Nemaha Central is on a 13-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Sabetha is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Nemaha Central Thunder will take on the Sabetha Bluejays at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Nemaha Central had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Osage City with a sharp 53-27 win on Friday. The final score was a far cry from the score of their previous head-to-head, which saw the teams combine for seven points.
Nemaha Central found their leader in underclassman Carter Hajek, who rushed for 242 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry, and also threw for 55 yards and a touchdown. Hajek is absolutely dominating the rushing touchdown category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the field this season. Cooper Kramer got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Sabetha's and Humboldt's game on Friday was close at halftime, but Sabetha turned on the heat in the second half with 35 points. Sabetha claimed a resounding 49-18 victory over Humboldt on the road. Given Sabetha's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked 35th, while Humboldt is ranked 111th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Their wins bumped Nemaha Central to 11-0 and Sabetha to 10-1.
Everything came up roses for Nemaha Central against Sabetha when the teams last played back in October as the squad secured a 28-0 victory. Will Nemaha Central repeat their success, or does Sabetha have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
