photo by: Parker I. Johnson/Special to the Journal-World

Tonganoxie quarterback Hudson Myers (4) throws the ball downfield on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 at Beatty Field in Tonganoxie.

Tonganoxie football is moving on to the substate round after scoring 27 unanswered points against Ottawa in a 34-10 sectional round win.

The Chieftains were slow to start offensively, with nine completions to start the day. But once the passing game got going, the Chieftains dominated the Cyclones and finished with 157 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.

Both teams were slow to start, sticking to the ground game and not getting much. Ottawa started with a three-and-out, followed by Tonganoxie picking up one first down on its first drive before punting.

Neither team had a drive lasting more than five plays until Ottawa got its offense going and drove the ball to the Tonganoxie 20, but the Cyclones turned it over downs. Both teams traded punts until Ottawa kicked a field goal with 3:39 left in the first half.

Tonganoxie’s passing game came to life in the following drive, starting with a 33-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Hudson Myers to junior Kipton Harder, followed immediately by a 21-yard pass to sophomore Roman Holthaus for a touchdown.

Tonganoxie’s run game benefitted from the improved pass game through the rest of the half, but the Chieftains weren’t able to add to their lead, taking a 7-3 advantage into the half.

The Chieftains got the ball out of halftime and scored on their opening drive. The run game with junior Bodee Maslak and senior Blake Riedel kept the chains moving, and Riedel got the 4-yard touchdown run to give Tonganoxie a 13-3 lead.

Ottawa answered with its only touchdown drive of the night. The Chieftains got the Cyclones in a fourth-and-1 around midfield, but a tight end pop pass went 50 yards for a score, making it a 13-10 Tonganoxie lead.

But the Chieftain offense didn’t allow another point, while the offense only got more explosive in the second half.

A 40-yard pass play to Holthaus set up an easy touchdown with under two minutes left in the third quarter. Tonganoxie forced a turnover on downs and scored on the following drive. Tonganoxie had to punt, but senior Marko Stephen caught a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage for an interception. Maslak then went 78 yards for a touchdown run to give the Chieftains a 27-10 lead.

Ottawa’s offense struggled to move the ball in the final seven minutes, and Tonganoxie continued to drive downfield. The Chieftains scored a final touchdown on a 14-yard pass to Holthaus with under three minutes to play.

The Cyclones finished with the ball in their hands, unable to move into Tonganoxie territory before time ran out, leaving the Chieftains alive in the playoffs with a 34-10 win.

Tonganoxie will face an undefeated Bishop Miege team on the road on Friday for a chance to play in the 4A state championship game.