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 from where we left off last year," said Burns coach Matt Bruck. "Part of that is knowing that we wouldn't be able to sneak up on people like we did last year with our low seed. Part of it is us wanting one or more home playoff games.
"And probably the biggest part is us trying to push ourselves to be better than we were last year, which we won't know if we achieved as a goal until the season is over."
The Hilanders returned several key players from last year's championship run, none more so than senior QB Jack Wright, who won 3A offensive player of the year honors in large part due to his four-week playoff run, when he threw for 943 yards and 10 touchdowns on 40-of-81 passing while running for 150 yards and five touchdowns.
This season, he's 72-of-123 for 1,238 yards and 22 touchdowns with just two interceptions while also rushing for 207 yards and five scores.
"Jack was good all year and 'grew' last playoffs as our offense grew," Bruck said. "A big example of his playoff growth was the championship game against Vale, where he played lights out (four rushing and two passing TDs, 365 total yards).
"That growth has continued this year throughout his playing, but also him stepping into a big leadership role with several of our other seniors. Jack's year-to-year growth has been a constant flow; he is great at seeing what he needs to work on and fix and just get it done."
Other key returnees including two-way all-state lineman Joe Weil, who has 16.5 tackles for loss and five sacks who Bruck said "has grown personality-wise a lot since he was a freshman, and the growth has shown on the field as well as how he approaches and plays each game"; senior receiver Coltin Miller, another first-team all-state selection who has 39 catches for 733 yards and 11 touchdowns; and junior offensive lineman/linebacker Jasper SkunkCap, who has a team-high 49 tackles (11 for loss).
Bruck credits this veteran core for helping the team set goals and "providing them with inspiration and a calming but demanding presence."
The Hilanders travel to McLoughlin this week before hosting their highly anticipated rematch on October 24 with Vale, which is 6-1 going into its bye. Corbett Memorial Field will be filled to the gills, with much of the populations of Harney and Malheur counties riding on the result.