The Class 2A State Football Championship game will take place on Saturday, November 25th beginning at 1:00 PM at Salina District Stadium in Salina.

The matchup will feature the (12-0) defending champion Nemaha Central Thunder and the (12-0) Hoisington Cardinals.

Nemaha Central boasts the second longest active winning streak in the state as they’ve won 25 in a row heading into the game against Hoisington. The defending champs are not just looking to go back-to-back, but they are looking for their third state title since 2019.

The Thunder are led by head coach Michael Glatczak who is 35-3 since he took over for Warren Seitz prior to the 2021 season.

The Thunder have been dominant from week one and the run continued throughout the playoffs with wins over Pleasant Ridge, Riley County, Osage City, and Sabetha.

The win in Sub-State over Sabetha was 17-7 with neither team scoring in the second half. It’s the fifth straight win for NC over Sabetha and the second straight season they knocked out the Bluejays in the semifinals.

The Thunder offense is averaging nearly 41 points and 338 yards per game. The rushing attack has been powerful with a strong offensive line and bruising quarterback which averages nearly 254 yards per game.

Sophomore Carter Hajek might be the All-State quarterback this season in Class 2A. Hajek has rushed for 2,165 yards and 39 touchdowns while completing 63% of his passes for 933 yards and 10 more scores.

The Thunder defense was even more impressive this season as they boast the top scoring defense among all classifications allowing under five points per game through 12 games. They posted eight straight shutouts between week two and week nine.

Senior Holden Bass could be the classifications defensive player of the year. Bass enters the title game with 107 total tackles including 20 tackles for loss. Junior Abram Keim leads the team with 135 total tackles while junior Sam Nordhus has 128 total tackles.

The Cardinals have been one of the most consistent programs in the state over the last decade but are looking for their first title in school history.

Zach Baird is in his 10th season as the head coach of the Cardinals, and he has a record of 99-18. They finished runner-up in Class 2A in 2020 and have won at least seven games every season since he took over the program.

Hoisington’s run through the playoffs have included wins over Phillipsburg, Beloit, Southeast of Salina, and Norton. They won the Central Kansas League and District Seven titles this season.

The Cardinals are averaging 45.9 points 407.7 yards of offense per game this season. They are led by senior quarterback Tony Moore who’s completed 58% of his passes for 1,453 yards with 19 touchdowns to just two interceptions.

They are averaging nearly 287 rushing yards per game and the ground attack is led by junior Teron Kraft as he’s rushed for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Cardinal’s defense is surrendering less than 14 points per game, and they have compiled 20 interceptions and 10 sacks. Kraft has nine tackles for loss and three sacks while junior Jason Robinson leads the team with eight interceptions.

This is the first ever meeting all-time between Nemaha Central and Hoisington and it’s for the Class 2A State Championship.

You can hear all the action from Salina on KNZA 103.9 FM with Brandon Tadtman and Trenton Kraxner on the call with pregame beginning at 12:30 PM and the kickoff at 1:00 PM.

**Photo Credit: Dari Hilbert**