Plenty of history was made in Saturday’s Division IV football semifinal. For the Hillcats, it was their first-ever home playoff game. For the visiting Tigers, it was their first playoff appearance. And then Robert King made some history of his own.
King, a senior captain and running back, ran for 177 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns, including the 50th of his career, to lead No. 1 Hillsboro-Deering to a 35-14 victory over No. 4 Farmington-Nute.
Not only did the win send the Hillcats (7-0) to the program’s first championship game, it also wrapped up a perfect 5-0 record on their home field. The Tigers (4-4) set the program record for most wins in a season.
When the two teams met on Oct. 18, H-D won 48-22, but Farmington scored on its first possession of the game to take the lead. In Saturday’s semifinal, the Hillcats didn’t let that happen again. H-D’s defense forced a 3-and-out, and King and senior fullback Dan Richard (139 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries) ran the ball down the field, with King scoring from the 1-yard line and senior Gavin Ford (5-for-5 kicking extra points) making it 7-0 with 7:34 left in the first quarter.
“That set the tone. That 100 percent set the tone,” senior captain and defensive lineman Leo Vassar said. “They’re a run-heavy team just like us. If we could establish that, then we could win.”
The Hillcats continued to establish their run game in the second quarter, with King scoring a 4-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Then Farmington-Nute’s offense started to click. Quarterback Ryder McGrail (1-for-4) connected with Jazar Sprague on a 46-yard completion to get the Tigers to the H-D 19, but senior safety Tony Harris (eight tackles) picked off McGrail on the next play.
Senior captain Jake Iadonsi (13 tackles), and juniors Kegan Lamos (13 tackles) and junior Micah Adams (12 tackles) also led H-D’s defense.
The Hillcats took possession, but turned the ball over on downs, giving Farmington-Nute possession with 6:38 left in the half.
Ethan Burrows (107 yards on 16 carries), Luke Cardinal (50 yards on 10 carries) and Scott Milliken (44 yards on nine carries) methodically moved the ball down the field using Farmington’s T-wing offense, and got onto the scoreboard with a trick play. On fourth and 6, McGrail pitched the ball to Burrows, who threw a 20-yard pass to Cardinal in the end zone to make it 14-6 with 2:25 left, enough time for H-D to get down the field for Richard to score a 16-yarder to make it 21-6 at halftime.
Hillsboro-Deering players Robert King (left) and Keagan Lamos-garon point to family and friends on the sideline after the Hillcats won their D-IV playoff game against Farmington-Nute on Saturday afternoon, November 8, 2025. Credit: GEOFF FORESTER / For the Monitor 
Hillsboro-Deering defensive back Chase Owen (left) breaks up a pass intended for Farmington-Nute receiver Brody Leeman at the goal line during the second half of the D-IV playoff game on Saturday afternoon, November 8, 2025. Credit: GEOFF FORESTER / For the Monitor
King scored from the 4 late in the third quarter to make it 28-6 and Cardinal scored with 3:50 left in the game to make it 28-14. Farmington-Nute attempted an onside kick, but the Hillcats recovered.
Two plays later, King broke away from the line, displaying his speed on his home field one last time on a 36-yard run to the house for his 50th career touchdown.
King is part of a senior class that helped H-D transition from a cooperative program with Hopkinton to a solo program.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Vassar said. “We were in D-II with the Redhawks, (2-6 and 2-7 in those years). I was thinking, ‘I’m playing with my brothers. I’m ok going out that way.’ Then junior year we were 4-4 and made it to playoffs. Now, we’re going to the championship game. It’s unworldly.”
That championship game will not be easy. H-D will take on the defending D-IV champions, No. 2 Mascoma (6-1), who beat Raymond 16-0 in the other semifinal. The Royals beat H-D 44-6 in last year’s semifinals, but the Hillcats won the regular season meeting, 26-14, on Sept. 27.
It’s been a strange season for the Royals. Due to Bishop Brady canceling its season right before it started and Franklin having to forfeit its final two games due to lack of players, Mascoma went from Oct. 4 to Nov. 1 without any games in between. Raymond chose to forfeit Saturday’s semifinal in the second quarter, according to a post on the Mascoma Royals Football Facebook page.
“We’re excited, but we have a lot of work to do,” H-D head coach Jay Wood said. “ What they have is size. They are big. They’ve got four guys who are rather large for our division. And not only are they large, they can play football. They can move bodies…. We’ve got our work cut out for us on offense and defense. … We had a couple breakdowns throughout the game at different times, some things that we can control. We’ve been working on that all year, not beating ourselves. But today is a celebration.”
