HOISINGTON 34, PRATT 8 — The Hoisington Cardinal football team celebrated head coach Zach Baird's birthday with a hard-fought victory.

Hard-running Taylen Morales and C.J. Bryant each scored a pair of touchdowns to spark the Cardinals past Pratt 34-8 in Friday's football season opener.

Morales rushed for 130 yards on 21 carries. Bryant added 122 yards on eight carries, a 15-yard average.

"Taylen is super athletic. He was phenomenal," Baird said. "Good things happen when we give him the football."

Pratt's Arley Morrell caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cade Liggett, who rushed for 62 yards on the opening drive. Pratt added a 2-pointer for an 8-0 lead.

The Cardinals scored the next 34 points started by a 10-yard scoring run by quarterback Mason Martin.

"We played well tonight. I couldn't ask for anything better," Baird said. "We've got talented kids who fight. They executed."

Hoisington's Karson Kinman and Drew Hekele led a stout defense with fumble recoveries. Bryant had five tackles and two assists.

Pratt 8 0 0 0 — 8

Hoisington 7 7 7 13 — 34

P—Arley Morrell 10 pass from Cade Liggett (2 pointer); H—Mason Martin 10 run (Morales kick); H—Taylen Morales 5 run (Morales kick); H—Morales 3 run; H—C.J. Bryant 36 run (kick fails); H—Bryant 12 run (Gabe Pawlowski kick)

RUSHING—P—23-124; Liggett 15-88; Titus 2-20; Morrell 2-12; Pore 3-4; Barker 1-0; H—48-348; Morales 12-130; Bryant 8-122; Martin 5-41; Pawlowski 3-12; Cossel 3-7; Klug 1-6; Hahn 1-1.

PASSING—P—Pore 6-15-0, 63; Liggett 3-4-0, 10; H--Martin 3-10-0, 25.

RECEIVING—P—Demuth 1-34; Morrell 6-24; Rupe 1-7; Liggett 2-5; H--Mason 1-15; Morales 2-10.

ELLINWOOD 38, SYRACUSE 0 — Ellinwood back Austin Brack rushed for 185 yards and scored two touchdowns and quarterback Luke Heinz converted a touchdown run and passed to Ty Hammeke for a score in the Eagles' 38-0 opening football victory over Syracuse.

Ellinwood (1-0) led 18-0 at halftime. Heinz scored on a 3-yard run followed by Hosman's 1-yard score and Hammeke's 25-yard scoring reception.

Brack scored on 7- and 12-yard runs and Layton Wirtz added a 3-yard touchdown for a 20-0 second half.

Wirtz intercepted two passes and Kellan Behnke had an interception. Gabe Martinez had two sacks and 31/2 tackles for loss. Luke Heinz had two tackles for loss. 

Ellinwood 12 6 14 6 — 38

Syracuse 0 0 0 0 — 0

E—Luke Heinz 3 run (run fails); E—Drake Hosman 1 run (run fails); E—Ty Hammeke 25 pass from Luke Heinz (pass fails); E—Austin Brack 12 run (run fails); E—Austin Brack 7 run (Cohen Gunn pass from Hosman); E—Layton Wirtz 3 run (run fails)

RUSHING—E—54-405; Austin Brack 18-185; Hosman 15-113; Layton Wirtz 8-23; Heinz 5-61; Cade Coleman 2-0; Kale Williams 2-9; Cannon Shartz 2-7; Brody Brack 2-7.

PASSING—E—Heinz 2-3-0, 33; Coleman 0-1-0.

RECEIVING—E—Hammeke 1-25; Cohen Gunn 1-8.

CENTRAL PLAINS 46, MACKSVILLE 0 — Central Plains quarterback Brodie Crites dazzled with three touchdown passes to spark a 46-0 Central Prairie League football victory over Macksville.

Rylan Siemsen caught 20- and 21-yard scoring passes and Teagan Schepmann grabbed an opening 16-yard scoring strike. The Oilers scored after gaining possession at the Mustang 8-yard line and 21-yard lines.

Oiler Richard Stroud rushed for 51 yards and scored on 2- and 8-yard scoring runs. The Oilers ended the game with a safety for a 46-0 victory.

Central Plains 20 24 2 — 46

Macksville 0 0 0 — 0 

M—Teagan Schepmann 16 pass from Brodie Crites (Isaac Heredia run); M—Richard Stroud 2 run (run fails); M—Stroud 8 run (run fails); M—Rylan Siemsen 20 pass from Crites (Stroud run); M—Siemsen 21 pass from Crites (Stroud run); M—Keeton Robison 5 run (pass from Crites); M—Safety (Macksville punter tackled in end zone)

RUSHING—M—27-(-26); CP—18-92; Stroud 8-51; Robison 5-21; Crites 2-16; Broc Klima 1-6; Heredia 1-2; Huxtyn Rogers 1-(-4).

PASSING—M—7-11-0, 73; CP—Crites 3-6-0, 57.

RECEIVING—CP—Siemsen 2-41; Schepmann 1-16.

PAWNEE HEIGHTS 70, CHASE 12 — Pawnee Heights Tiger Brynnen Cody and Alexis Ibarra each converted three scores as the Tigers roared past Chase 70-12 in Friday's 6-man football opener.

The Tigers scored twice on interceptions, once on a kickoff return and twice on Brynnen Cody's touchdowns on misplayed kickoff returns by Chase. Brynnen Cody scored on a 36-yard pass from Logan Enabit and on an 18-yard run. Enabit opened the scoring with a 30-yard interception return.

Ibarra scored on a 30-yard run, a 65-yard kickoff return and on a 5-yard fumble return.

Cody Holste, Cameron Miles, Cooper Josefiak and August Baier scored touchdowns.

Chase played inspired football featuring a 6-man roster. Chase's Humberto Rincon scored on a 50-yard kickoff return. Ladyn Hinderliter scored on a 45-yard run.

Pawnee Heights 38 32 — 70

Chase 6 6 — 12

PH—Logan Enabit 30 interception return; PH—Cody Holste 29 run; PH—Brynnen Cody 18 run; PH—Brynnen Cody 36 pass from Enabit; PH—Alexis Ibarra 30 run; PH—Brynnen Cody 30 fumble return; CHASE—Humbero Rincon 50 kickoff return; PH—Cameron Miles 4 run; PH—Cooper Josefiak 30 interception return; PH—August Baier 15 pass from Peyton Price; CHASE—Laydn Hinderliter 45 run; PH—Ibarra 65 kickoff return; PH—Ibarra 5 fumble return

RUSHING—PH—Baier 66; Holste 29; Ibarra 24; Ebanit 21; Miles 4

PASSING—PH—Enabit 36; Price 15

RECEIVING—PH—Cody 36; Ibarra 19; Baier 15

OTIS-BISON 62, WESTERN PLAINS 0 — Otis-Bison's defense forced five turnovers in a 62-0 victory over Ransom-Western Plains in 6-man football.

"The kids played well. It's exciting to coach them," said Otis-Bison football coach Marc Cowles.

Otis-Bison's Aiden Ochs-Lohrey, scored two rushing touchdowns and returned an interception 10 yards for a touchdown and recovered two fumbles. Maddox Firebaugh and Travis Starr recovered fumbles.

Tailback Gavin Alloway rushed for 78 yards and scored on 9, 23 and 25-yard runs. Ochs-Lohrey scored on 15- and 17-yard runs. Quarterback Firebaugh scored on a 5-yard run and threw touchdown strikes to Travis Ross and Kelson Juno.

Ochs-Lohrey and Travis Starr each had two tackles and four assists.

Otis-Bison 41 21 — 62

Western Plains 0 0 — 0

OB—Alloway 25 run (Ricky Martinez kick); OB—Ochs-Lohrey 10 interception return (Marcus Starr run); OB—Ross 4 pass from Firebaugh (run fails); OB—Ochs-Lohrey 15 run (run fails); OB—Alloway 23 run (run fails); OB—Juno 14 pass from Firebaugh); OB—Alloway 9 run (Starr run); OB—Firebaugh 5 run (Dylan Richardson run); OB—Ochs-Lohrey 17 run (Ross run)

RUSHING—WP—20-(-9); Kraus 11-12; Burrell 1-(-2); Dierking 5-(-3); Flax 1-(-6); OB—13-146; Alloway 5-78; Ochs-Lohrey 4-43; Firebaugh 3-27; Richardson 1-(-2).

PASSING—WP—OB—Firebaugh 3-3-0, 30.

RECEIVING—OB—Juno 1-14; Konner Schenk 1-12; Ross 1-4.

LA CROSSE 28, ST. JOHN 24 — An apparent missed call cost St. John when La Crosse scored the game-winning touchdown after a Tiger punt appeared to bounce off a Leopard, but was not called. The Leopards scored a 27-yard touchdown for the game winner. 

St. John quarterback Braxton Alpers rushed for 169 yards and scored on 14- and 44-yard runs. Jace Reyes scored on 5- and 20-yard touchdown passes from Alpers.

Alpers accounted for seven tackles and eight assists. Daniel Portillo contributed five tackles and eight assists.

"Close games give you gray hairs," said St. John coach Scott Krehbiel. "La Crosse coach Jon Webster said, 'it's the type of game you enjoy watching from the stands.' "

La Crosse quarterback Christian Rush threw two touchdown passes. 

La Crosse 8 8 6 6 — 28

St. John 6 6 6 6 — 24

SJ—Jace Reyes 5 pass from Braxton Alpers (run fails) L—Lee Holopirek 8 pass from Christian Rush (2-pointer); SJ—Jace Reyes 20 pass from Alpers (run fails); L—Hooper Castaneda 20 pass from Rush (2 pointer); L—Rush run (run fails); SJ—Alpers 44 run (pass fails); SJ—Alpers 14 run (run fails); L—Holopirek 27 run (run fails)

RUSHING—L—46-222; Rush 23-106; Hopoirek 14-82; Thielenhaus 2-14; Spreier 6-12; Castaneda 1-8; SJ—41-202; Alpers 33-169; Wyatt Mawhirter 8-33.

PASSING—L Rush 8-25-0, 25; SJ—Alpers 11-22-2, 144.

RECEIVING—L Castaneda 1-20; Spreier 1-5; SJ—Reyes 4-52; Jerico Mawhirter 4-51; Wyatt Mawhirter 3-41.

RENO COUNTY 68, STAFFORD 22 — Stafford quarterback Dylan Brozek threw for 87 yards and completed a pair of touchdown passes to Jace Kreutzer in a 68-22 opening 8-man football setback to Reno County Home School.

Brozek rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown and completed 5 of 27 passes, but had three passes intercepted. Kreutzer had 77 yards receiving. Brozek had eight tackles, two for loss. Jacob Johnson had five stops.

Reno County — 68

Stafford — 22

RUSHING—S—Brozek 17-51; Engelbrecht 1-2; Tuff Pope 2-(-6).

PASSING—S—Brozek 5-27-3, 87.

RECEIVING—S—Kreutzer 3-77; Pope 2-7; Engelbrecht 1-3.