In week four, Sedgwick bounced back from a loss, perhaps taking a big step toward a conference football title with a win over previously unbeaten Ell-Saline.
Hutchinson Trinity
Friday’s football game featured two teams heading in opposite directions. After a week one loss to a tough Sacred Heart team, Trinity had put together two wins. Remington had yet to win. The Celtics took control early for a 20-0 lead after one quarter, allowing just one score in a 49-6 win to improve to 3-1.
The three scores came just minutes into the game as Elias Jasso-Cardenas scored twice from two yards out, and Christian Christenson caught a 40-yard bomb from Michael Doeden for the 20-0 lead. Cardenas picked up his third score four minutes into the second quarter from a yard out. In the third quarter, Spencer Truman scored on runs of 30 and four yards, and Eric Banning took the ball 42 yards for a score early in the fourth quarter. Nine Celtics carried the ball for 343 yards on 30 carries. Cardenas led the way with 83 yards, followed by Nathan Eisenbarth’s 68 yards on three carries, Eric Banning’s 67 yards on three carries, and Truman’s 66 yards on seven attempts. Doeden and Bryce Strecker each completed three passes, splitting 100 yards and two interceptions.
Sedgwick
The Cardinals suffered a bitter loss in an overtime loss to Sacred Heart last week. Friday night, in a battle of the Cardinals, Sedgwick jumped back into HOA play, coming from behind to hand Ell-Saline its first loss at 19-12.
Ell-Saline scored on its first drive and early in the second quarter to lead 12-0. Less than three minutes before halftime, sophomore quarterback Brylie Ware scored from eight yards out to cut the lead in half. As they did last weekend, Ware and receiver Logan Thompson provided a big punch on a 45-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Midway through the quarter, Sedgwick took advantage of an interception and return to the 11-yard line. Ware ran it in from six yards out and kicked the extra point for what would be the final points of the game. He finished his night with 154 yards on 11-of-25 passing, adding 104 rushing yards on 17 carries. Dalton Brandt rushed for 124 yards on 24 tries.
Inman
The Teutons trailed by a point at halftime Friday night against Marion. Inman took the lead in the third quarter, then held on with three of the five touchdowns scored in the fourth quarter to down the Warriors 39-28. The Teutons improved to 3-1 overall and against HOA opponents.
Trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter, Inman converted a fourth-and-four for a touchdown. Following another Warrior score, senior Josh Miller broke one of several long runs for the potential equalizer. A missed two-point try sent Inman to the half trailing 14-13. Inman used another long Miller score to build a 27-14 lead with 11:37 to play. Still ahead 33-21, Miller appeared to have a 48-yard touchdown, but the play was called back on a holding penalty. Later turning the ball over on downs, the Teutons watched as the Warriors scored with 1:11 to play. Miller would have the final say, going 60 yards for the final score with 58 ticks left. The senior added a 68-yard score earlier in the game to finish with 282 yards on 31 carries. Tyler Cottam added 66 yards on seven tries, and quarterback Justin Friesen ran for 58 yards on 12 attempts.
Bennington
Moundridge was searching for its first win Friday night at Bennington. They nearly got it. The Bulldogs took a 14-13 advantage into the half, holding that advantage for two more quarters to down the Wildcats 42-41. Bennington improves to 2-2 on the year.
Junior B.J. Glanton powered the Bulldog offense with 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Jake Stewart added 86 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Kyle Kieborz rushed for 42 yards on six carries, and despite taking nine carries for only 14 yards, senior quarterback Zach Fief still finished the night with three rushing touchdowns. He also completed 4-of-8 passes for 22 yards. Defensively, Fief picked off a Wildcat pass. Jacob Arnold caught two passes for 20 yards.
Ell-Saline
Friday’s night’s game against Sedgwick had the makings of a league title. The Cardinals entered the night unbeaten, and Sedgwick was coming off an overtime loss to then unbeaten Sacred Heart. The Cardinals scored the first two touchdowns, but Sedgwick rallied for the final three scores, downing the Cards 19-12.
Ell-Saline senior back Tobi Omli broke a 65-yard run on the first Cardinal possession, giving Ell-Saline a 6-0 lead for the entire first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Garrett Walker connected with Kaleb Whitehair for a 53-yard strike and a 12-0 lead. That gap would stand until late in the quarter when Sedgwick got on the board. Sedgwick added two more touchdowns in the third quarter before both teams posted zeroes in the fourth quarter.
Walker was effective despite two interceptions on the night. The senior quarterback completed 16-of-28 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinal ground game resulted in just 83 yards. Omli had 71 of those yards on five carries, most of which came on the first drive. Whitehair finished with 102 yards and a score on seven catches.
Marion
The Warriors could not stop Inman senior Josh Miller on Friday, but they still managed to take the game down to the wire. Despite surrendering 282 yards and touchdown runs of 68 and 60 yards to Miller, Marion (1-3) got as close as 33-28 with 1:11 to play before Miller’s final big run gave the Teutons a 39-28 win.
The Warriors got on the board first with a Brody Carroll score midway through the first quarter. After a big Miller score, Marion converted another fourth down on a drive capped by quarterback Taylor Heidebrecht’s touchdown just three minutes into the second quarter. Leading 14-13 at the half, the Warriors fumbled away their first possession of the second half. Inman took advantage, taking the lead just over three minutes into the second half. After a Heidebrecht interception, the Warrior defense stopped the Teutons, but turned the ball over on downs. Inman again capitalized to make the score 27-14 with 11:37 to play. Heidebrecht ran in from four yards out to cut into the lead, but Inman pushed the lead back to 33-21 with seven minutes to play. After a holding call negated a 48-yard touchdown from Miller, Heidebrecht connected with Jacob Harper with 1:11 to play. Needing a big stop, the Warrior defense gave up a 60-yard Miller score with 58 seconds to play.
Berean Academy
The Warrior cross country squads were in action at the Southeast of Saline meet Tuesday in Gypsum. The Lady Warriors dominated the event with 39 points, beating the host Trojans by 12 points. The boys finished fourth, well-ahead of fifth-place Halstead and 10 points shy of third-place Abilene.
Lincoln star Jenna Farris won the girls race in 15:23. Wendy Busenitz paced the Berean girls in sixth place with a time of 16:44, five seconds behind a top-five finish. Emily Wiebe ran a 17:32 for 12th place, and Tiffany Wiebe finished behind her in 17:35. Janet Busenitz placed 15th in 17:35 at the back of a pack of runners, and Katelyn Entz finished in 17:53 for 21st, three seconds from the top 20. Micah Klassen was the only Warrior to finish in the top 10 in the boys’ race, taking eighth in 18:36, half a second behind the runner in front. Matthew Wine placed 21st in 19:23, 11 seconds out of the top 20. Isak Hart finished 25th in 19:36, and Harrison Briscoe placed 27th in 19:40.
