3 county teams head to playoffs
Staff writers
Football season for Marion and Hillsboro will continue Friday with playoff games while Peabody-Burns district champion for the first time in a decade, will get a first-round bye heading into regionals.
Peabody-Burns
The blue Warriors ended their regular season as district champions, defeating Altoona-Midway 51-6 on the road Friday night.
It was the first time Peabody-Burns had won its district in 10 years.
The Warriors finished with more than 400 yards on offense and eight touchdowns — four passing, four rushing.
Peabody-Burns held Altoona to just 83 yards rushing and 87 yards passing.
The Warriors clinched a bye during the first round of the playoffs, automatically advancing into a second-round game November 8th.
It will be a home game for Peabody-Burns against the winner of Chase vs. Chetopa this Friday night.
Marion
The Warriors defeated Valley Heights 46-26 at home Friday night.
“I was very pleased with how the defense played, for the most part all night, and the offense once we got going,” coach Shaun Craft said.
Quarterback Kellen Waner opened up the scoring in the first quarter with a 69-yard rushing touchdown.
Waner finished with 15 rushes for 185 yards and four touchdowns.
Lane Smith racked up 12 rushes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was a quality win against a good team that likes to play old-school ball and physical football,” Craft said.
Brian Nguyen led the defense with 5½ tackles, followed by Hitch Soyez with 5 tackles, and Jackson Bitonti with 4½.
Marion (6-2) will travel to Salina this Friday to play Sacred Heart (4-4) in the first round of the playoffs.
“With the way the brackets were set, we ended up with the top 3 seed coming out of districts and will travel to Sacred Heart in Salina… to face an old CVL rival,” Craft said.
Hillsboro
The Trojans won their final game of the regular season 21-16 Friday on the road against Smoky Valley,.
“Team, I want to congratulate you on our victory over Smokey Valley,” coach Demetrius Cox said. “Your hard work, dedication, and teamwork truly shone through. Each of you contributed to this win, and it reflects the effort you’ve put in all season.”
Jesiah Gooch opened scoring with a 46-yard touchdown run in the first.
Gooch ended up finding the end zone twice and led the defense with six tackles and nine assists.
Zayne Haslett rushed for 105 yards and one touchdown.
Nash Dickinson was credited with a quarterback sack.
Hillsboro (4-4) will be host for its first-round playoff game at home this Friday against Norton (7-1).
“We have our work cut out for us, but I have complete confidence in this Hillsboro squad,” Cox said. “Our focus this week is simple: 1-0. Stay focused, play to our strengths, and give it everything we’ve got on that field.”
Goessel
Friday’s football game at Goessel began as a low-scoring affair, with Canton-Galva leading 8-0 at halftime.
In the first possession of the second half, Trey Gaddis raced in front of an Eagle receiver and scampered 20 yards for a Goessel pick-six.
Canton-Galva answered with a six-yard run, and the Eagles led 16-6 at the end of three quarters.
The visitors marched down the field and scored again to make it 24-6.
With 8:38 left in the game, Levi Schrag caught a Brayton Base pass for a 53-yard Bluebird touchdown.
Adam Wonser recovered an Eagle fumble, and Base hit Gaddis with a pass. Gaddis made Eagle tacklers miss before plunging in for a touchdown.
Braxton Davis recovered another fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Base hit Wyatt Sommerfeld for a 22-yard touchdown pass to tie the game 24-24.
Canton-Galva ate up valuable minutes running the ball downfield. With 11 seconds left in the game, the Eagles crossed the goal line to win, 32-24.
Goessel (1-7) will play Thursday at Washington County High School (0-8) for the Bluebirds’ final game of the season.
Centre
The Cougars ended their football season Friday. losing 62-6 on the road in Harford.
“This season has been a challenging journey for our team,” coach Thieen Antoszyk said. “While we faced setbacks, we’re committed to learning from our experiences and growing stronger.
“We appreciate the support from our fans and community. We believe in our potential and are focused on building for a more successful future.”