With a playoff game on the line, the Elko Indians rose to the challenge on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Churchill County 31-29. The win was familiar territory for Elko who now have three in a row.
Ethan Kraintz threw for 139 yards and a touchdown. Quentin Williams was his top target, picking up 51 receiving yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Eli Finlayson rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
When it comes to explaining why Churchill County lost, one person who can't be blamed is Rolland Grondin. Despite the final result, he rushed for 236 yards and a touchdown. Grondin is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last eight games he's played. Ethan Tarner was another key contributor, picking up 98 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Elko's victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-4. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 24.27 points. As for Churchill County, their loss dropped their record down to 7-4.
Elko will head out on the road to face off against Sports Leadership & Management at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sports Leadership & Management is coming into the match hot, having won their last nine games. Churchill County does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
