Warriors keep playoff hopes alive
Staff writers
Marion kept its playoff hopes alive Friday, and Peabody-Burns may have backed into becoming district champions after its scheduled opponent forefeited.
Marion
The Warriors kept their playoff hopes alive Friday, defeating Remington 32-18 on the road Friday in a game with playoff implications for both sides.
Marion running back Jameson Looper celebrated his 17th birthday with a huge night: 19 rushes for 136 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Kellen Waner finished with 15 rushes for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Waner had one interception and two tackles.
Looper and Brian Nguyen led the defense with six tackles each.
Kadon Mercer had five tackles and one quarterback sack.
Jordy Raymer sacked Remington’s quarterback as well.
Marion (5-2) will finish the regular season at home for senior night Friday against Valley Heights (6-1).
Peabody-Burns
The Warriors won their fourth game in a row after Chetopa forfeited Friday night.
KSHSAA set the score as 21-0, as is typical in high school leagues where point differential is used for seeding.
This sets the Warriors up for a shot at becoming district champs, something the school has not accomplished for some time.
“This is a huge week for us,” head coach Eric Dutton said. “We have a chance to become district champs. However, we’re not talking about that at practice. This is just another week of preparing for an opponent.”
The Warriors (5-1) will be on the road for their final game of the season against Altoona (3-3).
“Altoona does have some good ballplayers, and they’ve been improving over the season, so we’re looking forward to a good game,” Dutton said.
Hillsboro
The Trojans’ defense and run game stunned Lyons on the road Friday night, winning 32-0.
Jesiah Gooch led the offense with 164 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
On defense, Gooch had five tackles, and Sutton Redger had seven.
Noah Beavers is credited with one quarterback sack.
“In the heart of Friday night lights at Lyons, our team might have started slow, but it was in the second half that we discovered our rhythm and showed our true potential, turning the game into a testament of perseverance and teamwork,” coach Demetrius Cox said.
Hillsboro (3-4) will be at home for the Trojans’ last game of the regular season Friday against Smoky Valley (2-5).
Goessel
In their fourth week of district play, Goessel again fell behind early. Ell-Saline led 38-0 by the end of the first quarter.
After scoring yet another touchdown at the start of the second quarter, the Cardinals intercepted a Bluebird pass and took over on Goessel’s eight yard line.
Goessel’s defense held strong, however, and the Bluebirds took over on fourth down.
Trey Gaddis found daylight on two runs for 35 yards before Brayton Base passed 20 yards to Wyatt Sommerfeld for a touchdown.
There was a small celebration after Goessel completed a two-point conversion: the score was now 46-8.
Ell-Saline scored again, but the Bluebirds prevented the extra points. The half ended with the Cardinals leading, 52-8.
Goessel kicked off to start the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, a Cardinal runner took the ball 42 yards for a touchdown which ended the game, 58-8.
Goessel, 0-4 in district games, will be at home Thursday against Canton-Galva (0-4).
Centre
The Cougars were able to score Friday night against Lebo, but eventually lost 60-6.
Quarterback Noah Brunner finished with 20 pass attempts and six completions for 71 yards.
Chase Kitzmiller led the team on offense, with four catches for 57 yards.
Centre (0-7) will be on the road Friday for their last game of the regular season against Hartford (0-7).
“Heading into the last game of the season against a 0-7 team, it’s a great opportunity for our team to finish strong,” coach Thieen Antoszyk said.
“It’s important to stay focused and not underestimate the opponent; every team can surprise you.”
“This is also a chance to build momentum for the next season, so encouraging teamwork and solid execution will be key,” Antoszyk added.