DALTON, NE — The Leyton Warriors clinched a spot in a district final contest with a 58-47 win over the Hemingford Bobcats Thursday night. 

The Bobcats were the team up after the first period, however, leading Leyton 8-7. Early in the second quarter, the team trailed the lead back and forth. The Warriors managed to pull away toward the end of the half, taking a 24-18 lead into the locker room. 

The teams were fairly evenly matched throughout the third quarter. A buzzer-beating layup by Leyton's Dillon Juelfs gave the team a 39-30 lead heading to the fourth quarter. 

Leyton expanded that lead to 41-30 in the fourth, but Hemingford refused to go away. The Bobcats embarked on an 8-0 run to trim the Warrior lead to one possession at 41-38. 

Hemingford's rally fell just short. Leyton roared back with a 9-0 run of its own to take a 50-38 lead. Despite some late three-pointers from the Bobcats, Leyton held on for the 58-47 win. 

Juelfs led Leyton with 21 points. Jason Jensen and Justin Ernest also finished in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. 

Rick Turk hit six three-pointers to pace Hemingford with 18 points. Caiden Hill backed him up with 10. As a team, the Bobcats hit 11 three-pointers in the game. 

Leyton (18-4) advances to a District Final contest with a berth in the state tournament on the line. The Warriors haven't played in Lincoln since 2014. Leyton's opponent, the game's location and time have yet to be determined at time of publishing. 

Hemingford's season ends with a 12-11 record.