By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Hanover quarterback Braden Hynek led the Wildcats on four straight scoring drives in the first and second quarters during the 8-Man II state championship football game at Newton’s Fischer Field Saturday.
The end result was a 46-14 trouncing of previously undefeated and top-ranked Victoria. Saturday’s finish was much better than last season when the Wildcats fell to Macksville 24-20 in the title game.
The 32-point win ended 28 years of football futility for Hanover. Before Saturday, the Wildcats last won a football title in 1979 when they took home the top prize in the 2A ranks.
“The minute we walked off that field last year, we said our goodbyes to the seniors and moved on,” Hanover coach Matt Heuer told the Topeka Capital Journal. “Those juniors, sophomores and freshmen said, ‘Coach, we don’t want to feel like that again.’”
Victoria’s offense was befuddled for much of the first half as Hanover’s defense forced the Knights to punt following its first three possessions. Then, Victoria ended its fourth series by losing a fumble and was held on downs on its fifth offensive possession.
Hynek, meanwhile, opened the four consecutive scores by blasting over the goal line from 2 yards out to give the Wildcats an 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Following Rick Bruna’s 3-yard plunge, on the next Wildcat possession, Taylor Nicholson reeled in a 9-yard scoring passes from Hynek and a 35-yard reverse pass from Jerod Diederich late in the first half to put the Wildcats up 30-0.
Victoria pulled to within two scores by converting its final drive of the half and the initial possession of the third quarter into touchdowns.
But reality soon set in as Hynek reestablished Wildcat momentum by scoring from 3-yards out.
Baileyville B&B 24, Clifton-Clyde 16
Even before Baileyville B&B’s offense walked onto the playing surface at Fischer Field Saturday, the Falcons found themselves sporting a 10-0 advantage over Clifton-Clyde in the 8-Man I state football championship game.
Special teams were to credit for the 10-spot that the top-ranked Falcons had planted on the eighth ranked Eagles.
Baileyville B&B led 2-0 when the snap on a punt attempt sailed over the head of Eagle punter Zach Cyphers and out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
Then, after getting his hands on the ensuing free kick, Falcon kick returner Drew Hunter raced 48 yards to pay dirt for the two score lead.
Clifton-Clyde quarterback Brayden Bloomfield pulled the Eagles within 10-8 with a 2-yard run in the first quarter.
But Josh Sudbeck’s 59-yard touchdown run paired with a 2-yard scoring plunge by Ryan Huerter gave the Falcons an insurmountable 24-8 advantage in the second quarter.
The Eagles pulled within 24-16 on Drew Seaver’s 3-yard run in the second quarter, but both defenses pitched second half shut outs to make the halftime score stand up.
“They (the defense) were fantastic in the second half,” Baileyville B&B coach Steve Tiernan told the Wichita Eagle. “Clifton-Clyde keeps pounding you up front but our guys came in and stepped it up.”
Cinderella Still Dancin’
Lawrence Free State and Perry-Lecompton have surprised the pundits after slugging their way through the 6A and 4A state football brackets respectively, and landed in the state championship game in their classifications.
Unranked Free State upended No. 10 Shawnee Mission Northwest, 41-21, No. 5 Olathe North, 10-6, and No. 4 Blue Valley, 14-7, en route to its berth in the finals.
The Kaws, also unranked, got by De Soto, 23-0, Atchison, 31-13, last year’s runner-up Louisburg, 35-23, and No. 5 Holton, 56-35.
The Firebirds used a 17-play, 80-yard drive that chewed 8:22 off of the clock in the fourth quarter to pull ahead of Blue Valley 14-7 in the 6A semifinals. Bob Lisher’s defense made that score hold up.
Shane Gimzo accounted for 6 touchdowns in Perry-Lecompton’s surprisingly easy 56-35 win over Holton. The senior quarterback rushed for 147 yards and 4 touchdowns on 20 carries, and added 243 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air on 14 of 20 passing.
Lawrence Free State (9-3) will try to keep its streak of wins over ranked foes going against undefeated and second-ranked Junction City (12-0) at Washburn University's Yager Stadium in Topeka Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The Kaws (10-3) have an equally difficult of a task when they battle top-ranked Topeka Hayden (12-1) at Salina District Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m.
Topeka Hayden’s lone loss this season came at the hands of Junction City 21-14.
Top Individual Semifinal and Championship Performances
Rushing
Joe Osburn of Smith Center rushed for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns on 9 carries in a 60-14 win over Meade…Hutchinson’s Josh Smith rushed for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns on 25 carries in a 42-21 win over McPherson…Jaydan Bird of Conway Springs rushed for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries in a 45-25 win over Garden Plain…Lawrence Free State’s Chucky Hunter rushed for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns on 39 carries in a 14-7 win over Blue Valley…Corey Harp of Andale rushed for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries in a 20-12 loss to Topeka Hayden…Junction City’s Ty Zimmerman rushed for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries in a 22-3 win over Derby…Taylor Hedrick of Meade rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on 42 carries in a 60-14 loss to Smith Center…Conway Springs’ Caleb Brill rushed for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 carries in a 45-25 win over Garden Plain.
Passing
Shane Gimzo of Perry-Lecompton completed 14 of 20 passes for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 56-35 win over Holton…McPherson’s Joel Piper completed 21 of 42 passes for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42-21 loss to Hutchinson…T. J. McGreevy of Topeka Hayden completed 15 of 22 passes for 219 yards and 1 touchdown in a 20-12 win over Andale…Silver Lake’s Tyler Roberts completed 16 of 25 passes for 212 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 43-12 win over Riverton…Jacob Puetz of Garden Plain completed 9 of 16 passes for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 45-25 loss to Conway Springs.
Receiving
Antonio Dowdy of Garden Plain caught 5 passes for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 45-25 loss to Conway Springs…McPherson’s Levi Gerhardt caught 11 passes for 135 yards and 1 touchdown in a 42-21 loss to Hutchinson…Quinn Bruce of Silver Lake caught 8 passes for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 43-12 win over Riverton…Taylor Nicholson of Hanover caught 4 passes for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 46-14 win over Victoria…Olpe’s Cole Krueger caught 5 passes for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 20-0 win over Pittsburg Colgan.
Semifinal Results and State Championship Schedule
Class 6A Semifinal Results
Lawrence Free State 14, No. 4 Blue Valley 7
No. 2 Junction City 22, No. 7 Derby 3
Saturday’s Championship at Washburn University’s
Yager Stadium, 3:30 p.m.
Lawrence Free State (9-3) vs. No. 2 Junction City (12-0)
Class 5A Semifinal Results
No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas 17, No. 4 Gardner-Edgerton 12
No. 1 Hutchinson 42, No. 6 McPherson 21
Saturday’s Championship at Emporia State University’s
Welch Stadium, 1 p.m.
No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (11-1) vs. No. 1 Hutchinson (10-2)
Class 4A Semifinal Results
Perry-Lecompton 56, No. 5 Holton 35
No. 1 Topeka Hayden 20, No. 4 Andale 12
Saturday’s Championship at Salina Central’s
Salina District Stadium, 1 p.m.
Perry-Lecompton (10-3) vs. No. 1 Topeka Hayden (12-1)
Class 3A Semifinal Results
No. 1 Silver Lake 43, No. 3 Riverton 12
No. 5 Conway Springs 45, No. 2 Garden Plain 25
Saturday’s Championship at Hutchinson Community College’s
Gowan Stadium, 1 p.m.
No. 1 Silver Lake (13-0) vs. No. 5 Conway Springs (11-2)
Class 2-1A Semifinal Results
No. 6 Olpe 20, No. 4 Pittsburg Colgan 0
No. 1 Smith Center 60, Meade 14
Saturday’s Championship at Fort Hays State University’s
Lewis Field Stadium, 12:30 p.m.
No. 6 Olpe (13-0) vs. No. 1 Smith Center (12-0)