.
The Lions will now enjoy a well-earned bye week before beginning their playoff run, with time and location still to be determined. Granger will enter the postseason as one of the few remaining undefeated teams in Class 2A and the outright District 13-2A Division II champions.
