Standout Performers From Tonganoxie vs. Piper

The opening round of the playoffs brought us an old-fashioned rivalry game between the Tonganoxie Chieftains and the Piper Pirates. The former Kaw Valley League foes have had some battles over the years, and this 8-seed vs. 9-seed matchup set up for yet another clash. Tongie entered the contest at 4-4 after snapping a two-game skid in Week 8, and the Pirates came in at 5-3 riding a two-game win streak. Not only were bragging rights on the line, but both teams were looking to advance to the Regional Round next week.   Both programs have played each other relatively close over the years, and that's exactly how the first half of this ball game went. Outside of two long touchdown passes, both offenses were held in check throughout most of the first half. Piper would however get a huge momentum boost just before halftime thanks to a 78-yard touchdown pass, which gave the Pirates a 14-7 lead heading into intermission.    Piper would carry that momentum into the second half and took full control of the game in the 3rd quarter. The Pirates' defense really limited the Chieftains offensively, and they added a few more scores to give themselves a commanding 28-7 lead heading into the final period. Tongie tried to stay within striking distance in the 4th quarter, but the Pirates pulled away to win 35-14, and advanced to the Regional Round in the 4A bracket. The Pirates' victory now sets up an interesting matchup with top-seeded Chanute.   Here are the Standout Performers from this 4A rivalry matchup (Unofficial Stats).    Offense:   [player_tooltip player_id='124494' first='Logan' last='Ladish'] – Piper, 6'2”, 185, QB, Class of '23   The Offensive Player of the Game goes to senior quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='124494' first='Logan' last='Ladish']. He missed out on Piper's playoff run last season due to injury, so the senior definitely carried extra motivation into this game. Ladish helped spark Piper's offense with two long touchdown passes, and he also had some nice runs throughout the contest. The senior finished completing 10-of-18 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 77 yards on 13 carries. Piper will need another strong performance from Ladish if they are to take down unbeaten Chanute during Regionals.    <a href="https://twitter.com/colin_vigil08?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/colin_vigil08?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw">Colin Vigil </a>– Piper, 6'1”, 175, ATH, Class of '23   <a href="https://twitter.com/colin_vigil08?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/colin_vigil08?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw">Colin Vigil</a> has been one of the Pirates' top offensive playmakers this season, and the senior came up big in this one. He helped get Piper on the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter when he hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass from Ladish. Vigil finished just shy of 100 yards receiving, but he did managed to rack up over 100 all-purpose yards for the game.   <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahholthaus?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/isaiahholthaus?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw">Isaiah Holthaus</a> – Tonganoxie, 6'3”, 190, ATH, Class of '24   Despite the tough loss, <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahholthaus?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/isaiahholthaus?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw">Isaiah Holthaus</a> still managed to impress. The junior looked to be on his way to a monster game early on, but Piper's defense would adjust and contained him in the second half. Although Holthaus was held to just five catches, he went on to eclipse 100 yards, as he ended the game with 108 yards receiving and one score. His breakout season comes to a close, but he will definitely be a player to look out for in 2023.   [player_tooltip player_id='442667' first='Talon' last='Langford'] – Tonganoxie, 6'2”, 180, QB, Class of '25   This game against Piper will be one Langford learns from and uses to improve as a junior next year. The sophomore showed flashes of being a solid dual-threat quarterback, but he just ran into an experienced defense. Piper made things difficult for him in the passing game, and they shut down Tongie's ground game as well, which put pressure on Langford to make plays. Langford finished with over 150 yards of total offense and two total touchdowns in his first postseason start. He'll be another prospect on Tongie's roster to watch out for next season.   Defense:   [player_tooltip player_id='246097' first='Mason' last='L'Heureux'] & <a href="https://twitter.com/aaronhensonjr1?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/aaronhensonjr1?s=21&t=a8eJokt9g51pbxiedqeUQw">Aaron Henson</a> – Piper   A big reason why the Chieftains were unable to get anything going on the ground was because of L'Heureux and Henson. The two linebackers played disciplined, and they both flew to the ball throughout the contest. They were two of the leading tacklers for the Pirates with over five total on the night. L'Heureux and Henson also made an impact on offense, as L'Heureux hauled in a 78-yard touchdown reception, and Henson punched in the final score of the game in the 4th quarter.   Jack Messersmith – Tonganoxie, 5'6”, 170, LB, Class of '23   This was a tough game for the Chieftains' defense as a whole. Despite their defensive struggles, senior Jack Messersmith did manage to standout. The senior was involved in several plays, as he led the Chieftains in total tackles with 7.

The opening round of the playoffs brought us an old-fashioned rivalry game between the Tonganoxie Chieftains and the Piper Pirates. The former Kaw Valley League foes have had some battles over the years, and this 8-seed vs. 9-seed matchup set up for yet another clash. Tongie entered the contest at 4-4 after snapping a two-game skid in Week 8, and the Pirates came in at 5-3 riding a two-game win streak. Not only were bragging rights on the line, but both teams were looking to advance to the Regional Round next week.