Farmington's football program received a rude awakening in the South Suburban Conference a year ago. It went winless in nine games and was outscored 441-60.

With it came a change in the coaching ranks. Adam Fischer was brought in to guide yet another Tigers program. He previously led the Fridley Tigers.

"They took some lumps last year," Fischer said of the Farmington players. "It was hard on them."

A resilient group of seniors was determined to move forward in 2015. It did just that in the second week of the season.

Farmington stopped a 15-game losing streak with a 56-27 victory over Eastview in an East Metro White Subdistrict matchup. The Lightning was a member of the South Suburban last season but didn't play the Tigers.

"From the first day I arrived, our upperclassmen wanted to change what happened last year," Fischer said. "They didn't lose hope, faith, and were rewarded for all of their hard work."

Farmington scored a touchdown on its first seven possessions, marching to a 42-7 lead at halftime. Junior quarterback Kole Hinrichsen was 23-for-29 passing for 385 yards and six touchdowns.

"It was one of those nights when everything worked," Fischer said. "We can't think for a minute though that we've arrived. There is no quick fix to anything."

Top performances

• Henry Sibley senior Xavier Hanson was dynamic on both sides of the ball in the Warriors' 28-6 victory over Hill-Murray in an East Metro Red Subdistrict football matchup. He scored touchdowns on a 60-yard reception and 1-yard run. He made an even bigger impact on defense, with eight tackles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and three passes deflected.

• Northfield senior running back Josh Chlan ran for 195 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns, leading the Raiders past New Prague 41-12 in a Big Southeast Red Subdistrict game. He scored on runs of 4 and 5 yards. Chlan's performance helped the Raiders finish with a school record 431 yards on the ground. He ran for 122 yards in the season opener.

Quote

''We are happy to have started the season with two wins over quality teams," Burnsville girls' soccer coach John Soderholm after back-to-back 1-0 victories over Class 2A state tournament entrant last year St. Michael-Albertville and No. 8-ranked Edina.

Ron Haggstrom