Football Recap: Caleb Thompson and Nicholas Cisneros Lead the Defense for Hays Win + How To Watch

Hays had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. Everything went their way against the Hutchinson Salthawks on Friday as they made off with a 27-6 victory. The result was nothing new for the Indians, who have now won five games by 20 points or more so far this season.

Brody Hageman had a dynamite game, rushing for 177 yards and a pair of TDs. Jaxon Prediger was another key player, throwing for 120 yards and two touchdowns on only seven passes.

Indians

Rushing Yards

11/07/25 @ Hutchinson	221
11/22/24 @ Eisenhower	325

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hays was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 221 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.

Hays didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Caleb Thompson and Nicholas Cisneros.

Hays is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-2 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 38.1 points over those games. As for Hutchinson, their loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 7-3.

Looking ahead, Hays will square off against Great Bend on Friday. The Indians will need to watch out since the Panthers have now posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season. Hutchinson does not have any more games scheduled as of now.