Tonganoxie High football to open season on road against longtime foe Basehor-Linwood
Shawn Linenberger
Tonganoxie football is coming off a monumental year.
A 9-0 regular season — Tonganoxie’s first in decades — highlighted a Kaw Valley League championship and a playoff berth for the Chieftains.
THS went 9-1 last season with a senior-heavy roster.
Gone are players such as quarterback Mason Beach, defensive lineman LeeRoi Johnson and running back/safety Zac Morgan, running back/linebacker Dalton Bock and cornerback/wide receiver Zac Morgan.
On the plus side, though, is that the cupboard isn’t completely empty.
For example, running back and strong safety Korbin Reidel is back for his senior campaign, while linebacker Conner Searcy returns as a junior.
And though the season starts Friday with a longtime rival that now is a nonconference foe (Basehor-Linwood), Tonganoxie will have some new foes with its jump to the Frontier League.
THS opens at 7 p.m. Friday at Basehor-Linwood and then has its home opener Sept. 7 against Frontier League foe Louisburg.
The rest of the schedule will be all Frontier League opponents: Sept. 14 at Eudora, Sept. 21 against Bonner Springs, Sept. 28 against Piper for homecoming, Oct. 5 at Spring Hill, Oct. 12 against Baldwin and Oct. 19 at Ottawa.
This year is the first of a new playoff system in which all Class 4A teams will be paired based on records.
The first round of the playoffs will be Oct. 26, which in the past has been the final regular season game.