By Ernie W. Webb III
HANOVER – Thirty-one wins. Six postseason victories. Two Lyon County League championships. Four straight playoff bids. In time, the seniors on Burlingame’s 2025 team will remember those statistics and their impressive four-year run.
But, at least on Friday, those numbers didn’t provide much solace after a 64-8 loss to top-ranked Hanover in a regional championship game.
“It’s always tough to end the season, especially when you have a great group of seniors like this,” said teary-eyed coach Jeff Slater, whose team finished with a 6-4 record. “These seniors were a joy to coach. They worked hard to keep Burlingame football where it is. Unfortunately, only one team can end the season with a win. Hanover is every bit as good as we expected them to be.”
The Bearcats knocked the Wildcats (10-0) out of the Eight-Man Division II playoffs a year ago, securing a signature win against the perennial power. In 2025, Hanover got even with a dazzling performance capped by John Denver’s “Country Roads” afterward.
The Wildcats’ road to the state quarterfinals was a short one. They blitzed the Bearcats with 40 points in the first quarter and led 56-0 midway through the second. Hanover averaged more than 11 yards per play and converted on all eight of its two-point conversions.
“We really struggled with their wide splits,” Slater said. “Coach (Matt Heuer) asked me what I thought, and I just told him, ‘Go win it.’ That is a very good, well-coached football team.”
Hanover, which ended Axtell’s 58-game winning streak last month, scored on the first play from scrimmage, a 39-yard pass from Kadrick Cohorst to Jack Bruna, and led 16-0 just 81 seconds into the game after a 27-yard toss from Cohorst to Braylon Meyn.
“It took us a while to settle in, and you can’t afford that against a team that good,” Slater said.
Burlingame’s lone touchdown came, fittingly, on senior quarterback Danny Cain’s 13-yard run late in the second quarter. Cain had a breakout campaign and finished with 49 total yards in his last game. Brock Moon, who also had a stellar senior season, caught the conversion pass.
The Bearcats’ nine-man senior class – Cain, Moon, Drake Skirvin, Dawson Richman, David Noonan, Ryan Davidson, Braedyn Burkett, Wyatt Slade and Peyton Hartpence – finished their careers with a 31-13 record, including a trip to the state semifinals in 2022 and state quarterfinals in 2024.
“The seniors last year got a lot of the accolades, and deservedly so,” Slater said. “But this group of seniors was right there with them, and they were a big part of our success. I will always remember them because they gave me all they had and worked incredibly hard. Their leadership was outstanding this season.”
Sophomore Blake Middleton had 37 total yards, while Skirvin caught three passes for 19 yards. Cohorst paced Hanover with 176 yards, including 141 through the air. Meyn added 59 yards on three receptions.
Hanover will host Linn next week for a sectional title. The Wildcats dominated the Bulldogs (7-3) 52-12 a few weeks ago.
HANOVER 64, BURLINGAME 8
Burlingame 0 8 X X — 8
Hanover 40 24 X X — 64
First Quarter
HHS – Jack Bruna 39 pass from Kadrick Cohorst (Cooper Bruna run)
HHS – Braylon Meyn 27 pass from Cohorst (Alec Jueneman run)
HHS – Cohorst 19 run (Hunter Kickhaefer run)
HHS – Brody Sedlacek 31 pass from Cohorst (Jueneman run)
HHS – C. Bruna 3 run (Meyn run)
Second Quarter
HHS – C. Bruna 20 run (Jueneman run)
HHS – Jueneman 5 run (C. Bruna run)
BHS – Danny Cain 13 run (Brock Moon pass from Cain)
HHS – Braden Jueneman 15 pass from Hayden Bruna (B. Jueneman run)
GAME IN FIGURES
BHS HHS
First downs 6 9
Rushes-Yards 18-31 15-108
Passing 5-12-2 6-7-0
Passing yards 38 156
Total yards 69 264
Punts 2-24.5 N/A
Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-0
Penalties 1-10 3-30
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Burlingame: Middleton 8-18, Cain 9-11, Moon 1-2. Hanover: Cohorst 3-35, C. Bruna 3-28, R. Sedlacek 2-25, A. Jueneman 4-20, Meyn 1-6, H. Bruna 1-(-2), B. Jueneman 1-(-4).
RECEIVING – Burlingame: Skirvin 3-19, Middleton 2-19. Hanover: Meyn 3-59, A. Jueneman 1-43, J. Bruna 1-39, B. Jueneman 1-15.
PASSING – Burlingame: Cain 5-12-2 38. Hanover: Cohorst 5-6-0 141, H. Bruna 1-1-0 15.