After a raining start to Friday, the skies cleared up for the action under the lights but the Thunder still sounded at the end of the night on the football field as the Nemaha Central Thunder opened their inaugural season as Nemaha Central by taking down their rival in the Sabetha Bluejays winning 35-27.

The game started as a defensive struggle with both teams going three-and-out on their first two offensive drives before real positive yards were gained by the two teams on offense. Working into the second quarter in a scoreless battle, Nemaha Central finally broke through after playing the field position game and forcing Sabetha to punt from their endzone giving the Thunder the ball on the Bluejays 32-yard line. The Thunder would ultimately sound for the first time as junior quarterback, Tristan Allen ran it in from five-yards out to for the first score of the game with 5:28 left in the first half, making it 7-0 after the extra point for Nemaha Central.

Sabetha looking to respond started their next drive on their own 35-yard line, but things went awry as Nemaha Central's, Abe Elder intercepted Bluejays quarterback, Brandon Poe and ran it back for the score. Missed extra point made it 13-0 Nemaha Central with just over five minutes to go in the first half.

The Bluejays would not be stymied and flustered by the pick six as they responded with their first score on their next drive going 57 yards to score a run heavy drive and were aided by three defensive Nemaha Central penalties on the drive. Senior, Kegan Schumann punched it in from two-yards out on the run to make it a 13-6 game after the missed extra point and that was the score at intermission.

After winning the coin toss and deferring Nemaha Central started the second half with the ball and the lead and the Thunder rolled again, as they marched down the field after starting on their own 26-yard line to score on the initial drive of the second half. A pair of passes from Allen to tight end, Elder for 45-yards and 18-yards were crucial plays on the drive, with senior runningback, Devin Henry punching the ball in from two-yards out for his first touchdown of the season, extra point good and Nemaha Central lead 21-6.

Sabetha out to be out done and trying to stay in the game came right back on their first drive of the second half and behind a big 34-yard run by Brock Frey, and got into the endzone on a Poe 12-yard pass to Treavor Schmelzle, making it 21-13 with extra point.

Headed to the fourth quarter 21-13 the two rivals would trade scores in the final frame with Nemaha Central leading by a pair of scores late and Sabetha drawing within single digits in the final minute of the contest. Nemaha Central struck first in the fourth quarter as Henry scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and with the two-point conversion made it 29-13 with 11:16 to go in the game. Sabetha came back on the next drive scoring on a crazy lateral after a pass completion as Poe hit Schmelzle, who lateraled the ball to Blake Popkess for the score, making it 29-19.

Not to be out done and to keep the pressure on the Bluejays, Nemaha Central struck again this time in the air as Allen hit a wide open Zach Bradley for a 36-yard score and it was 35-19. With time ticking off the clocks the Bluejays pushed down the field and got a late score as Poe scored on a five-yard run, but ultimately not a enough time was left in the game as Nemaha Central claimed the 35-27 win.

Nemaha Central opened the Thunder era with a win and junior quarterback, Allen paced the team going 8-11 157 yards and TD, while rushing for a score, too to earn the Community National Bank "Player to Bank On" honors on KMZA. Henry finished with 19 carries 50 yards and two scores, while Bradley had four receptions for 80 yards and a TD.

Sabetha in the loss had a heavy dose of Schumann and Brett Plattner who finished with 85 and 49 yards on 19 and 16 carries, respectively, while Brock Frey had five carries for 51 yards. Poe finished the night 5-11 for 83 yards a TD and interception, while Schmelzle had three receptions for 65 yards and TD.

It was the first win for Nemaha Central, but the seventh straight against Sabetha in the rivalry as Nemaha Valley had won the previous six matchups. The Thunder starts the season 1-0 with the win and head home next week to host Riverside, a game that will be broadcasted on 92.1 KMZA. While Sabetha starts the season of 0-1 and turn their attention to ACCHS who they host next week; the game will be broadcasted on the Sabetha Channel online here at MSCSports.net (click Sabetha Channel under listen live tab).