by Brian Turrel
Schlagle got in a few blows, but was eventually overwhelmed 51-22 by the Atchison Phoenix Friday night at F.L. Schlagle Stadium. Schlagle senior Gedeon Ngenzirabona made the highlight reel with two touchdown catches and multiple tackles on defense and special teams.
Schlagle scored on the first play from scrimmage on a reverse that Kameron Daboe took up the left sideline for 75 yards.
On the following drive, Schlagle made a goal-line stand against the Phoenix, with Elonnie Fishback breaking up a fourth down Atchison pass to the end zone. The Stallions got the ball back at their own 6-yard line, but quarterback Kahliek Rainey was tackled in the end zone for an Atchison safety.
Atchison took a 9-6 lead later in the quarter on a 4-yard run from Jesse Greenly, following his own 25-yard run that set up the score. Greenly’s powerful running was a challenge for Schlagle all night, and the Atchison junior reliably picked up yards after contact on each run.
Schlagle took another short-lived lead in the second quarter on a 69-yard pass from Rainey to Ngenzirabona. The senior receiver got past Atchison’s secondary on the left boundary and won the footrace to the goal line. Rainey ran in the 2-point conversion to give the home team a 14-9 lead.
The celebration quickly quieted when Atchison’s Dameon Owens slipped two tackles on the kickoff and headed to the end zone.
Atchison scored again late in the second quarter to give the Phoenix a 23-14 halftime lead.
The third quarter belonged entirely to the visitors, who scored four unanswered touchdowns to put the game out of reach at 51-14. The Schlagle offense got little traction, with Rainey often running for his life behind the line.
With the clock running late in the fourth quarter, Rainey connected again with Ngenzirabona from 25 yards out. The Schlagle receiver was tackled near the goal line but dived to slip the ball just across the pylon for the touchdown. A 2-point pass conversion sealed the final score.
Schlagle remains winless in a rebuilding year for the program. The Stallions will wrap up their season at home next Friday against Wyandotte starting at 7 p.m.
