Preview: Tonganoxie Chieftains vs. Atchison Phoenix
The Tonganoxie Chieftains will head out on the road to face off against the Atchison Phoenix at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Tonganoxie sitting on four straight wins and Atchison on ten.
Tonganoxie extended their postseason success on Friday against Chanute. They walked away with a 28-21 win over the Blue Comets.
It was another big night for Colton Brusven, who rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Isaiah Holthaus did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 84 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Atchison put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They blew past Eudora 50-27.
Atchison got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Trey Carter out in front who rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries, and also threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 passes. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaden Carter, who rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns.
Tonganoxie's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Atchison, they pushed their record up to 10-0 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Tonganoxie has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 229.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Atchison struggles in that department as they've been averaging 204.2 per game. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Everything came up roses for Tonganoxie against Atchison when the teams last played back in October of 2017 as the squad secured a 49-0 victory. Does Tonganoxie have another victory up their sleeve, or will Atchison turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
