Axtell is looking for its 39th consecutive win, but more importantly, a third consecutive state title against the South Central Timberwolves. If they win, it would be the first three-peat in 8-Man DII since Hanover completed the feat from 2016-18.

The Eagles are coming off a 52-6 mercy rule victory against Twin Valley League opponent Frankfort in the sub-state round last week. Like most of their games during their winning streak, this game was over early with Axtell scoring 28 first quarter points.

Brandon Schmelzle had four rushing touchdowns in the first half and five total. He finished the game with 88 yards on 16 carries, and he also went 10-for-11 with 141 passing yards. To top it off, he got an interception on defense in the third quarter.

The junior quarterback has continued to produce gawdy numbers with a completion percentage of 83.3% that somehow continues to go up every week. Schmelzle surpassed the 1,500-yard mark over the air last week and sits at 1,503 passing yards heading into the title game.

In the playoffs, he has 16 total touchdowns with nine on the ground and seven passing. He has 571 passing yards and 225 rushing yards with a very good chance to surpass 1,000 total yards in the postseason if he can get 204 yards this Saturday.

Eli Broxterman had a nice day with over 100 scrimmage yards on just 11 total touches and a rushing touchdown. He was our Athlete of the Week brought to you by Highland Community College.

The junior back is averaging 17.7 yards per carry for the entire season and 18 yards per carry in the playoffs. Broxterman has eight touchdowns during the postseason with four on the ground and four over the air. On the year, he has 23 total scores from scrimmage (13 receiving and 10 rushing).

Landon Schmitz continued his other-worldly efficiency with a 65-yard touchdown for his lone touch of the game. He also had an interception in the first quarter.

The sophomore gadget back is averaging 25.1 yards per carry this season with 276 yards and seven touchdowns on just 11 carries. He also has eight receiving touchdowns and 337 receiving yards.

Schmitz’s playoff stats are nearly impossible to replicate with two carries for 119 yards and two rushing touchdowns at 59.5 yards per carry. He also has three receptions for 96 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

The Eagles are averaging an absurd 12.5 yards per play this season, 11.5 yards per carry and 16.7 yards per reception.

As for the defense, they are averaging two turnovers forced per game and giving up just 7.3 points per game. Axtell’s defense has been even better in the postseason, averaging just 4.5 points allowed and 91.8 total yards allowed per game.

Looking at their opponent, South Central High School will make their trip to Newton from Coldwater, KS. They are hoping for their first ever state title in school history since the consolidation of Coldwater and Protection high schools before the 1999 season.

Coldwater won three state titles with back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 with a 26-game winning streak, and their first ever title coming in 1985. Protection also won a state title in 1983 in 8-Man DII and a Class 1A title in 1978.

This is the 11th consecutive season where South Central has made the postseason with the T-Wolves going 12-10 in that stretch. They have won seven games in a row after starting the season 2-3. In that stretch, they have scored 40-plus points in each of those games and have won all their contests by 20 or more.

Last week, they defeated Victoria by a final score of 42-20 in the sub-state round. In the win, junior quarterback JT Prusa went 6-for-14 for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 23 carries for 128 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

Prusa is on the smaller side at 5’9 and just 155 pounds, but he is lightning quick. He has taken his game to a new level in the playoffs with 821 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns which averages out to 4.5 rushing touchdowns per game. On the season, he has 1,738 rushing yards, 32 rushing scores and averages 9.8 yards per carry. Prusa has also scored at least four rushing touchdowns in five of the last six games.

His efficiency over the air hasn’t been the best, though, with a completion rate of just 48.1%. However, he also doesn’t make game-breaking interceptions with just one pick on the season compared to his 11 touchdowns.

South Central will need to get him going because the Timberwolves are 9-0 this season when he scores at least one rushing touchdown.

They also have a solid senior running back in Isaiah Jellison, who is bigger than his QB at 5’9 and 187 pounds. He surpassed the 800-yard rushing mark last week with 814 yards on 97 carries and 16 touchdowns.

South Central’s most impressive attribute is their ability to turn teams over and avoid turnovers themselves. Their turnover margin this season is +30 with an average of 2.7 turnovers forced per game while losing just two turnovers on offense.

Expect the Timberwolves to run a lot with their offense running on 80.1% of their plays. They have done that with major success averaging 9.2 yards per carry on the season and 310.8 rushing yards per game in the postseason.

The biggest game within the game matchup will be South Central’s offensive line versus Axtell’s defensive line. Sawyer Deters is a well-experienced big body that can wreak havoc in the pass rush and clog running lines at 265 pounds. Grant Buessing does it well too at 220 pounds with both players being seniors.

On the other side, the Timberwolves have some big bodies as well. Senior lineman Curtis Barnard stands at 5’11 and 246 pounds. He stands next to junior center Hunter Loesch, who is 5’10 and 236 pounds.

If Deters and Buessing can impose their will like they have all season, this one could end in a hurry. However, if South Central can somehow find a way to outplay the Axtell bigs, this could be a fun watch.

Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. at Fischer Field in Newton, KS. Our pregame coverage will begin at 3 p.m. on 92.1 FM KMZA.