Sabetha Holds Off Riverside to Stay Undefeated

The Sabetha Bluejays, ranked #1 in Class 2A, picked up a hard fought 28-21 win over Riverside on Friday night in what was a crucial district game. 

Sabetha (5-0, 1-0 2A D4) jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter. They would get a 74-yard touchdown pass from Micah Lang to Jack Frazee on their third play from scrimmage, and would follow that with an 11 yard touchdown run by Lincoln Menold. 

The Cyclones (4-1, 1-1 2A D4) got back in the game early on in the second quarter, as they would get a 56-yard touchdown pass from Kobe Koehler to Brooks Griffin on a 4th-and-11 play.

Both teams would exchange touchdowns before halftime as the Bluejays would lead the Cyclones 21-13 at the break. Sabetha got an 18-yard touchdown run from Curtis Fitzgerald and the Cyclones responded with a touchdown pass from Koehler to Keagan Hughes from 4-yards out. 

Sabetha would have the opening drive of the second half and would march 54 yards and take nearly seven minutes off the clock and would finish it off with a Micah Lang 4-yard touchdown run to make the score 28-13. 

Riverside's first possession of the second half bled into the fourth quarter, but they would ultimately turn it over on downs. The Cyclones forced a quick Bluejays punt, and would respond with a short touchdown run from Charles Hewins to make the score 28-21 after a two-point conversion. 

The Cyclones defense would get the stop they needed with under three minutes left in the game, but Sabetha punter Jayton Meyer pinned the Cyclones inside their own 1-yard line so it was a 99-yard+ field the Cyclones had the travel for the potential game tying touchdown. 

After an 11-yard scramble by Koehler to get Riverside out of their own endzone, the game would end with a Curtis Fitzgerald interception to seal the win for the Bluejays. 

Menold rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown, Fitzgerald finished with 83 rushing yards and a score, and Lang rushed for nearly 40 yards and a touchdown. 

Koehler completed 16-of-22 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns to lead Riverside. Hughes finished with eight receptions for 87 yards and a score, Griffin finished with four receptions for 84 yards and a score, and Charles Hewins finished with 70 yards rushing and a touchdown. 

Week six for both squads - Riverside hosts Centralia - Sabetha travels to Pleasant Ridge.