By COLE REIF

For the Hays Daily News

WaKEENEY -- After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, the WaKeeney-Trego prep football team looked very efficient in its 26-22 come-from-behind win over Hoxie in Friday night's season opener.

Former district 13 members, the Hoxie Indians actually were part of the reason why Trego did not make the playoffs last year with an 8-6 decision over the Golden Eagles in the first week of district play.

Trego senior quarterback Sage Hemmert's second TD pass of the game early in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner.

Trego was forced to punt on its first series of the game but after a fumble by Hoxie at its own 15-yard line, the Golden Eagles were able to get the ball in the end zone on a 7-yard pass from Hemmert to senior Matt Dietz on a fourth-down play.

After the failed PAT, Hoxie would answer quickly on the ensuing drive and prove its 2-1A playoff appearance last year was not a fluke.

The Indians took the ball 62 yards in a little over three minutes, capped by a 13-yard run from senior running back Heath Best. Best also scored on the 2-point conversion, running it easily across the goal line, making the score 8-6.

Holding onto the football haunted the Indians throughout the game, as another costly fumble occurred about midway through the second quarter. Trego was forced to punt after its drive stalled, but Hoxie was unable to haul the punt return in cleanly, setting the Golden Eagles up again at the Hoxie 15-yard line. The Indians were plagued by four fumbles.

Five plays later, Trego bounced in another touchdown, this time on the ground.

Sophomore Casey Sedbrook took it in from 2 yards out. The Golden Eagles got the 2-point conversion this time on a pass from Hemmert to junior Derek Carr, making the halftime score 14-8.

Hoxie, which has the smallest enrollment of any 11-man school this year, came out on the offensive to start the second half. The Indians swiftly moved down the field to tie the game 14-14 on a 3-yard touchdown run from junior Clayton Schamberger.

The Indians would get on the scoreboard again in the third quarter on a miraculous throw by quarterback Taylor Rall. With the ball spotted at the Trego 25-yard line, Rall scrambled in the backfield before he finally heaved the ball downfield to a wide-open Murle Gregory. Cayle Taylor ran in the 2-point conversion, giving Hoxie a 22-14 advantage.

The second-half difference for Trego was the presence of senior James Richmeier. The fullback was hard to bring down in the third and fourth quarters especially when he rattled off a 43-yard touchdown run up the middle with under a minute to go in the third. Richmeier finished the evening with 85 yards rushing.

Still trailing by two, Trego failed to tie the game on the 2-point conversion with an incomplete pass from Hemmert.

The Golden Eagles would get the ball back early in the fourth quarter. Trego methodically marched down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown on a drive that took over nine minutes. Hemmert and Dietz hooked up on their second TD, this one for 13 yards.

Hemmert threw for over 50 yards and two touchdowns and rushed the ball for an additional 70 yards.

Hoxie will regroup as it faces Atwood-Rawlins County this week at home.

Trego will enjoy the win, but realizes is has a tough task this week as the Golden Eagles face four-time 2-1A state champion Smith Center on the road.

Cole Reif is a play-by-play announcer for Eagle Radio, and does an area game of the week. His game this Friday on Y 102 is Plainville at Osborne, with a 6:30 p.m. pregame. Read his story about the game in Sunday's issue of The Hays Daily News.