Enter Tonganoxie High football, which has enjoyed plenty of big seasons, league championships and more.

But the team has never reached the substate round of the fall playoffs.

In a sectional game that had five ties and seven lead changes — and 107 points later — THS made history Friday night.

THS, the No. 5 seed in the Class 4A East Bracket, outlasted No. 1 seed and previously unbeaten Atchison, 57-50, on a wild night at historic Amelia Earhart Field.

On a chilly November evening, the Chieftains and Phoenix combined for some electric stats. The teams combined Friday for:

14 touchdowns

2 two-point conversions (both by Atchison)

2 field goals (both by Tonganoxie)

1 safety on a botched punt

1 blocked extra point

When the game finally concluded, the THS team, its coaches and fans were just a little more jubilant than previous playoffs victories. In the program’s first playoff run beyond Week 9 since 2020, players celebrated the monumental victory.

Atchison’s 50 points were the team’s third-lowest output of the season. The high-octane Phoenix offense has scored as many as 77 in one game, had more than 60 points three times and 50 or more three times.

AHS ends its season at 10-1.

Tonganoxie advances to substate and is one game away from a state berth. Now 9-2 on the season, THS will play No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas (8-3), which defeated No. 7 Basehor-Linwood (7-4) by a 38-7 score Friday in Overland Park.

STA and THS will play at 7 p.m. this coming Friday at Beatty Field.

The winner will meet the West Bracket representative on Nov. 25 at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka.

The West Bracket substate will be No. 1 Wamego (9-2) vs. No. 6 Andover Central (8-3) at Wamego.