Peabody at home for sectionals
Staff writer
Peabody-Burns is the last county team standing in post-season for high school football after both Marion and Hillsboro lost Friday night.
Peabody-Burns
After a mercy-rule 54-0 victory over Southern Coffey County, the Warriors will face off against a worthy rival this Friday at home.
The Tescott Trojans also beat their opponent 54-0 in a mercy-rule victory last week. They played the Warriors in the first week of this season, winning 39-8.
“Week One this season we didn’t play well against them, and I know we have both improved since then,” coach Eric Dutton said. “This week will be a lot of film time and hard work on the field.”
Last season, Peabody-Burns won against Tescott during the regular season but lost during the playoffs. The Warriors are looking for payback.
“Tescott has become a good rival game since we both have the same playing style, and both coaching staffs push our kids to be physical and play with a high level of aggression,” Dutton said. “I am sure this Friday will be nothing short of that, but at the end of the day, we just have to focus on what we can control and perfecting that to the best of our ability.”
The two teams will play in the sectional round of state playoffs.
“We have a great group of boys right now, and they are making the season a lot of fun,” Dutton said. “They are still putting in the work daily and improving week to week.”
Hillsboro
The Trojans (6-4) ended their season Friday night, losing 46-6 on the road against Hoisington.
“This year’s team achieved a lot, finishing with a 6-4 record and earning a first-round playoff win,” coach Demetrius Cox said. “As their head coach, I couldn’t be prouder of the group of guys we had the opportunity to coach this season. The effort, heart, and growth they showed made this year truly special.”
The Trojans’ lone touchdown Friday night came on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Brayson Amstutz to Braxton Heibert.
“Our biggest goals as coaches should always be to prepare young men to understand that football is just a game,” Cox said, “but if they let it, they can learn so much more about life through it — to be confident in who they are, to fight for what they want in life, and to have fun along the way. If they can do those three things, they can always be proud of the person they see in the mirror.”
A large majority of the team will return next season. Only four seniors are graduating.
“We have a strong core returning next season, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for Trojan football,” Cox said. “Thank you to our coaching staff and their wives, the school staff, parents, and this amazing community for all your support. We are truly blessed.”
Marion
The Warriors (7-3) ended their season on the road Friday night against Sterling, losing 53-14.
“We knew it was going to be a tough contest heading into Sterling at full strength, but being down a couple guys did not help,” coach Shaun Craft said. “Sterling is a very good team. They have depth, size, and speed, and they will most likely be competing for that state championship on Thanksgiving day.”
Senior Jameson Looper played his last game, rushing for two touchdowns and a total of 103 yards. He also led the defense with 5½ tackles. Jordy Raymer had 3½, and Ryker Salsbury had 3.
“I’m proud of our guys for not only battling in this game, but all season,” Craft said. “They just kept finding ways to compete and win a lot of games.”
Marion had five seniors — Carson Krause, Wyatt Soyez, Jesse Snyder, Kadon Mercer, and Looper.
“The senior class finished their careers as one of the winningest classes over a four-year span in the history of Warrior football,” Craft said.