Thayer Central vaults past EMF in regular season finale

MILLIGAN, Neb. - Sam Souerdyke scored two touchdowns with two two-point conversions and the Titan defense forced the Bobcats into three straight three-and-outs to close the game, helping Thayer Central (6-2, 4-1 District 7) earn a 38-24 comeback win over Exeter-Milligan/Friend (4-4, 3-2) on Friday night.  

These two local foes and in-district rivals had a lot to play for in their final regular season game: both squads felt confident they would be in the Nebraska Class D1 playoffs next week win or lose, but a win could very well have been the difference between a first-round home game, and traveling to begin the postseason. And the winner would also claim sole possession of second place in the district, and take the lead in the all-time series which had been tied at three wins apiece. 

And both teams attacked Friday’s game with the urgency that game seemed to dictate. On just the second play from scrimmage, Thayer Central quarterback Laken Wiedel took a play-action QB keeper up the right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown run. EMF then embarked on a much more methodical drive, but it finished with a 6-yard pass from Aidan Vavra to AJ Mueller to give the home team the team.  

Back and forth it went. Thayer Central went back in front on the next drive on a 20-yard pass from Wiedel to Dylan Williams, but then the Bobcats punched right back on a 6-yard run from standout tailback Mikey Bartu. Both defenses earned their first stops with each side forcing punts, but then the Titans scored again, with Souerdyke plunging in from three yards out and then passing to Brady Degenhardt for a 2-point conversion with 26 seconds left in the half to give the visitors a 22-16 lead at the halftime break.  

Undeterred, EMF got the ball to begin the second half and scored in less than three minutes on Bartu’s second TD run of the night. TC punted on its first possession, but then the Titan defense took over: trailing by just two, Thayer Central forced EMF into a three-and-out on each of its final three drives in the game, canceling any chance of a Bobcat comeback once the Titans took the lead.  

And to take the lead, the Titans relied on their own superstar tailback, Souerdyke, who upped his career all-purpose touchdown total to 87 with three in the game, including two in the fourth quarter on Friday. He also ran in PATs after both scores and helped his defense shut out EMF in the final frame to close out a hard-fought 38-24 victory for Thayer Central.  

The NSAA released the 2024 8-man football postseason brackets on Saturday, and, just as their coaches predicted, both Thayer Central and Exeter-Milligan/Friend will be in the postseason in 2024. Even with this win to improve to 6-2, Thayer Central will have to play on the road in the first round: the Titans are the No. 9 seed in the East region of the 2024 D1 bracket, and will travel to face No. 8-seed Johnson-Brock, also 6-2 but 4-0 at home, next Thursday. Meanwhile, EMF, the reigning state runners-up at this level, will be a 12-seed, and will travel to face No. 5-seed, 7-1, Hartington-Newcastle next Thursday.  

Stay tuned to Ol’ Red 99.5 as we unveil our full schedule for live game coverage next week and beyond.