Nemaha Central is on a ten-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Council Grove is on an eight-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Thunder will welcome the Braves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Nemaha Central is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 80-0 win over West Franklin. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Thunder's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while the Falcons are ranked 224th).
Carter Hajek
| 10/30/25 vs West Franklin | 3 |
| 10/24/25 vs Atchison County | 4 |
| 10/17/25 @ Royal Valley | 5 |
Carter Hajek had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 91 yards and three scores on only ten carries, while also throwing for 111 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. He is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in three or more in each of the last three games he's played.
Meanwhile, Council Grove got themselves on the board against Central Heights on Thursday, but Central Heights never followed suit. They blew past the Vikings 67-0. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Braves considering their eight-point performance the game before.
Nemaha Central better keep an eye on Luke Stewart. He was instrumental in Council Grove's win, throwing for 370 yards and six TDs while completing 86.4% of his passes. Those 370 passing yards gave Stewart a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Samuels, who picked up 177 receiving yards and three scores.
Council Grove's run defense was locked in: Central Heights could only muster 2.3 yards per carry. The team can thank David McDiffett for the heroic effort on defense: he. Council Grove's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.5 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 4.77 on average over their last three games.
Council Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Sy'Ied Smith-Jenkins, Blaise French, and Samuels picked up one apiece. French got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Council Grove's victory bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Nemaha Central, their win bumped their record up to 9-0.
Nemaha Central strolled past Council Grove when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a score of 21-6. Will the Thunder repeat their success, or do the Braves have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
