The Axtell Eagles won their 51st consecutive game last night to improve to 12-0 on the season against the 9-2, but now 9-3 to finish the season, Frankfort Wildcats. The 52-20 victory propels the Eagles to their fourth straight championship game appearance with a chance to take home the glory for fourth year in a row. However the win to get there over Frankfort, was no easy feat, as Axtell for the first time since week one last year, went all four quarters. 

The Eagles started the game with 52-yard drive from their own twenty-eight to jump up 8-0, Brandon Schmelzle landed both the touchdown and the two-point-conversion. The Wildcats first possession was a quick three-and-out punt from their own 5-yard line, setting Axtell up on the Frankfort thirty-four. The Eagles easily scored with yet another Schmelzle rush to put the Eagles up 16-0. 

However Frankfort did the unimaginable by any team in the last two years. Score not only on back-to-back drives to make it a 16-12 game, but also force the Eagles to have a turnover. The Wildcats had an incredible second drive involving two fourth down conversions and a touchdown pass for fourteen yards from Wes Anderson to Lane Loiseau to get the first points on the board 16-6, failing the two-point-conversion. Axtell had a long drive to respond but in a shock Schmelzle threw an interception, for the first time this season, in the endzone to Peyton Adams to set Frankfort up on their next scoring drive at their own fifteen. It was the longest drive of the game that resulted in a touchdown being a 65-yard drive taking over four minutes off the clock, Wes Anderson had his  last touchdown of the game with his feet to help the Wildcats only be down 16-12. Before the half ended Axtell would find another score from Schmelzle to go up 24-12 and Frankfort would almost respond with a last minute touchdown before half, if not for a crucial fumble in a third-and-goal from the three yard line. The half would end 24-12 with Axtell not reaching the endzone and actually having to punt for the first time this year, before the end of the half.

Despite the Eagles having their first fumble of the season and their first turnover-on-downs happening on back-to-back possessions, the Wildcats offense just couldn’t find away to get hot and back up on the board. Unfortunately for the Wildcats the chance of holding Axtell to zero for two quarters is rarer than a diamond in the rough. The Eagles exploded out to a 44-12 lead with touchdown drives being led by Schmelzle twice and Eli Broxterman once. Wes Anderson would also go on to throw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, bother picked off from Landon Schmitz from the Eagles. 

The final quarter was a slow grind for both teams before reaching the final score of 52-20. Despite the score being a thirty-two point differential, let it be known that this is the toughest any team has played Axtell for nearly two seasons. Frankfort and its seniors will have plenty to hold their heads high on in their respective efforts to take Axtell til the last quarter and make them sweat a little bit, even in the cold.

Brandon Schmelzle finished the game with outstanding numbers. Twenty-six carries for 269 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, while also adding an additional 76 yards passing. Schmelzle did still have an interception and a fumble, as well as a couple of more close turnovers, but truly despite all of the minor errors it’s clear that it was his game to control, and he dominated. Eli Broxterman had a great night statistically as well for Axtell with 147 yards of offense and two touchdowns, one from 48-yards out.

The Eagles will now be set to take on Victoria in the state title game next week at 11:00 AM at Greensburg, Kansas. This will be Axtell’s fourth consecutive title won if they win it, and fifth amongst the entire program, with the first state title being in 1993.