After wrapping up a pair of 59-0 wins over Plainville and WaKeeney-Trego to begin its run toward a Kansas state-record sixth straight Class 2-1A state football title, Smith Center’s road became a little bumpier over the course of the last three weeks.
Still, the Redmen keep growing the nation’s longest current winning streak, which presently stands at 72 games. Barely, however.
Smith Center hit a milestone 70th straight win in week three of the 2009 season when the Redmen won 20-14 over Norton, which has made a habit of staying with the five-time defending champs.
The Bluejays took advantage of punt and kickoff returns of 75, 59 and 48 yards to gain terrific field position to keep the game close. Four times, Norton began offensive drives inside Smith Center territory.
Norton’s threat to end the streak came to a close, however, when Bluejay signal-caller Connor Pfannenstiel fumbled the ball away late in the fourth quarter. Phillipsburg’s Thomas Rachow tried to throw the next wrench in Smith Center’s five-plus-season run when he blocked Timon Schubart’s punt late in the fourth quarter and scored to pull the Panthers within 14-12.
The two-point try was foiled, however, and the Redmen survived once again.
Last weekend, Ellis was the latest school to attempt to gain notoriety by upending Smith Center. Again, a last-second drive stalled, allowing the Redmen to survive 16-10 and extend the streak to its current 72 games.
While Smith Center has had to survive close calls during its historic run that began with a 14-0 season in 2004, the Redmen have been dominant for the most part, outscoring the opposition 3,760-489 during the streak.
Close calls or not, Smith Center remains on top in this week’s Class 2-1A rankings, while Ellis drops from seventh to 10th after falling to 3-2 on the season. Class 4A Colby travels to Smith Center this weekend sporting a 4-1 record, including a four-game winning streak.
Could another tight contest be in store for the Redmen?
Kansas’ top performers
Rushing
Nathan Charlton of Greensburg rushed for 405 yards in a 64-26 win over Jetmore…Cair Paravel’s Jesse Nigus rushed for 294 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries in an 80-71 win over White City…Camron Leupold of Hiawatha rushed for 355 yards in a 67-20 win over Maur Hill Prep-Mount Academy…Wichita Northwest’s Demarcus Robinson rushed for 274 yards in a 33-19 win over Wichita Southeast…Anthony Thayer of Neodesha rushed for 262 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries in a 48-0 win over Yates Center…Flinthills’ Garrett Breech rushed for 239 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries in a 26-8 win over Chetopa…Jorden Oden of Buhler rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in a 48-13 win over Andover Central…Wathena’s Bryce Paden rushed for 220 yards in a 20-14 win over Oskaloosa…Cody Headrick of Greensburg rushed for 206 yards in a 64-26 win over Jetmore…Sabetha’s Travis Snyder rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a 35-8 win over Royal Valley…Brian Gellinger of Bennington rushed for 198 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries in a 32-24 win over Moundridge…Fredonia’s Bryson Allen rushed for 186 yards on 16 carries in a 45-6 win over Eureka.
Passing
Blake Jablonski of Wichita Collegiate completed 12-of-15 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns in a 70-6 win over Haven…Mulvane’s Gus Strunk threw for 252 yards in a 49-10 win over Augusta…Jason Seibel of Salina South threw for 222 yards in a 55-17 win over Goddard…Goddard’s Tyler Matthews threw for 221 yards in a 55-17 loss to Salina South…Demarest Cullen of Lansing completed 12-of-21 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown in a 21-19 loss to Perry-Lecompton…Medicine Lodge’s Josh Rogers threw for 207 yards in a 48-13 win over Wichita Independent…Cody Bernbeck of Garden City threw for 206 yards in a 15-13 win over Liberal…South Barber’s Christian Johnston threw for 206 yards in a 50-28 loss to Quivira Heights…Tanner Boeh of White City completed 15-of-41 passes for 202 yards and five touchdowns in an 80-71 loss to Cair Paravel…Council Grove’s Derek Ziegenhirt completed 13-of-25 passes for 200 yards in a 46-12 win over Herington…Landon Huslig of Andover Central completed 12-of-22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-13 loss to Buhler…Silver Lake’s Keenan Kruger completed 7-of-13 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-16 win over St. Marys.
Receiving
Codi Smith of White City caught nine passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns in an 80-71 loss to Cair Paravel…Lansing’s Parker Gibson caught seven passes for 176 yards and a touchdown in a 21-19 loss to Perry-Lecompton…Travis Dolan of Salina South was credited with 151 yards receiving in a 55-17 win over Goddard…Andover Central’s Grant Trembly caught seven passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-13 loss to Buhler…Cameron Fisher of Goddard was credited with 127 yards receiving in a 55-17 loss to Salina South…Silver Lake’s Brit Dewey caught two passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-16 win over St. Marys…Brett LeMaster of Wichita Collegiate caught two passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns in a 70-6 win over Haven…Sedgwick’s Wade Hansen was credited with 106 yards receiving in a 55-7 win over Peabody…Travae Jones of Junction City caught two passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in a 21-7 win over Topeka Hayden…Medicine Lodge’s Bryan Hellman was credited with 100 yards in a 48-13 win over Wichita Independent…John Payton of Hartford caught seven passes for 101 yards in a 54-24 loss to Colony-Crest.
Class 6A
1. Olathe North (5-0) 222 45 1
2. Junction City (5-0) 199 63 2
3. Manhattan (5-0) 138 38 3
4. Lawrence Free State (4-1) 183 61 6
5. Shawnee Mission West (4-1) 147 73 7
6. Blue Valley Northwest (4-1) 147 85 5
7. Dodge City (4-1) 215 70 4
8. Olathe East (3-2) 98 96 8
9. Derby (3-2) 109 79 10
10. Garden City (4-1) 133 55 -
Class 5A
1. Hutchinson (5-0) 263 68 1
2. McPherson (5-0) 253 41 2
3. Gardner-Edgerton (5-0) 255 36 3
4. Wichita Bishop Carroll (5-0) 184 68 5
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (5-0) 108 54 6
6. Salina Central (4-1) 168 137 4
7. Emporia (4-1) 157 83 7
8. Hays (5-0) 144 70 8
9. Newton (4-1) 160 59 9
10. Kansas City-Turner (4-1) 129 91 10
Class 4A
1. Bishop Miege (3-2) 176 96 1
2. Buhler (5-0) 263 66 2
3. Andale (5-0) 180 52 3
4. Holton (5-0) 210 74 4
5. Louisburg (4-1) 154 74 6
6. Rose Hill (4-1) 192 40 5
7. Andover (4-1) 182 111 7
8. Abilene (4-1) 163 117 8
9. Hugoton (5-0) 246 30 9
10. Basehor-Linwood (4-1) 182 63 10
Class 3A
1. Conway Springs (5-0) 221 49 1
2. Silver Lake (5-0) 178 39 2
3. Garden Plain (5-0) 274 35 3
4. Wichita Collegiate (5-0) 223 67 5
5. Scott City (5-0) 177 21 6
6. Marysville (4-1) 230 49 4
7. Norton (4-1) 143 48 7
8. Pleasant Ridge (5-0) 210 41 8
9. Galena (5-0) 203 62 9
10. Hutchinson Trinity (5-0) 247 12 10
Class 2-1A
1. Smith Center (5-0) 168 36 1
2. Olpe (5-0) 225 12 3
3. Oakley (5-0) 166 20 4
4. Pittsburg-Colgan (4-1) 205 66 5
5. Meade (5-0) 205 41 6
6. St. Marys (4-1) 142 85 2
7. Oswego (5-0) 179 19 9
8. Centralia (4-1) 223 47 -
9. LaCrosse (4-1) 128 95 -
10. Ellis (3-2) 136 58 7
Class 8-Man I
1. Baileyville B&B (5-0) 248 22 1
2. Madison (5-0) 217 30 2
3. Clifton-Clyde (4-1) 280 94 3
4. Colony-Crest (5-0) 274 78 4
5. Quinter (4-1) 218 92 5
6. Minneola (5-0) 250 82 6
7. Pretty Prairie (5-0) 226 66 7
8. Goessel (4-1) 204 70 8
9. Macksville (3-2) 156 112 9
10. Lebo (5-0) 226 48 10
Class 8-Man II
1. Victoria (5-0) 256 116 1
2. Hanover (4-1) 208 108 2
3. Beloit-St. John’s-Tipton (5-0) 227 96 3
4. Ashland (5-0) 130 38 4
5. Sharon Springs-Wallace County (4-1) 206 108 5
6. Otis-Bison (5-0) 284 90 6
7. Quivira Heights (3-2) 254 154 7
8. Norwich (4-1) 186 74 8
9. Hope (5-0) 212 72 9
10. Sylvan Grove (5-0) 242 90 10
