Thunder fall in close district final

By Morgan Guyer

Nodaway Valley traveled to Rock Port on November 15 to face off against the Blue Jays, with the Class 1 District 6 Championship on the line. At the end of a hard fought game, it was Rock Port who emerged with the 30-28 win.

When the two teams met earlier in the season, it was the story of both offenses, as Rock Port came away with the 66-42 win. It was the exact opposite in the first half this time around, as both defenses started the game strong. Rock Port went into the half with an 8-6 lead.

The second half featured more points, as the two teams traded scores right up until the end of the game. It was always the Blue Jays with a slim lead however, as they held a 24-22 lead late in the fourth quarter. They would put together a scoring drive to extend their lead to 30-22, giving the Thunder a chance to go and tie the game up. The offense led by Senior Lane Larabee marched down the field, scoring a touchdown with a little over a minute left in the game. That set up a 2 point conversion for the tie, but it fell short. The last ditch onside kick from the Thunder was unsuccessful as well, giving Rock Port the ball and the victory.

Just two seasons ago the Thunder finished 3-7. This year they finished their campaign at 9-2 and with a share of the conference title. The improvement from the beginning years of the co-op is clear to see, as they made a stake as one of the teams to beat in Missouri 8-Man Football.