In a battle of weather phenomena in the Big Seven League the Nemaha Central Thunder hosted the Riverside Cyclones under the Friday Night Lights for shot to start the season off 2-0 for one of the teams, that team would be the Thunder as they held on for the 21-18 win in their home opener.

The game started off with a bang as Thunder senior, Devin Henry took the opening kick-off to the house running it back 84-yards for the score and with the extra point it was 7-0 Nemaha Central just 13 seconds into the game.

Both teams moved the ball with opportunities in the first half but for Riverside had a pair of drives stall out just outside the Redzone, as the Cyclones were unable to convert on fourth down plays. For the Thunder they saw a drive end in the Redzone, too as Riverside picked off a Tristan Allen pass.

With 10:31 left in the second quarter the Riverside offense broke through behind a 67-yard run by quarterback, Andrae McGaughy, which set up a one-yard TD run by McGaughy, to bring the Cyclones within one-point. Going for two to take the lead the Cyclones missed the conversion and the Thunder held on to the lead, leading 7-6.

Thunder finally found the endzone on offense late in the second quarter as Allen and company moved the ball down the field with a 22-yard run by Henry being the big play on the drive that ended with Allen punching it in from one-yard out to make it a 14-6 game with 5:33 left in the first half.

Nemaha Central was looking for more before the half and worked the ball inside the one-yard line but on a fourth and goal Riverside held the Thunder out of the endzone and it stayed at 14-6 at the half.

In the second half it was the tale of turnovers that plagued Riverside as the Cyclones fumbled the ball to start the second half but stopped the Thunder from scoring on a short field, to only give it back to Nemaha Central on an interception by sophomore, Ryan Hasenkamp. The Thunder capitalized on the interception, as they dipped into their bag of tricks with Zach Bradley on the halfback pass to Dylan Steinlage for 11-yards and the score, giving the Thunder the 21-6 lead with 3:24 in the third quarter.

The Cyclones looked to answer and that they did moving the ball down the field and in the waning seconds of the third period Riverside whirl winded into the endzone on a Bryer Miller 20-yard scamper, two-point conversion no good making it 21-12 going into the fourth.

Riverside drew even close in the final minutes of the game as McGaughy ran in from nine-yards out but no good two-point conversion draws the Cyclones within three at 21-18 with 3:21 remaining. The Thunder recovered the onside kick and looked to try and run the clock out but were unable to do so, giving Riverside a chance in the final two minutes. Backed up to need a big the Cyclones looked to air it out and Matt Winkler picked off McGaughy to seal the game for Nemaha Central, 21-18.

Henry paced the Thunder on the night with 20 carries for 92 yards and an 84-yard kick-off return TD earning him Community National Bank "Player to Bank On" honors on KMZA. While, Allen finished 5-9 for 94 yards and a rushing TD, helping Nemaha Central improve to 2-0 on the season. On defense along with the three turnovers forced, Micah Ulmer notched a pair of sacks.

For Riverside in the loss McGaughy led the charge with 16 carries for 107 yards and two TD's and was 7-13 for 128 yards passing, but had all three turnovers with two interceptions and a fumble. Bryer Miller added 65 yards on 13 carries and a TD, as the Cyclones fall to 1-1 on the season.

The Thunder head to Hiawatha next week looking to improve to 3-0, while Riverside will square off with ACCHS on the road as they look to bounce back from the loss.