By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
The Sacred Heart Knights battled, but fell short to a talented Republic County Buffaloes team in an overtime thriller for the district title.
On Friday in Belleville, the Buffaloes hosted the Knights for the final regular season and district title game for the 2025 Kansas High School football season.
Both teams, win or lose came into this game making history as the Buffaloes would end the season with a winning record since 1999 and the Knights since 2013.
However, the district title was up for grabs as defense from both teams shined throughout this game.
No score between both teams after the 1st quarter, yet the Buffaloes defense forced 3 sacks. The Knights also looked strong on defense stopping the Buffaloes from scoring.
Throughout the 2nd quarter, the Buffaloes defense picked up another sack and an interception by Conner Martin. However, the Knights responded by stopping the Buffaloes from scoring after a strong defensive performance before the end of the 1st half.
Score entering at the half, 0-0.
At the start of the 3rd quarter, the Buffaloes were forced to punt and Dom Matteucci soared down the field to block the attempted punt. The Buffaloes were able to stop the Knights, taking it over on downs.
The Knights did not let up, as the defense picked up their 2nd sack and taking it over on downs.
The Buffaloes then responded with a defensive stop of their own, as Grady Siemsen picked off Maddox Wells. The Knights defense were able to stop the Buffaloes once again and ended the 3rd quarter, with a score still at 0 a piece.
The Knights started the 4th quarter with the ball and after moving it down the field to Buffaloes territory, the Buffaloes defense picked up their 5th sack and forcing a punt.
It was all defense to the end of regulation as the Knights and the Buffaloes go into overtime, tied at 0-0.
Overtime rules:
- Each team gets a chance to score on offense with the ball spotted on the 10-yard line. If one team scores and the other team does not, the team who scored wins.
- No first downs.
- No game clock.
The Buffaloes received the ball first and scored on their very first play, as Nick Kendall put 6 on the board with a 10-yard rushing TD. Two-point conversion was good, bringing the score 8-0.
The Knights then started strong on their first drive, as Elias Gordon ran for 7-yards, bringing the Knights closer to the 3-yard line.
However, the Buffaloes became district champs as they were able to stop the Knights 3 times straight times, only forcing the Knights to gain 1-yard.
Final score: Republic County 8 , Sacred Heart 0
The Knights finished the regular season with a 5-3 record. Sacred Heart will host a playoff game next week at JRI Stadium. Those details will be updated in the coming week.
Sacred Heart stats and key players
Maddox Wells: 87 all-purpose yards
Elias Gordon: 56 rushing yards
Dom Matteucci: 22 all-purpose yards
Noah Hines: 27 receiving yards
Republic County stats and key players
Kash Henke: 122 all-purpose yards
Nick Kendall: 1 rushing TD, 47 rushing yards
Grady Siemsen: 22 rushing yards, 1 INT
Conner Martin: 1 INT
Watch the full game below: