Football
Peabody streak continues as other teams struggle
Staff writers
The Peabody-Burns Warriors continued to stay hot Friday, winning for the third week in a row. Other county teams were unable to match that intensity.
Peabody-Burns
The Warriors are on a three-game winning streak after shutting out Southern Coffey County 57-0 on the road Friday.
“I’m proud of how the boys have responded so far this season,” coach Eric Dutton said. “The next two games are vital to us for a good spot in the post season and the chance to be district champs.
“This would be one small goal that Peabody has not accomplished in quite a few seasons.”
Peabody-Burns (4-1) will be at home Friday against Chetopa (2-4).
“Looking ahead to the postseason, we’re getting excited.,” Dutton said. “Practice intensity is ramping up each week to prep for the hype that’s associated with the playoffs, but we’re staying focused on one game at a time to not overlook any team.”
Hillsboro
The Trojans were unable to bounce back this week, losing at home Friday 36-8 to Southeast of Saline.
After a scoreless first quarter for both teams, the Trojans were the first to put up points .
Seth Driggers, who finished the game with five receptions for 52 yards, was credited with the touchdown.
Coach Demetrius Cox quoted NFL coach Mike Tomlin in his postgame comments.
“We have to stop beating ourselves so that we can start beating other teams,” he said. “This statement highlights a crucial aspect of our season: the need to focus on internal challenges before tackling external ones.
“It’s a reminder that our team has great potential and talent, yet sometimes we find ourselves in difficult situations, particularly on the offensive side.
“These self-inflicted setbacks, such as turnovers, penalties, or missed opportunities, hinder our ability to win games.”
Nash Dickinson led the team in tackles, two of which resulted in loss of yards for their opponent.
“Once we stop beating ourselves, we position ourselves to effectively compete against and overcome other teams,” Cox said.
Hillsboro (2-4) will travel Friday to Lyons (1-5) for the Trojans’ second-to-last game of the regular season.
Marion
The Warriors lost a defensive battle to Moundridge 12-8 at home Friday night.
Moundridge was the first to score a touchdown but missed the ensuing extra point.
Marion answered back, with quarterback Carson Krause launching a pass to Kadon Mercer for a 44-yard touchdown.
The Warriors, giving it their all on defense, led 8-6 until the final four minutes of the game, when Moundridge sneaked by for one last score.
Lane Smith led the defense with six tackles, followed by Brian Nguyen with four.
Jameson Looper was able to get to the quarterback once for a sack.
“The loss stung quite a bit after being that close to knocking off Moundridge,” coach Shaun Craft said. “It just came down to making a couple mistakes at the wrong time.
“We will continue to work on cleaning those mistakes up in practice this week as we prepare for another big game versus a league and district opponent that will have a big impact on where we sit as far as playoffs go.”
Marion (4-2) will travel to Remington (2-4) this Friday for the Warriors’ final road game of the regular season.
Centre
The Cougars lost 62-0 to Crest on the road Friday.
“As we head into our last home game of the season this Friday, it’s easy to reflect on how things didn’t go as we planned,” coach Thieen Antoszyk said. “But in football, as in life, it’s not always about the perfect record or the number of wins; it’s about how we face challenges, learn from setbacks, and push forward, no matter what.”
Noah Brunner finished with 23 yards passing, three yards rushing, and an interception.
Anthony Rziha caught three passes for 23 yards, and rushed for 10 more.
“This season has tested us, but it’s also shown us the strength of our team, the bonds we’ve built, and the heart we’ve displayed,” Antoszyk said. “No matter the outcome, we’ve grown together, and that’s something to be proud of.”
Centre (0-6) will host its final home game of the season Friday against Lebo (4-2).
Goessel
The Bluebirds held a short-lived lead Friday against a previously winless Solomon team.
The Gorillas scored first before the Bluebirds blocked the extra point attempt.
Goessel mounted a drive to the Solomon nine-yard line. On fourth down, Brayton Base found Levi Schrag in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
After Trey Gaddis carried the ball into the end zone for a two-point conversion, Goessel led 8-6.
But that was the end of the Bluebird scoring.
Solomon led at the end of one quarter 12-8; at the half, 28-8; and at the end of the third quarter 44-8.
The game ended with 10:48 to play in the fourth quarter with a final score of 58-8.
The Bluebirds are 0-3 in district play and will face Ell-Saline (3-0) Friday.