GREENSBURG, Kan. - Playing important games late in the year. Not just winning a ton of games, but competing for championships. Following the example set by football teams of the past, and that of tons of other teams around the school. 

This is where Hanover football expects to be every year. And now, after four "down years" by this program's lofty standards, the Wildcats have achieved those expectations. Hanover (13-0) defeated Victoria (11-1) 28-20 on Saturday night at Kiowa County High School to capture the 2025 KSHSAA 8-player DII football state championship. 

The victory gives Hanover its eighth all-time football state championship, and seventh in this classification - all under the direction of head coach Matt Heuer, and all coming since 2008. That year, Hanover defeated Victoria in the state championship game, a win that kickstarted this two-decade stretch of dominance from Hanover - and now, 17 years later, the two schools faced off again first the first time since that 2008 title fight with another championship at stake. 

Victoria has put together a tremendous run of success over the last half dozen years. The Knights' "worst" year in that span was a loss in the state quarterfinal, but they had reached the sub-state round every other year in this decade before they finally got over that hump and made the state championship game in Greensburg last fall. There, however, the Knights ran into the buzzsaw that was Axtell - the Eagles captured their fourth straight state championship by blasting Victoria 50-0. 

Victoria dominated district foes Hodgeman County last week to get back to the final, and Hanover ended Axtell's state title reign in their own sub-state contest last week. Even though they were facing off against another school from the northeast part of the state on the same field as their mercy rule loss last November, the Knights acquitted themselves extremely well in a well-contested championship game from both teams, but - as they have done so often this year - the Wildcats' defense came up with a couple of critical plays in the second half to seal the win, and secure the championship, the first for anyone in this current crop of Hanover students. 

It was an extremely well played game throughout, with neither team ever leading by more than one possession as both squads battled significant winds and below-freezing temperatures. Hanover drove the ball downfield to start the game but stalled out in the red zone, and Victoria countered by driving the ball downfield themselves and converting on a 20-yard run by top tailback Weston Scheerer to grab a 6-0 lead with five seconds left in the first quarter. 

The few times Hanover has allowed any points this season, they have always responded quickly, and often almost immediately. That was certainly the case in the championship game: starting quarterback Kadrick Cohorst ran in a game-tying rushing score and then on their next possession, on a wide receiver screen, former starting quarterback Braylon Meyn connected on a 45-yard bomb to Lanxden Stallbaumer to give Hanover its first lead, 12-6, with two minutes to go in the half. Meanwhile the Wildcat defense forced a turnover on downs and a three-and-out, keeping the slim lead intact heading into the intermission. 

The Knights could move the ball but only so far after scoring their first touchdown. With the offense stuck in neutral, the defense provided the team's biggest play: a 23-yard pick six by Ethan VonLintel, who was a difference maker all night for Victoria. That put the de facto visiting team back in front halfway through the third, but that lead didn't last long: running back Cooper Bruna took a Cohorst checkdown 56 yards to the house just over a minute later, and Hanover went back in front 20-14. 

Victoria punched right back to start the fourth, with Scheerer scoring his second touchdown of the night to level the score at 20-20 with exactly ten minutes left to play. Hanover went three and out on the next drive, which seemed to give Victoria a great shot to grab a fourth-quarter lead - but Hunter Kiekhaefer intercepted a deep shot attempt from Wyatt Schmidtberger to snuff out the drive, and a couple of plays later, Hanover dialed up the gadget play again, and Meyn connected on his second long pass of the night - this one to Kiekhaefer, for the go-ahead score. Cohorst threw the two-point conversion to Stallbaumer to extend the edge to eight, the largest lead for either team, with 4:30 to go. 

Victoria has relied heavily on its balanced running attack and experienced offensive line all season, but at this stage, needing a touchdown to stay alive, the Knights abandoned that script and went to the air - and the Hanover defense made them pay. Kiekhaefer picked off Schmidtberger for the second time in the quarter, and that eliminated any chance the Knights had to piece together a late rally. A couple of kneel-downs later, and the Wildcats had wrapped up the 28-20 victory, and with it, their seventh football state championship since 2008. 

Congratulations to Hanover on yet another incredible season, and a massive thank you to anyone who listened at any point this postseason on Ol' Red 99.5. 

VICTORIA (11-1)     20: 6 | 0 | 8 | 6

HANOVER (13-0)   28: 0 | 12 | 8 | 8