Tonganoxie bops Bonner for homecoming win
Jim Mitchell photo
Tonganoxie High’s Blake Riedel (6) breaks through the Bonner Springs defense Friday at Beatty Field. Riedel would scamper for the touchdown moments later in a game Tonganoxie went on to win, 40-8.Tonganoxie took a 26-0 lead into halftime Friday and never looked back in a 40-8 Frontier League victory on homecoming night.
Blake Riedel score both of Tonganoxie’s first-quarter touchdowns. He scored on runs of 2 and 67 and Thaddeus Hileman added the extra points and THS led, 14-0, after a quarter.
Paxton Summers scored on a 3-yard run with 9 minutes left before halftime.
Jim Mitchell photo
Tonganoxie ‘s Cooper degrava pursues a Bonner Springs ball carrier during Friday’s Frontier League game. Tonganoxie nearly had the shutout, but the Braves scored a late touchdown.
Bonner Springs tried for a field goal in the closing moments of the second quarter, but Tonganoxie blocked the attempt and moved down the field. Roman Holthaus scored on a 5-yard reception from quarterback Hudson Myers with 4.7 seconds left before intermission. Hileman’s third PAT attempt sailed wide and then the PAT right before halftime was no good after the hold went awry.
Bodee Maslak scored on a 15-yard reception with 7:13 left in the third and then Summers scored on a 1-yard run with 5:26 left in the third. Hileman connected on both PATs.
There was a running clock in the fourth quarter because THS was up by 35 or more. The Chieftains almost had the shutout, but the Braves scored late on a long pass reception and converted the two-point conversion.
Myers went 10-for-21 with 151 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Blake Riedel led the team in rushing with 93 yards on seven carries, while Layton Witte had 43 yards on six carries. Mask had 31 yards on five carries, Ayden Gibson 10 yards on three carries and T. Stewart 4 yards on one carry.
Defensively, THS had 42 tackles on the night (13 unassisted) and two sacks. Marco Stephen had one of the sacks and Eli Holthaus and Roman Holthaus each had 0.5 sacks.
Joel Merei led the team in tackles with eight (two unassisted), while Owen Robbins had seven (1 unassisted) L. Ruff had four (three solo) and Eli Holthaus four (all assisted).
Merei was credited with the field goal block, while Ruff had an interception and Roman Holthaus a fumble recovery. C. Dagrava registered a pass breakup.
THS improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in Frontier League play. Bonner fell to 1-5 and 0-4.
Eudora, Louisburg and THS are in a three-way tie for first place after Eudora got past Louisburg, 28-26, on Friday in Louisburg. All three teams are 3-1 in league play with one more league game left.
Tonganoxie hits the road this coming Friday for another nonconference game. THS will play at McPherson. The Bullpups are 5-1 on the year after defeating Mulvane, 47-13, on the road Friday. The Chieftains will finish out the regular season the following week at home against Ottawa (3-3 and 2-2).