Tonganoxie High football rolls Lansing in homecoming victory
Jim Mitchell
Tonganoxie High quarterback Bodee Maslak drags a Lansing defender into the end zone with him during Friday’s homecoming game at Beatty Field. THS won the game, 40-15.Tonganoxie had a rough first series Friday against Lansing, but the Chieftains would get in a groove after that.
THS eventually won, 40-15, and moved to 2-1 on the season on homecoming night.
The Chieftains had negative yardage on their first drive, but the home team proceeded to shut down the Lions on their first offensive series as well.
Tonganoxie quarterback Bodee Maslak scored on a short run with 3:55 left in the first quarter and Cody Lobb added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. THS jumped ahead, 14-0, with 24.4 seconds left in the first quarter on a Blake Riedel 6-yard run and a Lobb extra point. A big-yardage catch by Kipton Harder set up first-and-goal from the Lansing 8-yard-line and Tonganoxie scored moments later.
Jim Mitchell
Tonganoxie High receiver Kippton Harder goes for the ball in the inset photo. Tonganoxie improved to 2-1 on the season and will take on Paola on Friday at PHS.
Lansing would cut the score to 14-7 in the second quarter before Maslak connected with Jacob Morenz for 60-plus touchdown reception late in the second quarter and THS led, 20-7.
But the Chieftains weren’t done before halftime.
Morenz ran 65 yards on second and 27 from the THS 26. Tonganoxie would later score on a Mask 5-yard touchdown run with 6.1 seconds left before intermission. Tonganoxie’s 2-point conversion failed and THS went into the locker room with a 26-7 lead.
Lansing again would answer in the third quarter. The Lions scored with 9:08 left in the third quarter when the LHS quarterback scrambled and eventually found his receiver in the end zone for a huge catch. The 2-point conversion was good and it was a 26-15 game. That, however, would be as close as Lansing would get the rest of the game.
Elijah Holthaus got a TD catch with 10:24 left in the game and Lobb knocked through the extra point and THS was up, 33-15. Morenz scored on a 16-yard touchdown scamper with 2:17 left in the game and Tonganoxie would go on to get the 40-15 homecoming win against the current United Kansas Conference foe and former Kaw Valley League rival. Lansing fell to 1-2 on the season, while Tonganoxie improved to 2-1.
Next up for Lansing is Topeka West (0-3) this Friday at Hummer Park in Topeka.
Tonganoxie takes on Paola (2-1) this Friday at PHS. Both teams are 1-1 in Frontier League play.