Sommers accounted for all three of Tonganoxie High’s touchdowns — one rushing, one passing and one on a punt return — in the Chieftains’ 21-14 senior night win against previously undefeated AHS in their Class 4A-I district 1 opener at Beatty Field.

“We knew going in that we were going to put it in (Sommers’) hands a little bit more,” coach Al Troyer said. “You couldn’t ask for a better night for him. It’s always nice to get the first (district win).”

THS (2-5, 1-0 district) trailed Atchison (6-1, 0-1) by a touchdown late in the third quarter, but Sommers tied the game with a 4-yard scoring run in the final seconds of the period. He put the Chieftains in front for good with a 40-yard pass to Carl Hecht with 7:37 to go in the fourth.

Sommers, who led the team with 124 rushing yards and 63 receiving yards and also had an interception on defense, opened scoring with a 63-yard punt return early in the first quarter. Atchison answered with a 3-yard touchdown run by Fred Simpson on the first play of the second quarter, then took its first and only lead on a 2-yard score by Zane Boldridge with 2:18 to go in the third.

The Chieftains finished with 241 yards of total offense. Hecht was 5-of-14 passing for 70 yards and an interception. Meanwhile, Atchison managed just 157 yards of offense. AHS was without its regular starting quarterback Wykeen Gill and running back Parker Welch, as both were sidelined with injuries.

Troyer’s team will continue district play at 7 p.m. Thursday when it travels to Piper. The Pirates are also 1-0 in district play after rolling by Basehor-Linwood last week, 59-18.

“We know it’s going to be a tall task,” Troyer said. “We all know they have speed, so it’s our job to try and get to them before they get running. It’s just fundamental football.”

The game will be played on Thursday because it is the Time Warner Cable high school game of the week. Troyer said the short week shouldn’t have a significant effect on preparation since it’s so late in the season.

THS won last year’s meeting with Piper at home, 28-0. BLHS will travel Friday to Atchison in this week’s other district game.

Score by quarters

AHS 0 7 7 0 — 14

THS 7 0 7 7 — 21

First quarter

THS — Jared Sommers 63 punt return (Kendall Parsons kick), 8:27

Second quarter

AHS — Fred Simpson 3 run (Austin Bonnel kick), 11:45

Third quarter

AHS — Zane Boldridge 2 run (Bonnel kick), 2:18

THS — Sommers 4 run (Parsons kick), :22

Fourth quarter

THS — Carl Hecht 40 pass from Sommers (Parsons kick), 7:37

Rushing

THS: Jared Sommers 21-124, Zac Morgan 2-7, Conner Brown 1-7, Ryan Musick 3-4, Carl Hecht 3-(-11).

Passing

THS: Carl Hecht 5-14-1 70, Jared Sommers 1-1-0 40.

Receiving

THS: Jared Sommers 4-63, Carl Hecht 1-40, Conner Brown 1-7.