92.1 KMZA Broadcast - Frankfort at Axtell - click here to listen 

Looking to open District play with a win the Axtell Eagles hosted the Frankfort Wildcats in a Twin Valley League 8-Man Division II District showdown and in a back and forth affair Axtell ultimately claimed the win 50-36.

Frankfort started the game strong putting together a drive that opened with 11 and 16 yard runs by Garret Dalinghaus and finished with an 11-yard score to make it 6-0 Wildcats with 9:09 on the clock in the first quarter. Axtell looking to answer back busted a 27-yard Michael Swanson run on their first play and were driving when Brandon Bussman made an acrobatic one-handed interception for Frankfort. The Wildcats started to move the ball again but gave it back to Axtell on a fumble which was recovered by Mason Schmitz and few plays later with 46.5 seconds left in the first quarter Axtell found the endzone on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Buessing to Hunter Koch to tie the game at 6-6. 

Axtell swung the lead their way after the defense got a big sack by Nate Buessing forcing Frankfort into a third and 24 and ultimately a fourth and long setting up the Eagles with a short field and a six-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Buessing to Koch made it 14-6 Axtell with two-point conversion. Frankfort matched it with a Brandon Bussmann eight-yard touchdown run and with the two-point conversion it was tied 14-14. Axtell driving just before the half was picked off for the second time as Brian Joseph from his defensive line spot leaped to pick off a pass utlimately helping lead to a 14-14 tie entering halftime. 

Out of the half both teams struggled to move the ball but Axtell pinned Frankfort deep in their own territory and had a 19-yard punt return to the Wildcat 21-yard line setting up a Quinn Buessing to Koch touchdown connection again giving Axtell the 22-14 lead. Frankfort had an answer with Dalinghaus punctuating a drive with a 23-yard catch from Bussmann and it was tied for the third time in the contest this time at 22-22 with 2:16 left in the third quarter. Axtell took over in the next portion of the game scoring the next three touchdowns on one-yard run by Quinn Buessing, 30-yard pass to Swanson from Buessing and a five-yard touchdown run by Quinn to go up 44-22 with 6:50 remaining. While three more scores were had in the contest between the two teams the three score lead for Axtell proved to be to much for Frankfort to overcome. Bussmann had a pair of two-yard runs for Frankfort in the final five minutes of the game while Swanson ran for a 13-yard touchdown for Axtell. 

The Eagles in the win had Quinn Buessing go 9-17 for 140 yards with four touchdowns (2 INTs) and ran for two scores earning him Community National Bank "Player to Bank On" honors on KMZA. Koch caught six passes for 99 yards and three touchdowns. Swanson added 149 yards rushing on 21 carries with a touchdown and caught a touchdown. 

In the loss Frankfort won the turnover battle +2 and had both Dalinghaus and Bussmann rush for 100+ yards. Dalinghaus carried the ball 33 times for 170 yards with a touchdown and caught a touchdown, while Bussmann totaled122 yards on 22 carries with three scores and tossed the touchdown pass to Garret. 

The win moves Axtell to 3-2 on the season a 1-0 in District play, while Frankfort fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in Districts. Both teams continue with District action in Week six when Axtell travels to Wetmore and Frankfort goes to Wakefield.