EIGHT-PLAYER DIVISION II STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
 
HANOVER (12-0) VS. VICTORIA (11-0)
 
7 p.m. Saturday at Kiowa County High School, Greensburg
 

GUESS WHO’S BACK? HANOVER REGAINS SWAGGER IN RETURN TO PROMINENCE
 
It’s not like Hanover ever really went away since claiming it last state championship in 2020 – a title that concluded a streak where the Wildcats won four crowns in a five-year period.
 
After that historic run – one where Hanover set what was then the eight-player record for consecutive wins with 43 straight – Hanover posted a 25-16 record over the next four years with almost half of those losses coming to Twin Valley League rival Axtell, which was in the midst of its own historic run.
 
Nearly every loss in that span came to a program experiencing some of the best seasons in their programs’ histories.
 
Yet for a program that had grown accustomed to playing on the final weekend of the year, the stretch has created a hunger that in large part has been satiated with this year’s return to prominence. In returning to the Eight-Player Division II state championship for the first time in five years, Hanover is back where it expects to be.
 
“It was definitely something that throughout the course of the year you could see,” Hanover coach Matt Heuer said of his team’s determination to bring Hanover football back to its customary position atop Division II. “We had the blueprint or foundation last year already to know we were making strides back to get to that point. I think these kids saw that and understood what we needed to change and have done a good job adapting to that and buying into that mindset.
 
“That’s definitely something that they can hang their hat on and at the same time it’s always great for these kids to experience this type of atmosphere and this type of game. This year, we’ve gotten a lot of those opportunities, a lot of big-time games that we haven’t experienced in recent years. Our kids have embraced it and I know they’re excited to get Hanover back.”
 
To get fully back, there’s one more hurdle. Awaiting the 12-0 Wildcats in Saturday’s 7 p.m. Division II championship game in Greensburg is fellow unbeaten Victoria (11-0). The two have met in the championship game before with Hanover topping unbeaten Victoria 46-14 for the Division II title in 2008.
 
The Knights are making their second straight championship game appearance, falling in last year’s title game to Axtell. As hungry as Hanover is to add to its championship trophy collection the Knights may be just as hungry after how last year’s title contest played out.
 
Going into the game with a 12-0 mark and feeling it had the pieces to end Axtell’s reign, Victoria instead saw Axtell strike quickly and often, building a 22-0 first-quarter lead in what turned out to be a 50-0 romp.
 
So, who will be hungrier on Saturday?
 
“At this point, I feel like either side will say they’re hungier,” Heuer said. “I think it’s a different type of hunger. It’s two different hemispheres as far as that word goes. You have the one that got a taste of that opportunity or experience last year and that’s probably been their driving force throughout the offseason, understanding that feeling they had when they walked off that field.
 
“And then you have our team, who’s never really been able to experience it before in their lives. It’s that excitement of the unknown that they’ve heard multiple seasons of talk of Hanover’s experience of being there but as far as them being there, it's foreign territory. It’s hard to judge the hunger aspect of it, but I know both teams probably raised the bar on both ends of the spectrum of that one.”
 
Just to get to Greensburg, Hanover already has cleared a huge, if not the biggest, hurdle possible in being the team to end Axtell’s run. Not just once, but twice.
 
In the regular season, Hanover claimed a 26-18 victory that brought an end to the Eagles’ state-record 58-game winning streak – a game that the Wildcats had well in hand leading 26-6 midway through the fourth quarter before Axtell got a pair of quick touchdowns to make it a one-score contest before Hanover finished it with a late defensive stand.
 
As much as Hanover controlled that game, particularly at the line of scrimmage, Heuer knew last week’s semifinal rematch would likely be a different game. And it was.
 
Axtell got a pair of first-quarter touchdowns from Landon Schmitz on big plays to jump out to a 16-6 lead at the end of the period and still led 16-14 at halftime and 24-20 midway through the third quarter.
 
But the Wildcats buckled down and got a TD run and pass from Kadrick Cohorst to take the lead and a big fourth quarter from the defense to preserve a 34-24 victory that ended Axtell’s four-year Division II reign.
 
“It was important for our kids to understand that that first game really had no bearing on this one,” Heuer said. “This game had a lot more riding on it as far as the main season goals and everything like that. It was easy to keep our kids dialed in and they understood the challenge that awaited them and did a good job of responding to some adversity early and staying the course.
 
“It was a noticeable difference the intensity (Axtell) started the game with and I think our kids did a good job of absorbing that blow and fighting back. That’s a testament to the maturity that our kids have established over the last year.”
 
It was hardly a surprise that it was Cohorst who keyed the late surge and delivered a big-time performance, finishing with 191 yards and four touchdowns passing and another 118 yards and one touchdown rushing. The junior has stepped in as the full-time starting quarterback for the Wildcats this season and shown the leadership that harkens memories of past Hanover signal callers that have led championship squads.
 
If Hanover does indeed have its swagger back, Cohorst is perhaps the embodiment of it.
 
“He brings a different aspect to our football team that we haven’t had for a few years,” Heuer said. “Anybody that watched the second half of the game the other night could see where we put our stakes at. He was our bread and butter and he did a fantastic job of leading us home and that’s a testament not only to his confidence but who he is as a teammate and person. He’s extremely humble but what a fantastic leader and athlete he is and he’s brought our offense to a level we haven’t seen in a few years.
 
“He’s definitely one of those kids that brings that X-factor. It’s a little bit of everything and does it with a swagger that allows us to bring everybody up a notch.”
 
That swagger can also be seen on the defensive side of the ball where the Wildcats have returned to the level of those championship seasons of the past decade. While Hanover has given up 88 points this season, nearly half of that has come in the wins over Axtell – a team that averaged 52.6 points per game in its 10 wins.
 
The only other team to score more than one touchdown on the Wildcats this season was Linn, which Hanover shut out 50-0 in a playoff rematch. Led by the likes of Cooper Bruna, Brody Sedlacek and Tanner Bruna, Hanover has completely shut down the likes of Ell-Saline, Frankfort, Osborne and Clifton-Clyde.
 
“Our athleticism has brought our defense to a level that’s extremely hard to crack,” Heuer said. “It’s been extremely strong throughout the entire year and we’ve played some really good teams. I don’t think there’s an eight-man team in the state that can say they played Axtell twice and only gave up a total of 42 points and would frown upon that.”
 
Victoria will certainly test that defense as the Knights boast a dynamic run game that carries the offense. Weston Scherrer has led the way with 1,172 yards and 22 touchdowns, but Mason Mauch and Wyatt Schmidtberger each have double-digit rushing touchdowns and two other backs have at least five rushing scores.
 
The Knights rarely pass, having attempted only 49 this season, but nevertheless do what they do well enough to get to this point unblemished.
 
“As always when you see them, you’re going to have an extremely well-coached team and a fundamentally disciplined team,” Heuer said of the Knights. “They’ve got a good foundation as far as a program goes and that’s a testament of what Doug (Oberle) has been able to do over the course of his tenure. Every single year he has them in contention and this year’s no different. They’ve got a very solid senior class and they do a lot of things really, really well. They’re extremely physical and do what they do with a lot of precision. It’s definitely a tall task.”
 
As tough as it was watching Axtell replace it as the dominant power in Division II the past four seasons, there also was some measure of pride for Hanover that it was another Twin Valley League team in that position. The league has dominated the eight-man state scene, putting at least one team in an eight-man state championship game every year since 2007.
 
Hanover (6), Axtell (4) and Baileyville B&B (4) have combined for 14 titles and six runner-up finishes in that 19-year span with Hanover and Baileyville giving the TVL an eight-man title sweep in 2008 with the Falcons winning the Division I title and Wildcats taking the Division II crown.
 
“it’s definitely one of those things where year-in, year-out, there is a sense of pride in representing our league and making sure everybody knows the level of competition there is week in, week out up here,” Heuer said. “It’s one of those things where you want to carry the torch and continue that streak that our league has been able to put together.”
 
HANOVER WILDCATS (12-0)
 
COACH: Matt Heuer (21st year, 198-43)
 
STATE FINALS HISTORY: 7 state titles – 2020 (8MII), 2018 (8MII), 2017 (8MII), 2016 (8MII), 2009 (8MII), 2008 (8MII), 1979 (2A); 3 runner-up finishes – 2015 (8MI), 2014 (8MI), 2007 (8MI)
 
2025 RESULTS

W,32-8 Ell-Saline
W,56-6 at Clifton-Clyde
W,60-0 Washington County
W,50-0 at Frankfort
W,48-0 Blue Valley-Randolph
W,53-6 at Wakefield
W,26-18 Axtell
W,52-12 at Linn
W,58-6 Osborne (P)
W,64-8 Burlingame (P)
W,50-0 Linn (P)
W,34-24 Axtell (P)
 
2025 STATISTICS
 
TEAM
 
Points scored: 583 (48.6 per game)
 
Points allowed: 88 (7.3 per game)
 
Total offense: 3,100 yards (258.3 per game)
 
Rushing: 1,679 yards (139.9 per game), 44 TDs
 
Passing: 1,421 yards (118.4 per game), 30 TDs, 4 INTs
 
INDIVIDUAL
 
Rushing: Kadrick Cohorst (jr.) 90 carries, 630 yards, 20 TDs; Cooper Bruna (so.) 57 carries, 451 yards, 11 TDs; Alec Jueneman (sr.) 76 carries, 417 yards, 10 TDs.
 
Passing: Kadrick Cohorst (jr.) 82 of 107, 1,376 yards, 29 TDs, 4 INTs.
 
Receiving: Braylon Meyn (sr.) 35 catches, 556 yards, 12 TDs; Brody Sedlacek (jr.) 12 catches, 225 yards, 6 TDs; Hunter Kickhaefer (jr.) 7 catches, 185 yards, 4 TDs; Jack Bruna (so.) 13 catches, 167 yards, 3 TDs; Landon Stallbaumer (sr.) 5 catches, 112 yards, 2 TDs.
 
Tackles: Cooper Bruna (so.) 98 tackles (40 solo), 10 tackles for loss; Brody Sedlacek (jr.) 86 tackles (32 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks; Tanner Bruna (sr.) 71 tackles (19 solo), 9 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks; Eli Heiman (sr.) 60 tackles (13 solo), 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks; Landon Stallbaumer (sr.) 58 tackles (28 solo); Braylon Meyn (sr.) 47 tackles (20 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss; Hunter Kickhaefer (jr.) 42 tackles (21 solo); Kyle Schotte (sr.) 41 tackles (9 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss; Jack Bruna (so.) 34 tackles (8 solo); Alec Jueneman (sr.) 30 tackles (13 solo), 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks; Kadrick Cohorst (jr.) 25 tackles (7 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss; Jaden Butler (sr.) 13 tackles (2 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
Takeaways: Landon Stallbaumer (sr.) 6 INTs, 3 fumble recoveries; Hunter Kickhaefer (jr.) 3 INTs; Jack Bruna (so.) 2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery; Eli Heiman (sr.) 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT; Braylon Meyn (sr.) 2 INTs; Alec Jueneman (sr.) 2 fumble recoveries.
 
Kicking: Hunter Kickhaefer (jr.) 1 of 1 PAT.
 

 
VICTORIA POWERS WAY BACK INTO TITLE GAME AFTER LAST YEAR'S RUNNER-UP FINISH 
 
Attention to detail is always a priority for perennial power Victoria. 

After winning a tight game against Hodgeman County in Week 8, the Knights added a few new wrinkles for the rematch in Friday’s semifinal. 

Victoria executed its plan to perfection, rolling to a 48-0 win over the Longhorns. 

“I think we had a better idea how to attack them and what they did defensively,” Victoria coach Doug Oberle said. “We had some better execution and we put in a few different plays and blocked some things differently.”

“The last two weeks we’ve done a really good job of film prep. That’s huge and that’s probably not talked about enough, especially at the eight-man level. If you can get in on film and understand what you’re seeing and get the keys, it makes Friday a little bit easier.”

Victoria will be rewarded with a second straight state title game appearance, facing fellow unbeaten Hanover in the Eight-Player Division II championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Kiowa County High School. 

The Knights were also undefeated heading into last year’s final before Axtell handed them a 50-0 loss to capture the Eagles’ fourth straight state championship. 

“Certainly we weren’t satisfied with where we were at the end of last year and it was a good commitment by the majority of them to come back and work hard and the fruits of their labor have paid off,” Oberle said. “Credit to the young men for what they’ve done and what they’ve committed to, and understanding what’s in front of them.”

The Knights also had a battle of unbeatens in the quarterfinals, taking a 36-22 win over Hutchinson Central Christian. 

“You always want to start the season strong but you want to improve each and every week,” Oberle said. “We’ve had some kids that haven’t played a lot in the past step up and provide some good plays. 

“We’re a little banged up but we can’t dwell on that and we’ve got to get our guys ready to go.”

The Knights are fueled by a powerful offensive line led by center Kyle Huser. Weston Scherrer has rushed for 1,172 yards and 22 touchdowns. 

Hanover ended Axtell’s state-record 58-game winning streak with a 26-18 win over the Eagles in the regular season. The Wildcats knocked off Axtell again in the semifinals with a 34-24 victory that ended the Eagles’ four-year reign. 

Hanover and Victoria both have seven state championships in school history. The Wildcats last won in 2020 after capturing three straight titles from 2016-18. Victoria won back-to-back championships in 2014-2015.

The Knights and Wildcats met in the championship game in 2008, with Hanover taking a 46-14 win for the Division II title.

“It’s one of the better programs in the state of Kansas from 6A down to eight-man,” Oberle said. “Just a solid football team, top to bottom. They don’t make mistakes and then they take advantage of yours. 

“Very well-coached (Matt Heuer). Offensively, they do a lot of great things as usual. Talented bunch of guys. They won’t be awestruck by the moment. They’ll be ready to play.”

Oberle said offensive keys will be establishing the run and having the offensive line impose its will. 

“Defensively, we’ve just got to understand what we’re seeing and what formations they’re in,” he said. “Huge task, and we’ll see what we can do.” VICTORIA KNIGHTS (11-0)
 
COACH: Doug Oberle (21st year, 186-39)
 
STATE FINALS HISTORY: 7 state titles – 2015 (8M II), 2014 (8M II), 2006 (8M II), 2004 (8M I), 1988 (2-1A), 1985 (2-1A), 1981 (2A); 2 runner-up finishes – 2024 (8M II), 2008 (8M II)
 
2025 RESULTS

W,50-0 at Ness City
W,22-20 at Central Plains
W,Fft Osborne
W,54-0 Pretty Prairie
W,46-0 at St. John
W,48-0 Stafford
W,64-6 at Macksville
W,28-14 Hodgeman County
W,56-0 Norwich (P)
W,64-14 Dighton (P)
W,36-22 at Hutchinson Central Christian (P)
W,48-0 Hodgeman County (P)
 
2025 STATISTICS
 
TEAM
 
Points scored: 516 (46.9 per game)
 
Points allowed: 76 (6.9 per game)
 
Total offense: 2,998 yards (272.5 per game)
 
Rushing: 2,645 yards (240.4 per game), 58 TDs
 
Passing: 353 yards (32.1 per game), 4 TDs, 1 INT
 
INDIVIDUAL
 
Rushing: Weston Scherrer (sr.) 99 carries, 1,172 yards, 22 TDs; Mason Mauch (jr.) 59 carries, 498 yards, 13 TDs; Matthew Pfeifer (sr.) 56 carries, 388 yards, 7 TDs; Wyatt Schmidtberger (sr.) 68 carries, 348 yards, 10 TDs; Nick Sander (so.) 19 carries, 165 yards, 5 TDs.
 
Passing: Wyatt Schmidtberger (sr.) 24 of 47, 321 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
 
Receiving: Wesley Sander (sr.) 6 receptions, 110 yards, 3 TDs; Weston Scherrer (sr.) 7 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD.
 
Tackles: Wes Dreiling (sr.) 58 tackles (33 solo), 6 tackles for loss; Matthew Pfeifer (sr.) 43 tackles (20 solo), 2 sacks; Wesley Sander (sr.) 36 tackles (20 solo), 4 tackles for loss; NIck Sander (so.) 36 tackles (25 solo); Kyle Huser (sr.) 29 tackles (14 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 4 sacks; William Schmeidler (sr.) 25 tackles (16 solo), 2 sacks; Ethan VonLintel (sr.) 24 tackles (17 solo), 6 tackles for loss, 6 sacks; Weston Scherrer (sr.) 21 tackles (14 solo), 8 tackles for loss, 9 sacks; Cody Schmidtberger (sr.) 12 tackles (6 solo), 5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks; Aiden Dinkel (sr.) 2 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.
 
Takeaways: William Schmeidler (sr.) 5 INTs, 1 fumble recovery; Matthew Pfeifer (sr.) 5 INTs; Nick Sander (so.) 2 INTs; Cody Schmidtberger (sr.) 2 fumble recoveries; Wes Dreiling (sr.) 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery.
 
Kicking: none.