By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Ell-Saline Cardinals continued their revenge tour on Friday night in a colossal 44-42 victory over the Hoxie Indians, punching their ticket to the 8-Man DI semifinals next week.
After knocking out Little River and Clifton-Clyde, Hoxie was the only team that remained on the Cardinals list, and as fate would have it, the two met in the quarterfinals with everything on the line.
At the half, it was clear just how much Ell-Saline had grown, as the Cardinals led 22-14, but were in for a real fight down the home stretch.
The Indians battled back to take a late lead, and with their backs to the wall, Ell-Saline looked to Kas Kramer, who delivered the goods with a 52-yard score to put the Cardinals right back in it.
On the ensuing drive, Duncan Bell was intercepted by Hunter Holmgren, and on the very next drive, Marshall Johnson took the ball 45 yards to paydirt to put the Cardinals up by eight.
Ell-Saline had an opportunity to close out the game on a late fourth down, but Duncan Bell had one final trick up his sleeve, pulling a 45-yard touchdown of a rabbit out of a hat to get Hoxie back within two.
With overtime looming, the Cardinals steeled their resolve, and made the play of their season, stopping the Indians dead in their tracks at the goal line to deny Hoxie the two-point conversion and preserve their lead.
A few first downs cemented what everyone else in Brookville already knew, the Ell-Saline Cardinals had just punched a ticket to the 2A semifinals.
The road won’t get any easier for Ell-Saline next week, as the Cardinals travel to Leoti-Wichita County to take on the #1-ranked, undefeated, Indians.