Last night, Axtell controlled its own destiny, deciding the Twin Valley League Title and the 8M-ll District 3 title in the match-up on the road at Frankfort. Axtell proved victorious by a 46-point margin, having the game called halfway into the third, winning 76-30. Axtell, with the win, also extended their state-leading win streak to 47 games. 

The Axtell Eagles started the game receiving the ball and started making quick work with it as they started their first drive on their 38-yard line. The Eagles, in just two plays and under fifteen seconds, would find Brandon Schmelzle running himself into the endzone from 37 yards out, completing the two-point conversation. Frankfort would find a way to respond fast, and within just three plays, the Wildcats would tie the game at 8-8 with a 50-yard touchdown run from Wes Anderson. 

This would be as close as the Frankfort Wildcats could get the game as Axtell went on to dominate the first quarter with four more scores to make it 38-8 going into the second. Still within the first quarter, finding scores for the Eagles were Brandon Schmelzle on two more rushing touchdowns, Eli Broxterman on a jet sweep pulled the ball back and threw it to Detweiler, and the final score of the quarter for the Eagles was a twenty-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Schmelzle to Wyatt Detweiler. Frankfort, in the first, would have a punt, turnover-on-downs, and an interception to Eli Broxterman. 

The second quarter would begin with yet another turnover-on-downs for the Wildcats to set up Axtell in their own Eagle territory. Axtell would score yet another rushing touchdown by Brandon Schmezle to make the game 46-8. It’s after this Axtell score that the Frankfort Wildcats would respond with three straight touchdowns of their own, with Wes Anderson on a 1-yard keeper to get it to 46-16, Axtell would proceed to score once again with a Landon Schmitz 41-yard touchdown run from a pitch-option to make it 56-16. 

Frankfort continuing off their offensive success would get Lane Louiseau in the endzone to make it 56-24. However, the Eagles, yet again, would get into the Endzone with another Schmelzle passing touchdown, this time finding Landon Schmitz on Axtell’s first fourth down of the year to make it 60-24, not converting the two-point conversation.

 The Wildcats would have their final touchdown of the half to draw it to 60-30 with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Trent Hardin. Axtell would end the half with just under a minute left to work with, having Eli Broxterman picking up a 63-yard return to set up the Eagles on the Wildcat’s seventeen. The KU Commit, Brandon Schmelzle, would find Landon Schmitz again on a passing touchdown to make it 68-30 going into the half.

Coming out into the second half, the Frankfort Wildcats, on their tenth drive, wanted to scratch time off the clock as the game up to this point had already run nearly two hours with just one half played. They were trying to keep the possession time away from Axtell, but unfortunately, the Wildcats, despite converting one-fourth down on the drive, couldn’t convert the second. Axtell was set up on their 17-yard line, and they made swift work to drive down the gridiron to get Brandon Schmelze into the endzone for his 8th score of the game to finalize the score 76-30. 

The Senior, Kansas University commit, and now back-to-back player of the games for the Farmers State Bank’s “Player of the Game” segment, Brandon Schmelzle, had an incredible night with over 370 yards of offense by himself with eight total scores. Schmelzie broke up his slate by going 11-13 for 189 yards, passing for three touchdowns, and rushing for 183 yards of 10 carries for five more scores (yardage stats not approximate). On the other side of the ball, Wes Anderson still had himself a game, only throwing one interception while completing 17-34 passes for 237 yards, but mostly carrying himself and the team with his legs going for 101 yards off ten carries for two scores. Carter Olson would be Anderson’s main target as he finished the night with eight receptions for 124 yards. 

The Eagles wrap up the regular season going 8-0 overall, 4-0 in the district and 5-0 in the league. Frankfort finished the regular season the same as last year, going 6-2 overall, however, taking two losses this year to league opponents in both Hanover and Axtell. The Wildcats finish third in district play with the loss. 

Axtell will host Thunder Ridge at home next week for the opening round of playoffs. Meanwhile, Frankfort will be traveling to 3-5 Linn for their first playoff game.