Knights top Spartans in battle for Dome

 TABOR -- When it was all said and done - the handshake line complete and the trophy presentation in the books - several Fremont-Mills players made their way back to the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton side of the 50-yard line.
 Following 48 minutes of hard-hitting playoff football, the rivals exchanged well-wishes and sportsmanlike pats on the back.
 The Spartans may not have been able to hang with the Knights in Friday’s 8-Player quarterfinal game, but they had certainly earned the respect of the state’s number-two ranked team.
 Unfortunately for Exira-EHK, an essential good start wasn’t enough to rattle the unbeaten Knights, who showcased their extreme play-making skills on both sides of the ball and scored the final 42 points to prevail 63-20.
 Fremont Mills (11-0), which beat the Spartans 50-21 four weeks earlier, clinched its third trip to the UNI-Dome in six years and will face third-ranked Harris-Lake Park (11-0) in an 8-Player semifinal at 12:06 p.m. on Thursday.
 Exira-EHK, which led 14-7 after one quarter and trailed just 21-20 midway through the second, finished 7-4 overall after starting the year 0-2 and overcoming key early-season injuries.