92.1 KMZA Broadcast - Silver Lake at Nemaha Central (3A Regional Playoffs) - click here to listen

The marquee 3A Regional playoff game between top ranked and undefeated Silver Lake and Nemaha Central did not live up to hype on Saturday night in Seneca as the Eagles played their best game of the year and the Thunder played one of their worst in a 25-7 final.  Nemaha had four turnovers, and couldn’t get off the field on defense as Silver Lake continually converted on third and long to dominate time of possession.   

Trailing 13-0 at halftime, the Thunder drove 76 yards in seven plays on their first possession in the third quarter and Mitchell Henry scored from three yards out to make it 13-7.  Nemaha then forced a second Silver Lake punt in the frame and Henry found Noe Gauna on a 58-yard pass inside the redzone with a chance to tie and take the lead.  However, on fourth and four, Tristen Stoner intercepted a pass and the Eagles were never really threatened again as Nemaha turned the ball over on their next two possessions as well and Silver Lake added two fourth quarter scores to seal the revenge win after falling in last year’s Regional game 21-14 versus Nemaha. 

Silver Lake’s opening drive (spanning 8:27) on offense was perhaps their best of the game as they went 96 yards on 17 plays and overcame three penalties for an additional 17 yards before Trent Byers scored on a five-yard run.  It was Byers then caught a 17-yard pass from Mason Griffin with 35 second left in the half to cap their third and final drive that used 13 plays to cover 65 yards.  The Eagles were 7-10 on third downs in the first half but 2-2 on fourth down with conversions of more than 10, 12, 13 and 16 yards. 

Byers was the difference maker with 158 yards receiving on eight catches and scored three total touchdowns.  Keenan Baird had 33 yards on three receptions and a pick while Dillon Byrne also had three grabs from Griffen who was 16 of 28 for 231 yards in the air.  Mason Jones had 97 yards rushing on 24 carries and capped the scoring with 1:35 to go on a two-yard run after Nemaha botched a 14-yard punt on fourth down and 25 at their own five-yard-line.  The Eagles (11-0) will face another undefeated team in Galena in Sectional play next week. 

Nemaha Central managed just 56 yards rushing with Mitchell Henry bottled up on 16 carries for just 27 yards.  Henry was 12-25 passing for 177 but three interceptions were as many as he had in the first 10 games this season combined.  Luke Reitz had 19 yards rushing on five carries and caught three passes for 44 yards while Gauna hauled in two passes for 63 yards and rushed three times for eight.  Cole Kramer had three receptions for 22 yards and Camron Feldkamp caught a pair of passes for 26 yards, but the Thunder secondary was inches and seconds away from deflecting multiple passes, but just couldn’t seem to make a big play or force any mistakes by Silver Lake.  It was the third season that ended with just one loss for Nemaha Central (10-1), who will take a 23 game Big 7 League winning streak into next year after losing 17 seniors off this year’s team.