The Holton football season ended with a 7-5 record falling at Hayden 42-14 in a Sub-State rematch. Hayden's first play of the game was a 65-yard touchdown run by Finn Dunshee as Hayden scored three touchdowns on their first three drives and Holton went three-and-out on their first three possessions and it was quickly 21-0 heading into the second quarter.  

Dunshee, who was injured in week four and returned slightly last week in Hayden's win at Parsons, accounted for 162 yards and 5 touchdowns on the night to keep Hayden undefeated (12-0) and to the state title game for the first time since 2016.  Backup sophomore quarterback Conner Hanika was 9-14 passing for 102 yards and tossed a trio of scores as Hayden totaled 320 yards. 

Holton did not roll over after the early 21-0 deficit as Bodie Dillon broke a 58 yard touchdown run to make it 21-7. Only to have Hayden return a kickoff for a TD for the second straight week as Jensen Schrickel took a backwards pitch and went 75 yards to zap any Holton momentum and make it 28-7. Yet, Holton marched 80 yards in 10 plays and got another Dillon touchdown from five yards out on fourth down to pull within 28-14 and hold Hayden heading into halftime. 

Holton receied the second half kick, but was quickly forced to punt and would go on to muster only 16 total yards and zero first downs in the second half. Holton had just five first downs in the game and was held to 169 yards, all rushing. Dillon had 86 yards on 8 carries and the two scores while Eli Hallauer added 35 yards on 3 carries. Lead back Abbott Hundley was held to just 31 yards on 19 attempts in a game that had no turnovers and only one five-yard false start penalty on each team. 

Dunshee was a difference maker with 125 yards on 12 carries and catching 3 passes for 37 yards. Broderick Doesch added 69 yards on 14 carries, but it was the Hayden defense that dominated the line of scrimmage and linebacker Jude Konrade that held  Holton without a first down on 7 of their 9 drives.

Hayden will face Cheney in Hutchinson next week as the Cardinals again ralllied from a three-score-deficit to beat Andale and get to the 3A championship.