Bragging rights across the neighboring towns have still provided plenty of motivation in recent seasons, but some newly unveiled hardware made this year’s celebration just a little bit sweeter.

THS overcame early special teams miscues Friday for a 34-20 victory at Beatty Field, claiming the 8-Mile Showdown traveling trophy in its inaugural season.

“It’s a cool tradition to start, it’ll be another cherry on top,” said Troyer, whose Chieftains ended a two-game skid against BLHS. “On paper, I know (the rivalry) goes away, but we’re still eight miles part. We were up for this game, and I bet they were, too.”

The trophy features both team logos and includes all game scores from the series since Basehor and Linwood high schools consolidated in 1988.

THS (1-0) received the opening kickoff and wasted no time finding the end zone.

Senior quarterback Trevor McGraw connected with fellow senior Isaiah Holthaus from 32 yards out just 1:04 into the first quarter. The lead lasted just nine seconds, however, as the Bobcats’ Will Howard snuffed out an onside kick and returned it 47 yards to tie the game.

McGraw and Holthaus hooked up again for a 33-yard score midway through the quarter, but the BLHS return unit had another immediate answer, as Nate Martin went 91 yards on the ensuing kick.

“We got the 7-0 lead and I wanted to see if we could jump on them,” Troyer said of the early onside attempt. “It didn’t work out, so that’s on me, but we’ve just got to make tackles on the second one.”

BLHS failed to convert the extra point attempt, keeping THS in front, 14-13. The Chieftains elected to pooch kick for the remainder of the game, resulting in several Bobcat fair catches near the 25.

The THS defense made key stops on the next two BLHS possessions and maintain the slim lead. The Chieftains forced a punt on a drive that started in the Bobcats’ own territory, then kept the BLHS offense from capitalizing on a missed THS field goal with 6:51 left in the half.

“I was calling it a little bit more aggressive in those spots,” Troyer said. “That’s the kind of faith I have in our defense. Even if we gave it to them with a short field, I was confident we could make the stops.”

Senior Colton Brusven extended the lead to 21-13 with a 1-yard touchdown with just 1:18 left until halftime.

THS went up by two scores following a Bobcat 3-and-out that opened the second half. McGraw, who suffered a season-ending collarbone injury just three plays into last year’s opener against BLHS, hit Todd Brown from 30 yards out with 7:00 left in the quarter.

BLHS got its only offensive score on the next drive when Kaleb Scott hauled in a 39-yard pass from Brady VanDonge. The Bobcat special teams once again played a role, extending the drive with a fake punt near midfield.

The Chieftain offense took over with 3:04 left in the quarter and drained more than six minutes of clock before Brusven found the end zone again with 8:51 to go. McGraw, who threw just one second-half incompletion, set up the score with a 12-yard strike to senior Tyler Pankey on 4th and 6 a few plays earlier.

McGraw hesitated on his initial read before finding Pankey over the middle on a play Troyer described as “phenomenal.”

The defense forced its fourth 3-and-out of the night, and THS ended the game with a steady diet of runs from Brusven and junior Tanner Hand. Brusven had a chance to score when he broke free in the final minutes, but slid near the goal line to allow the Chieftains to run out the clock.

THS will open Frontier League play this Friday at Spring Hill. The Broncos opened the season with a 57-14 win against Bonner Springs.

TONGANOXIE 34, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 20

Linescore

Basehor-Linwood 13 0 7 0 – 20

Tonganoxie 14 7 6 7 – 34

Score by quarters

First quarter

THS – Holthaus 33 pass from McGraw (McWilliams kick), 10:56

BLHS – Howard 47 return (Janouschek kick), 10:47

THS – Holthaus 32 pass from McGraw (McWilliams kick), 5:16

BLHS – Martin 91 return (conversion failed), 5:00

Second quarter

THS – Brusven 1 run (McWilliams kick), 1:18

Third quarter

THS – Brown 30 pass from McGraw (kick failed), 7:00

BLHS – Scott 39 pass from VanDonge (Janouschek kick), 3:08

Fourth quarter

THS – Brusven 5 run (McWilliams kick), 8:51

OFFENSIVE STATS

THS passing

McGraw 13-19-0 219.

THS rushing

Brusven 38-177, Hand 10-41, McGraw 2-11, Martin 1-0.

THS receiving

Holthaus 3-100, Pankey 4-54, Brown 3-50, Briley 3-15.