Tonganoxie football was clinging to a 6-0 lead in the third quarter Friday, but a 62-yard touchdown reception from Rock Creek tied the game and an extra point put Rock Creek ahead. The Mustangs wouldn’t relinquish that slim lead and went on to get the upset victory, 17-12, at RCHS on a soggy night near St. George.

THS scored first with 8:01 left in the first quarter. Blake Riedel scored on a 5-yard touchdown run. The Chieftains went three-and-out on their first offensive series of the game, but recovered the ensuing punt and scored a few plays later in the short field.

The teams continued to trade possessions before Rock Creek tied the game with the long touchdown recaption with 7:52 left in the third quarter. The PAT put the Mustangs ahead.

Rock Creek widened the lead in the fourth quarter with a blocked punt of its own that resulted in a touchdown and the Mustangs led, 14-6, with 10:39 left in regulation.

Tonganoxie answered right back as THS marched down the field. THS quarterback Hudson Myers found Kip Harder for a 15-yard touchdown reception and Tonganoxie was a conversion away from trying the game. But a pass attempt was incomplete on the two-point conversion and Rock Creek still had a 14-12 lead.

On the Mustangs’ next possession, RCHS got just inside the red zone and punched through a 34-yard field goal.

Tonganoxie had a chance with 3:19 left to assemble a winning drive. THS started the possession at its own 26-yard-line, but the Chieftains couldn’t muster a first down after recovering a fumble in the backfield and suffering a holding penalty.

Tonganoxie played on a grass field for the first time since the 2023 postseason, and recent rains made for a sloppy surface (Tonganoxie won that game, 57-50 against Atchison at Amelia Earhart Stadium, a venue that now has artificial turf).

Hudson Myers went 14-for-29 for 148 yards and a touchdown.

Tonganoxie was limited to 80 yards on the ground. Riedel led Tonganoxie rushers 40 yards on 11 carries. Bodee Mask 32 yards on eight carries.

Kip Harder had 72 receiving yards on nine receptions. Roman Holthaus had 55 yards on three catches and Eli Holthaus one catch for 15 yards. Maslak had a catch for 6 yards.

Marco Stephen and Roman Brown each recorded a sack.

Riedel had the most solo tackles with four against RCHS. Roman Holthaus had two solo tackles. Riedel also had one assisted and Holthaus two.

Owen Robbins had eight (seven assisted) and Jack Reischman seven (six assisted). Joel Merei had six (five assisted) and Harder five total tackles (four assisted).

Tonganoxie fell to 3-2 on the season with the loss, while Rock Creek improved to 3-2.

The Chieftains will try to get back in the win column this Friday with their homecoming game against Bonner Springs. BSHS is 1-4 on the season and coming off a 17-0 loss at Ottawa.